Snow + trees + power lines = trouble
It’s happened to a lot more people than Jena Sherich.
But Jena, bless her, took the time to write and remind us all that terrible damage can be done if you misunderstand your relationship with a utility company.
Let’s make it simple right at the beginning, then go back and explain the circumstances.
A company like Avista is responsible for trees that interfere with its power lines if they’re on public property, or on a right-of-way that they have been legally granted.
If the trees that suddenly get covered with snow and crash down on lines are rooted on your property, however...
Everything is on you.
And we hope you have a solid homeowner’s policy, because you may need one.
Jena’s literal wake-up call about this came during that first week of November, when we got startlingly heavy snow.
“That snow hung there and weighted down the tree branches,” she said. “We sleep with a fan, and thank goodness, because at 2:30 Sunday morning, I thought we’d lost power because the fan was acting like we had no power.
“Then all of a sudden it went full speed, and then low and high again. I jumped out of bed, realizing we were having a power surge.”
Jena raced around the house, turning off every electrical device she could find, then called Avista.
But she also noticed that a neighbor’s back light was flickering, obviously experiencing the same on-and-off power.
“Avista came in the morning and repaired our service wire, which had insulation rubbed off due to the tree branches’ contact on the wire,” she said. “While repairing the one spot that was causing the problem, they repaired two more places on the wire. They did no trimming of the trees, only fixed the wire.
“They also didn’t contact the neighbor who owns the trees, which go the whole length of the backyard, to tell them of the problem.
“After a call to Avista about who pays for damages caused by a surge, I was told they would pay nothing, that it is not their responsibility.
“They don’t do wire clearances. I was told my homeowner’s insurance should cover it. When I said this wasn’t my fault, they told me then (it would be) the owners of the trees who would be responsible.”
JENA HAD no idea how the system worked.
“I was shocked,” she said. “I wonder how many other homeowners out there don’t know this.
“I talked to a friend who is retired from Avista, and was told that wire damage causes house fires, appliance and furnace damage. Surge protectors are not made for this type of surge.”
Furthermore, an Avista representative said the company would not notify the owner of the property on which the dangerous trees were located.
It is just not company policy.
Now there’s more snow and the branches are still lying on those lines.
“It’s a situation that causes a lot of problems,” said Bill Brooks, our Press consumer advocate. ”I lost a mature Japanese maple tree because of it.
“But homeowners and neighbors need to be aware where the trees are located, because that’s who has the responsibility if they affect power lines.”
So thank you to Jena Sherich.
It’s snow season, you’ve probably noticed, and her warning is very timely.
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Steve Cameron is a columnist for The Press.
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