Clearing Power Lines

[SWolf]

After 40 years of neglect, our local power company decided to clear-cut the power lines.
This is the mess they left behind. When I asked them about cleaning it up, I was told it was the homeowner's responsibility.
Now I think if it's the home owners responsibility, why did they clean it up?
What are your thoughts?

They made a real mess.

They clogged up the drainage ditch.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Really doesn't look bad to me. Of course it's kind of hard to tell from the photos. Maybe you could make some firewood from the downed trees.
When I was logging the state had a policy that all logging slash had to be cleaned up and burned. Then they changed their policy and that said the slash was to be spread out and left on the ground. Maybe that's the policy where you live.

 

[SWolf]

Really doesn't look bad to me. Of course it's kind of hard to tell from the photos. Maybe you could make some firewood from the downed trees.
When I was logging the state had a policy that all logging slash had to be cleaned up and burned. Then they changed their policy and that said the slash was to be spread out and left on the ground. Maybe that's the policy where you live.

Thank you for the reply.
We don't have a fireplace so don't need the wood.

This really is about responsibility.
If you hired roofers to come out and replace your roof and they left the mess behind is it your job to clean it up?

 

[Weedygarden]

Thank you for the reply.
We don't have a fireplace so don't need the wood.

This really is about responsibility.
If you hired roofers to come out and replace your roof and they left the mess behind is it your job to clean it up?

We've had people fix our fence twice, and both times left the old parts behind. I too see firewood. You may not use firewood now, but I would prepare it for firewood. I have had trees trimmed and add them to a wood pile, even though I don't typically have a fire in my fireplace.

 

[SWolf]

We've had people fix our fence twice, and both times left the old parts behind. I too see firewood. You may not use firewood now, but I would prepare it for firewood. I have had trees trimmed and add them to a wood pile, even though I don't typically have a fire in my fireplace.

Thanks for the replay
again we don't have a fireplace.
Who should be responsible for cleaning up the mess?
So you feel ok cleaning up after a worker?
If I have a worker out and they left a mess behind I would withhold the last payment.

Again this post is about responsibility.

 

[Supervisor42]

We've had people fix our fence twice, and both times left the old parts behind. I too see firewood. You may not use firewood now, but I would prepare it for firewood. I have had trees trimmed and add them to a wood pile, even though I don't typically have a fire in my fireplace.

He only needs to put a sign up by the road that says: "Free Firewood" and it will all vanish in a couple weeks.
If the trees were on his property, they can't haul the logs off and sell them because that would be 'stealing'.

 

[SWolf]

He only needs to put a sign up by the road that says: "Free Firewood" and it will all vanish in a couple weeks.
If the trees were on his property, they can't haul the logs off and sell them because that would be 'stealing'.

Unfortunately, this project is at least county-wide if not state.
In the county, there are 51,000 residents in the vast majority of them are rural.
And there are far easier properties to get the wood off of the mine.

please no more comments about firewood.
I am asking who is responsible for clean up.

 

[Tootsie]

To me, that looks neat and clean. When the power company goes through here, it really looks bad. Slashed and cut stuff gets pushed to the side so that THEY might get through if they had to for repairs. Major chemical usage, too. Wherever they have been, it’s orange and nothing will grow for some time.
I’d like to smack whoever signed off years ago that the power company could go through.
Sorry that you have wood to deal with, and ruts. I’d gladly trade for what you got.
You get the responsibility for cleanup. You should have been given paperwork at least one time about what they do and don’t do. You can still contact them for that legal paperwork.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Thank you for the reply.
We don't have a fireplace so don't need the wood.

This really is about responsibility.
If you hired roofers to come out and replace your roof and they left the mess behind is it your job to clean it up?

Unfortunately where I live I'm responsible for cleaning up after the builders. I'm dealing with it right now. I have a hard time just getting people up to my place to do any kind of work. Work ethics are hard to come by now days.

 

[Wingnut]

Perhaps run an ad on C/L to see if anyone wants the wood (for whatever reason). Otherwise, line the cut with the logs, at least they'd be out of the way. Sucks that the crew left it that way, but now it looks like you'll have to deal with the problem. MT has it right, work ethics are hard to come by nowadays... more's the pity.

 

[Peanut]

Here, when the power company clears the lines… they let the chips fall where they may. They don’t clean up trees or limbs, the land owner is responsible. This goes back to when I was a kid, nothing new. At least now their equipment turns most of it into chips/small pieces. Not what you want to hear but that’s the way it’s been my whole life.

Actually cleaning up what the power company cut down is how I first earned some cash as a kid. I was about 10, came up with a plan on my own. I went to every land owner and told them I’d clean up the mess for the wood. Took me all winter with a little buck saw and an ax. When I had enough for a truck load I rented a mule from my uncle, pulled all the trees out to collection points. Then had a cousin bring his cord wood truck, we hauled it to town and I sold it… seems I cleared about $60 after paying my uncle and cousin. About 1970, big money for a kid back then!

 

[Magus]

After 40 years of neglect, our local power company decided to clear-cut the power lines.
This is the mess they left behind. When I asked them about cleaning it up, I was told it was the homeowner's responsibility.
Now I think if it's the home owners responsibility, why did they clean it up?
What are your thoughts?

View attachment 113286

They made a real mess.


View attachment 113288



They clogged up the drainage ditch.

View attachment 113289

Those look like oak or some other hard wood.
Put a sign up, for free Oak firewood, no limit!
It's gone.

 

[The Lazy L]

…If you hired roofers to come out and replace your roof and they left the mess behind is it your job to clean it up?

Depends on the wording of the contract you signed.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I guess the bottom line is, if you aren't happy with their job of clearing the RoW, then you need to clean it up yourself. How long is this RoW?

 

[Tim Horton]

Have to agree with Mtn Trapper... I've seen worse.. But then I've always lived with more pine, spruce wood and much less broad leaf varieties..

I also would make firewood out of as much of it as I could.. Mostly for use with outdoor fire pit and HOBO stove use..

 

[Wingnut]

That wood would burn great in my stone fire ring in the yard, lol... hafta cut up the logs though, and season 'em too, but I'd do it to save money, aye? Sounds like the best option for the OP might be to simply line the edges of the cut with the larger logs, and police up the rest of the debris. I will now drop and knock out 100 push-ups for mentioning firewood again, lol...

 

[SWolf]

To me, that looks neat and clean. When the power company goes through here, it really looks bad. Slashed and cut stuff gets pushed to the side so that THEY might get through if they had to for repairs. Major chemical usage, too. Wherever they have been, it’s orange and nothing will grow for some time.
I’d like to smack whoever signed off years ago that the power company could go through.
Sorry that you have wood to deal with, and ruts. I’d gladly trade for what you got.
You get the responsibility for cleanup. You should have been given paperwork at least one time about what they do and don’t do. You can still contact them for that legal paperwork.

Here, when the power company clears the lines… they let the chips fall where they may. They don’t clean up trees or limbs, the land owner is responsible. This goes back to when I was a kid, nothing new. At least now their equipment turns most of it into chips/small pieces. Not what you want to hear but that’s the way it’s been my whole life.

Actually cleaning up what the power company cut down is how I first earned some cash as a kid. I was about 10, came up with a plan on my own. I went to every land owner and told them I’d clean up the mess for the wood. Took me all winter with a little buck saw and an ax. When I had enough for a truck load I rented a mule from my uncle, pulled all the trees out to collection points. Then had a cousin bring his cord wood truck, we hauled it to town and I sold it… seems I cleared about $60 after paying my uncle and cousin. About 1970, big money for a kid back then!

Thanks guys!

It's has been 40 years since the power company cleared the lines. Nobody around here knew what to expect or what the "gold" standard was. Just because our power company is saying they are going to do X Y and Z doesn't mean that the rest of the country Is not doing ABC, nobody had any idea.

And I guess we have it better than most of you guys just not as good as I was hoping. like the power company will clean it all up.

Again thank you for the feedback much appreciated.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I live 4 miles from the nearest power lines, so I guess I wouldn't know what to expect.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

Just be happy you got off lightly. Here, a guy didn't keep the trees out of his 5 strand barb wire fence line put in around 40 years ago..

When the power company finally got around to clearing the power line on the highway easement, they brought in the big tree logging snippers and those big roto rooters. The guys that were running them didn't differentiate between fence posts or trees.

The guy complained and they brought in a D8 to clean it up and he had to pay clean up fees and hazardous waste disposal fees for his fence that was tangled up in the mess. He will be dead before he sees his case in court.

In the past, when I was a teenager, we were hired to slash the road right aways by hand when every thing was still brush. Great summer job but it's no longer allowed for kids to do road work, or much work of any kind.

 

[Tim Horton]

I imagine Clem will agree, some people will consider having a power line across there property a bonus.. When cleared it makes a great field of view to hunt and or shooting range..

 

[Magus]

I imagine Clem will agree, some people will consider having a power line across there property a bonus.. When cleared it makes a great field of view to hunt and or shooting range..

Not to mention bike trail and turkey magnet.

If you have a scrap pile make a fire ring out of a large tire rim and a 1/2" rebar grid as a grill. we love ours.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

I imagine Clem will agree, some people will consider having a power line across there property a bonus.. When cleared it makes a great field of view to hunt and or shooting range..

That's a big NO.

Clem wouldn't agree to having anything on the property which grants access by default, to anyone, for any reason, to do anything.

 

[Tim Horton]

That's a big NO.

Clem wouldn't agree to having anything on the property which grants access by default, to anyone, for any reason, to do anything.

= = = =
From the prospective of building a new hydro line across your property I understand your reasoning.. However.. I do know people who have existing hydro lines on property.. They are still private property to the general public.. And are used by the land owners as described.. And the amount of ...on ground... access the hydro company does is very minimal it seems.. Hydro does most of there periodic inspection by small plane..
Depending on location... Your experience may vary...

 

[Mountain trapper]

That's a big NO.

Clem wouldn't agree to having anything on the property which grants access by default, to anyone, for any reason, to do anything.

I personally would not own a property if it had any from of RoW across it. I have a large property and there isn't a single easement across our land. Just the opposite actually, I lease a section of land from the FS to access our property. We also own the water rights and mineral rights to our land.
Our property is surrounded by newly staked mining claims. Since we own the mineral rights, plus there's no easements crossing our property, they can't cross our land or stake claims on it. Of course this makes our ranch even more valuable.

 

[Supervisor42]

I personally would not own a property if it had any from of RoW across it. I have a large property and there isn't a single easement across our land. Just the opposite actually, I lease a section of land from the FS to access our property. We also own the water rights and mineral rights to our land.
Our property is surrounded by newly staked mining claims. Since we own the mineral rights, plus there's no easements crossing our property, they can't cross our land or stake claims on it. Of course this makes our ranch even more valuable.

If you have utility power at your house, your property has an easement if you are not a renter.
Do you have utility power?

 

[Mountain trapper]

If you have utility power at your house, your property has an easement if you are not a renter.
Do you have utility power?

Nope. We're 100% off grid. Nearest power line is 4 miles away.

 

[Aerindel]

Power company here did the same thing. We complained, next day they came back and carried every log out, by hand (too steep for machines)....and where glad when I told them they could just pile the logs up in the driveway instead of loading them on a truck and taking them away. I was happy for the free firewood.

 

[WVDragonlady]

Why don't you advertise free wood in a local paper, at your church bulletin or something?
Or charge for it and make some money off the power company.

Just because you don't need the wood doesn't mean others in the area don't.

People have to start finding silver linings in things now

 

[SWolf]

Why don't you advertise free wood in a local paper, at your church bulletin or something?
Or charge for it and make some money off the power company.

Just because you don't need the wood doesn't mean others in the area don't.

People have to start finding silver linings in things now

AGAIN...
this project is at least county-wide if not state.
In the county, there are 51,000 residents in the vast majority of them are rural.
There are far easier properties to get the wood off of than mine.
Every house has logs in the yard and half of them have 2 areas.
1 The main line that runs across the property and then the feeder line that goes to the house

This is not about silver linings, it is all about responsibility.

 

[joel]

I had private land and it is sandwich between a paved road & a dirt road, I sold the upper half with an easement to the paved road.
The easement is covered with large trees with under brush & weeds, there is a ditch 8 feet wide & 8 feet deep that no car could drive over.
I ask the lawyer would I have to clear the easement & cover up the ditch? He said it is not my responsibility to up keep on their easement.
That was six years ago & the easement is still full of trees & the ditch is untouched, the owner of the easement use the dirt road that is county maintained.
I have ten acre farm with three power line easements on it & the power company has to clear it, but it is my land, I can do anything I want to it as long as it does NOT stop the power companies from getting to the line if need be.
My Father planted corn in the field, under the power lines for forty years, no problem.
I am going to bush hog the easement to keep the power from making a mess & they will be happy because they pay by the foot to clear the land.