Dear PoPville – Verizon – Property Invasion!

“Dear PoPville,

Verizon came down the alleyway between 16th St and Hertford Place NW this morning. Without getting any permission from any of the homeowners, Verizon’s crew proceeded to invade people’s property and erected a series of poles, saying that they will eventually string FiOS lines along them. (Eventually, as in 6-9 months from now, because of the strike.) Don’t know how readily you can tell from the pix I took and attached, but in some cases their poles straddle the property line between the alley and the private property. In a couple of cases, they actually installed the poles completely within the private property.

For the first pole, Verizon’s crew dumped the concrete they tore up into the man’s yard! The last pole is actually blocking the paved parking space for the home they invaded. And one property owner came out and shooed the Verizon crew away — but not before they had started drilling perilously close to his foundation. And the hole is still there, with torn-up concrete piled up. (Maybe it’s an art installation.)

Is this kind of thing happening elsewhere in the District? I can’t imagine Verizon would possibly try to get away with blatant trespass in Georgetown or even Crestwood, just up the block from us. And if it’s happening elsewhere, where? Verizon clearly needs to be sued for this, and the homeowners must be compensated and made whole.”

Another writes on a Columbia Heights listserv:

“Supposedly they are for Verizon Fios fiber optic lines. Supposedly they can’t run them under the porches like the current phone and cable lines because its a fire hazard, or because someone demanded rent to put a box on their house. Not sure which. Supposedly because of the strike actual wires won’t go up for months.

They were put on people’s property (including mine) without permission, which is bad, but it would be bad if they were blocking the ally too. They should be run underground, but that would involve tearing up our newly paved alley.

That’s the sum total of the gossip I’ve collected so far. Anyone with real info, please chime in and correct or clarify.”