Missouri City woman turns to ABC13, wants utility contractors out of her yard

MISSOURI CITY, Texas (KTRK) -- A Missouri City woman reached out to Eyewitness News, furious about contractors constantly going through her yard to install utility lines.

It's an issue ABC13 has heard from many of you, especially in the past couple of years, as companies in our area have expanded.

"More than once, I've drawn a gun. I don't want that on my heart or their family's heart," Rhonda Johnson said. "But, you're presenting yourself as a stranger, not authorized."

Johnson said utility workers have been coming in and installing equipment for nearly two years.

Easements give permission to people or companies to access other people's property for specific reasons, like installing utility lines.

Easement agreements are in place before you even buy a home, but many people don't even know they have them.

"Most of the time, they write those easements broadly enough so that when something comes up, they can lawfully enter a property, lawfully expand it," attorney John McDowell explained.

If those workers damage your property, you can and should file a claim for cash. First, you have to figure out which company is responsible, and most utility companies hire third-party contractors.

"Should they tell the landowner that they're coming? Of course they should, but that's more about human decency than it is about what's in the agreement," McDowell said.

"We're not talking repairs. We're talking new stuff to gain customer service for fiber optic or internet or whatever. We're not benefitting from that," Johnson said. "Show us some respect, and don't just throw our personal items around like no one lives here."

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