Folks,
Since I can't find much on the web, maybe someone here had this issue. Long story short the water utility wanted to fix the sewer on their side of the clean-out because it backed up too much. They said one of our trees has to go and they'd have to dig out the roots. It's the only way they said it clould be done properly so we agreed to let go of the large oak tree. BIG job, probably expensive but on their dime.
Suddenly they changed their mind, saying that the easement goes to 25ft from middle of street and the tree is 1-2ft farther in. So not on their turf. Their existing clean-out (like a demarc point) is at about 30ft. Now they say "it'll be fine" for the last few feet, they'd put in a new clean-out closer to the road, repair that section which is "the only one remianing with problems" and anything beyond that becomes ours.
That does not smell very good, I really doubt those statements. Not sure if they just want to dump a potential problem on us. Can a utility do this?
They dug out some old parcel plan records from 1967 showing a 25ft easement from road center. Our house plans show 30ft and I assume if those drawings were wrong the county would not have allowed the house to be built. Yet they contradict the 1967 county parcel plans. Is that anything I can use to make our case so the utility remains responsible all the way to the old clean-out and not just the new one they are going to put in?
I know that we need a lawyer if this ever comes down to the mat. Right now we have no sewer issues and I just want to make sure we preserve our rights if it ever comes to a head.