Mystery Green box

[joe90bass]

We have a mystery green box on the edge of our property which we wish to get moved or removed as it's blocking access to part of our parking, and I'm sure either the wife or I are going to hit it with our car soon! Western Power, the local council and Openreach all say it doesn't belong to them Has anyone here had any experience of getting one of these moved, or any ideas who else to try? I haven't yet opened the box to see what's in there, but as nobody wants to confess to owning it I will do soon as it appears there's nobody to tell me off for doing so!

 

*edit* I should add that the box was here when we moved in last October, and I assume prior to the previous owners putting the parking area there.

Edited September 13, 2011 by joe90bass

[featured_spectre]

Is it on your property or just off?

 

*edit*

 

It belongs to these people http://www.swalec.co.uk/ContactUs/?graphics=high

[HaleStorm]

id suggest giving SWALEC a call as they used to be South Wales Electricity Board back in the 40/50/60s and as its is on public/council land then id say it would definatly be the electric board who should sort it out, if anything it looks dangerous

[joe90bass]

I've tried Western Power as, AFAIK, they look after the infrastructure round here (they suggested I try the council as their records suggest it's for street lighting). Swalec just 'resell' the electric

[featured_spectre]

In that case threaten legal action as it is illegally blocking access to your property for delivery vehicles or large vehicles. Take it up with SWALEC...they may say they just resell the electric but they have to report to someone and ask to be put through to customer services etc and go as high as possible.

[HaleStorm]

its got there name on it stating ownership....so its there responicibilty

[Andrew_C]

I doubt that it is "illegally blocking" anything. It has been there for decades by the look of it, and probably had a fence between it and the property. They (whoever 'they' are) might move it, but they may well charge £Kerching! for the privilege.

[K.C.Leblanc]

Disconnect it and see who complains.

[garethEds]

We have a mystery green box on the edge of our property which we wish to get moved or removed as it's blocking access to part of our parking, and I'm sure either the wife or I are going to hit it with our car soon! Western Power, the local council and Openreach all say it doesn't belong to them Has anyone here had any experience of getting one of these moved, or any ideas who else to try? I haven't yet opened the box to see what's in there, but as nobody wants to confess to owning it I will do soon as it appears there's nobody to tell me off for doing so!

 

*edit* I should add that the box was here when we moved in last October, and I assume prior to the previous owners putting the parking area there.

 

If it's Welsh it could be Torchwood. They exist. :-)

 

Gareth

[joe90bass]

its got there name on it stating ownership....so its there responicibilty

unfortunately the South Wales Electricity Board doesn't exist any more, and finding out who took over responsibility for this box is proving difficult!

 

Disconnect it and see who complains.

May do, depends on what I find when I open it up! Don't fancy playing with 240V

 

I doubt that it is "illegally blocking" anything. It has been there for decades by the look of it, and probably had a fence between it and the property. They (whoever 'they' are) might move it, but they may well charge £Kerching! for the privilege.

The council gave a rough cost of £1000 over the phone and told me to write in formally requesting it be moved, which got me a reply back saying actually it isn't ours......

[HaleStorm]

unfortunately the South Wales Electricity Board doesn't exist any more, and finding out who took over responsibility for this box is proving difficult!

 

The SWALEC website clearly states thats they used to be South Wales Electricity Board and have just changed the company name

[pooley]

Accidentally drive into it?? Towbar would be best bet.

 

See who comes running

[Rawns]

May do, depends on what I find when I open it up! Don't fancy playing with 240V

 

If you open it up, upload a photo? I'm curious as to what's inside.

[aerospacemango]

I'm pretty certain that whatever it is, should you try to open it, or damage it in any way, the relevant people will have you up before the beak on criminal damage charges.

 

Even though it is in the way of your drive, it wasn't when it was first installed, all those years ago.

 

I'd make further enquiries, if I was you, as you could, otherwise, find yourself being taken down an unwelcome route.....

[JJonas]

1. tie a rope around it

2. attach other end of the rope to neighbours tow bar.

3. hope the dont notice when they leave in the morning

4. deny everything

[K.C.Leblanc]

*edit* I should add that the box was here when we moved in last October, and I assume prior to the previous owners putting the parking area there.

 

Have you checked to see if it's mentioned in the property survey.

[sidewinder]

The fact that the previous owners put a parking area in without moving it suggests they might have tried to get it moved themselves and were put off by cost...because it looks like isomething you would want to get moved if possible.

 

So you're probably going to have to stump up the cash as it predates the driveway and isn't on your property

[laserblazer]

It looks like something out of the Robots movie, standing there all alone. Poor little thing

[steve]

The band around the middle has some writing on it, what does it say?

 

It also appears to be mounted on feet, can you see under it?

[joe90bass]

I had another productive phone call with Western Power this evening (if only all call centres were this helpful!). The guy on the phone delved deeper into their system and found out that in 2005 somebody damaged it (assume in a car) and logged an emergency call with them. The Western Power engineer that went out at the time reported back that it's a public lighting box, the guy I spoke to today confirmed these details with the local depot in Swansea and also got me a contact name in our council to speak to. Now to convince the council that it is their box.... And hope they don't quote a stupid price to move it.....

[JJonas]

Any update on this?

[TechMonkey]

If one were to be a BOFH then one might consider drilling a small hole and seeing how much liquid said box could hold, purely to find it's volume to be able to describe it properly to the powers that be. The unfortunate side effect of this could be it would be need to be replaced & a better position could be more advantageous to keep it being damaged by passing vehicles. >

[Rawns]

If one were to be a BOFH then one might consider drilling a small hole and seeing how much liquid said box could hold, purely to find it's volume to be able to describe it properly to the powers that be. The unfortunate side effect of this could be it would be need to be replaced & a better position could be more advantageous to keep it being damaged by passing vehicles. >

 

Or that expanding insulation foam!!! If I remember, a while back, someone was caught drilling small holes into speed cameras and filling them up with this stuff!

[aerospacemango]

I do love the way that people are saying that causing criminal damage would be an acceptable way to have this thing moved / removed.

 

Surely that is tantamount to criminal activity in itself?

 

I have a colleague that i work with, that I'm not particularly keen on....You might as well suggest I rub him out.... It's all the same!

[pete]

*waits for the "the lights down the road don't work" post after it's been creatively removed*