Who Owns The Phone Cable?

[Crossy]

This weeks flood related SNAFU.

We are in a rented condo on the 10th floor.

The basement area spent some weeks in a state of being rather damp (OK flooded to 3m). All dried out now but our land line, whilst it is now working is very noisy, so noisy that the ADSL drops out often and sometimes won't re-connect.

The condo management have determined that the cable from the TOT board downstairs to our unit is at fault and want to replace it although I'm not totally certain that it will actually sort the problem.

They want 7,000 Baht for the job!

Now we are not paying, our landlady is, but both she and I feel that this charge is excessive for about 60m of phone cable and 2 guys to pull it, they are not even going to put it in the existing containment but run it along the walls.

The question is, legally who is responsible for (and therefore should pay for) this cable, is it condo infrastructure or private property?

[beano2274]

Would have thought it was condo infrastructure, it was there when your landlady bought it and was part of the package she paid for.

[dave111223]

If your condo is anything like ours the cable that goes from the TOT board to the main condo board is a big fat cable that contains hundreds of lines (for all the individual numbers).

At 7000 baht it sounds like they are asking you to pay for the replacement cable which services all the rooms (so you are basically paying the money for everyone in the building)...which is ridiculous.

We had a problem with the main cable also (it would get wet and drop ADSL too). We had the TOTs guys run us a single line cable just for our line from the TOT board to the main board. Cost was about 400 i think. So we are now running on our own line instead of the main shared cable for the building.

[Crossy]

Wifey is going to find out exactly what we (landlady) are going to be paying for, we shall see.

It does sound like a big cable is involved somewhere, for which I have no intention of paying.

[PattayaParent]

Can you not source and price 60m of telephone cable yourself so you have an idea of the true cost?

Maybe even a couple of guys to pull it and just have TOT turn up to terminate at their end?

[Crossy]

Yeah PP, I may well end up doing just that, we don't actually need TOT either, the JB belongs to the condo, I'll even lend the chang the correct Krone tool to terminate the cable. It's just that I hate doing things that the condo are supposed to sort.

It's a bit moot at present as the line has quietened down a lot today, if it lasts the weekend I'll just leave it be. We'll be moving into the house in June/July the next tenant can worry about it.

[inzman]

They will always find a way to make you pay.

[electau]

It sounds that the fault is caused by moisture, on a termination. It is unlikely the cable has been damaged. Check the connections first. Noise on the line is the indication.

Edited February 20, 2012 by electau