The OGRE in my pasture

[Charlotte]

So here I am whining. The OGRE is actually OG&E, our electric utility company.

This was paddock #8 in September 2011



This is the same paddock now.







We are just short of a year into this 'taking of easements'. They told us right after Thanksgiving 2011 that they would be taking another easment and putting in two poles. (yeah, right) They would be finished by the end of May 2012. we contacted our show clients and told them to cancel plans to send show horses here because we didn't know what was going to happen. BIG financial hit. Two days before we were to leave for World with our ONE little stallion they are suddenly in our pasture...gates open...nothing to keep the mares and foals from taking off down the street! bottom line, I stayed home, we hired Knight clipped and groomed at the show. Today, STILL can't use my pasture! Huge trucks coming and going, huge cables on ground from one side to the other. Temporary fencing all over the place. Horses crammed here and there. (

When will this end?????????

 

[little lady]

That is truly a pitiful sight. So sorry you are having to go through this.

 

[muffntuf]

I don't know - my adventure was over a year long - why you ask? Because the electric company decided to do this work when time permitted, it was not a really well planned start and end date thing.

 

[2minis4us]

That is just sickening !! Are they going to give you money to re-plant trees and fix the area ? I know that is not compensation but you should be getting something ! I would be so mad I could not function. I am so sorry for you guys.

You are not whining. OMG ! I would be furious.

 

[Knottymare]

I'd be spitting fire if that was my place.

:LetItAllOut

 

[hoofhearted]

We had a beautiful walking path (I liked to walk Sam in his wheelchair there to see the upper pasture..). We came home from a hospital stay to find trucks in the path cutting down full grown trees in a 30 foot swath, because they felt they needed to. We had never reported a problem, unlike places elsewhere they left intact. We just weren't at home. I threw them out, and demanded they replant..still waiting..though they did agree.

I hate easements, and the fact they can change how they use them. Like putting in huge metal poles where small wood ones stood for decades.Neighbors have easements through pastures..ours is alongside our road and our woods. I hurt for you...

 

[Genie]

THat is really a shame.

There are many stories about being located close to high voltage equipment.

True or untrue, I don't know, but I don't think there have been enough studies to discount the effects that people report.

The big companies just continue to "march on" and I am sure that none of those company executives are living any where near an operation like what you are going to be subject to.

Wind turbines are the big threat around here and property values plummet once they are within view of your property and many homeowners report health effects, to the point where they can not stay in their homes..

I have a friend on a farm subject to high voltage. They have a high ratio of abortions with their cattle. They sold their miniature horses as they had no success raising a foal. THey had a couple of foals born that died in two or three days.

No one can say why but they just do not like the situation and fear it does have health effects.

One suggestion was to have your home tested for high voltage prior to the high voltage equipment being installed and then have the home tested after installation to see if there are higher levels.

 

[targetsmom]

I am so sorry this is happening to you. I would be spitting fire too!

 

[PaintNminis]

That is Horrible! Hang in there

 

[lucky seven]

I really feel for you. In my neck of the woods, the senior citizens bought land to build a meeting place for themselves and to give some land to the little leaguers to make playing fields with. At that time, Niagera Mohawk was the power company with metal poles through some of the land, the seniors were given a "right of way" to get to the land they bought after giving the kids the best part. Well, Niagera Mohawk sold to National Grid and they won't honor the agreement. So the seniors have land they can't get to. Some people who live bordering the land were boarding 2 riding horses. So they contacted the seniors and asked if they could rent the land so they could keep their horses at home. My mom is one of the seniors, after they made an agreement with these people, I was asked what they should charge. I said at least $150 per horse per month. Guess what! They had already made an agreement for $75 per month for both horses. They can't sell their portion of the land because the power company won't honor an agreement made before they entered the picture. Good luck, I hope they fix the mess they made.

 

[shalakominiatureshowhorses]

Two days before we were to leave for World with our ONE little stallion they are suddenly in our pasture...gates open...nothing to keep the mares and foals from taking off down the street!

You have no idea how many times that has happened to me. My parents always do renovations to the barn. Then, i love them but, they neglect to clost the gate properly. Sometimes i checked, sometimes i didnt. We have a fenced in community, but there are cattle guards all around and everyone in my neighbor hood is to (forgive me) stupid enough to watch the road for deer and stuff. Anyway, Bentley has escaped, oh lets see, almost 5 times counting stall busts and gate openings. I was home alone sick and i looked out the window to find all of my minis on the porch looking at me through the picture window. I ran outside like the idiot i am, scared two horses, one was too lazy to follow so i put him back in the stall, and grabbed some halters, took the golf cart over there and found them over a hill. Anyway, the point of the story, I cant imagine finding people in our pasture without closing gates! Thats just plain dumb on their part!!! Sorry about your situation!

 

[hoofhearted]

lol..visions of myself on golfcart hunting a wandering little friend. I've threatened to change a couple of names to Houdini.. Usually happens at 2am, when everyone else is sleeping, or mid-day when I am home alone. Worst is when I am alone with Sam after his nurse has left for the afternoon..there's a conundrum. Fortunately they all will follow like puppies, even through the woods if need be. Amazes me how they know when the fence has been turned off..and how they spring right through, something our big horses never did!.

Interesting legal issue..and the reason to carry farm insurance. Should someone else leave a gate open, you may well be liable in the case of an accident, unless you can prove it was opened by someone without your knowledge or permission. Acts of God (branch falling on fences) are usually not a fault, but fence condition and failure to properly secure gates is. Utility workers are notorious for ignoring gates unless they are chained and locked as well as posted.

 

[Performancemini]

Genie: How do you get tested for high voltage; through who? We have heavy power lines that run between our and the neighbors property. The company has already cut down all our and the neighbors trees/bushes/etc. that grow under and on either side of these lines. They plan to come out and cut down 3 more of our trees yet that run south of these lines. We HAD beautiful full blue spruces growing. I would worry about this high voltage thing though. I wouldn't mind having our property checked for it. Our house is 100+ years and we get "power surges" or pulses or whatever they called them, where the power goes off and then on in a second or two. Then I have to reset the clocks and the sump-pump that's in the basement every time. I got a kind of round about explanation of this. I still am not sure if this is something hazardous or just annoying.

This is America, but we sure don't have choices on our own property. They can just take things away from us. It's rather scarey!

 

[vickie gee]

Rather scarey indeed! But just the tip of the iceburg...now we should all be good kids and let the guv tell us what to eat, how many kids we can have, and be sure to drink the fluouride and take the flu shots! Oh yeah, and who to house on our property. Call me crazy but your grandkids will not.

 

[Jean_B]

If I were you, I would consult with an attorney who deals with these issues. Logic says you should be able to file for loss of income against OG&E.