Cracked Patio
Submitted by Dimples0313 on August 6, 2009 - 8:43pm
I had my electricial lines buried by the city and they cracked my patio.Now I'm having trouble getting it fixed. My patio is only a little over 1 year old. This makes me sick this is not a small patio.So think before you have your lines buried I was promised that my patio would not crack but it sure did either from sledge hammers or driving equipment onto my patio. Only God Knows
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Most flatwork guys I know tell me they can promise you one thing about concrete, its going to crack. Have you had the guy who put the patio over to see if its just a normal thing you'd expect to see an a patio within the first year of seasoning of the concrete? Patios don't have a footing and the slab is just on top of the ground and freezing and thawing will cause movement and stress cracks.
Why sledge hanmmers? Did they encounter serious rock problems? How far from patio is line buried?
My patio is 4" thick and why sledge hammers I do not know I was never informed about this from the city or from the Company the City hired.I have requested that they send their Insurance Company out and they keep avoiding this request. The City Of Independence said this Company has Insurance for this liability issue. I have asked the company and the city who the Insurance company is and no one seems to know (hum). I guess maybe FEMA will know that answer maybe.If I wasn't disabled and on a limited income I would just have this problem fixed myself. But if you break something you fix it that is what insurance is for. This Company has lied to me several times and has not returned my phone calls. And is not a BBB accredited Company so why would the City hire them? As you can tell I am really upset about this!!!!
Dimples
Is FEMA the Federal Emergency Management Administration? What do they have to do with a cracked patio? As somrbody else said, concrete cracks, especially in thin (4 inch) slabs. Unless you have some sort of proof that the contractor used sledge hammers on your patio and/or drove a fully loaded loader over it I am afraid you may be out of luck.
FEMA might be concerned with drainage issues of water if there's a drainage easement on part of your property. If this is just on overhead service line to the residence being put underground this whole FEMA thing doesn't make sense. My service is KCP&L used to be Aquilla and its overhead. Do you have Indep P&L or KCP&L and they're subcontracting underground service to personal residences? I personally can't see the utilities running underground service to a residence without a reason. Thats the only reason I can think the contractor would be out of easement with their equipment next to your house.
IPL has a grant to place residential service underground where there is a conflict with tree branches.Or you ca request it at your own expense, Cost about $700 as I recall. See the city web site under IPL.
Whiny Butt.......
.......sledge hammers?......heavy equipment on your patio?........no wonder you inquired about your patio cracking......hopefully you got something in writing.......most of the time it's hard to get anybody to "do the right thing" later.......they want to avoid static from their supervisor............or you're gonna get the "it wasn't our equipment that cracked it.......it just happened as a coincidence.....concrete DOES that after it settles.......patios aren't that thick usually........it would be suspect to me right off................buried lines are SO much better down the road..........when there were ice storms a few years back?..........half the neighborhood had buried lines (our half) and half the neighborhood did not.......they were without power for about 5 days.......we had people camped at our house for a week..........it's aesthetically more pleasing too..........as well as safer for trees and such...........in the long run you will be glad you did it ............it's too bad that your new patio will have to be fixed though.........good luck.....it sounds like you are experiencing the "pride of ownership"..........it's always something with a house........now I know why older people buy condos........with maintenance provided.......
For the most part, Power & Light's field guys don't give a rat's patooty.
When they wanted access to my neighbor's back yard, in order to work on some lines in the back of the lot, they rang the doorbell twice. Then, when nobody answered, they cut the lock on the gate and went in anyways.
Then the lady of the house realized that somebody was outside (dog was barking), realized what was going on / what they'd done, and became very angry with their supervisor, saying he needed to pay for that lock, as they were right inside watching the TV and they hadn't heard the doorbell.
He just kept right on doing what he was doing, saying "Call my supervisor." to everything she said.
I agree they have entered my yard also without permission. Also I have beware of dogs signs on both of my gates and they still come in my yard. And they do not come to my door first which is not to smart because my dogs do bite. And when I am not home I do not want anyone in my yard.I do not know where they get these city workers but I think they are all related some how. They need to have permission to enter our yards. I know there is a easement but that is only along our fence line.Just the other day I had one in my backyard tacking pictures of FEMA work he did not come to my door first (wrong) !!
Dimples
I used to work for the cable company and we were allowed to go in yards whenever necessary. However, we wasn't allowed to cut locks or destroy anything. I also kicked the fence a few times to see if a dog would appear. If there wasn't a way into a particular yard, then we would have to figure something else out or contact the homeowner for access.
I'm not sure what the electric company's rules are for that sort of thing.
Utility lines are typically in an easement along the rear property line. The homeowner is required to provide the utility workers access to the easement, but it has been my experience they always request entry permission. I don't know what goes on if I don't answer the door. They probably come in through a neighbor's yard.