Mitch Gilbert Quoted in New York Times "Ask Real Estate" Column
The July 26, 2014 edition of The New York Times' "Ask Real Estate" column featured insight from Mitch Gilbert (Partner, New York) in response to the following question about dealing with abandoned cable lines on private property:
Q. I have a tangled mess of cables from various cable and telephone companies running through my back yard, from a pole on the property line to about a dozen other houses nearby. Some of the cables have apparently been torn or disconnected over the years, but the tangle of cables is so dense they were just left hanging there. I once looked out my rear window and saw technicians from one of the cable companies in my backyard. A technician had climbed over the fence and into my yard to fix a distribution box -- and I am not even a customer of the company. Do I have to suffer this eyesore without any compensation from the companies? Are the technicians allowed access without appointments?
As stated in the answer, while "New York State public service law gives companies certain rights to access private property so they can service their cables for customers in the area...they are obligated to protect not only the safety of the property but also its appearance, according to Mitchell A. Gilbert, a real estate lawyer."
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