HOUSTON – A grandmother worried about paying daily HOA fines calls KPRC 2 to help resolve issues with a utility box in front of her home.
The box is a utility hub for several condominiums around her. Because of this, Bernadette Stinson said it’s filled to the brim.
“The lines are pushing the box up,” Stinson said. “They’re not staying inside.”
Stinson had Comcast Xfinity come out once a month to clean the wires and put them back in the box. However, not soon after they left, the grandmother said the wires slowly pop out again.
The Glenbrook Patio Homes HOA told Stinson and other neighbors with the utility box in front of their homes: if they don’t get rid of it, they’ll face fines.
“I’m trying to get ahead of this before the fees kick in,” Stinson said. “I can’t afford to pay the fees that are going to start accruing because this is here.”
A spokesperson for Comcast tells KPRC 2′s Rilwan Balogun, the equipment in front of Stinson’s home has been there for years and is necessary.
“The telecommunications equipment, or pedestal, outside of Ms. Stinson’s home is long-standing, existing infrastructure that serves multiple residents in her community,” the spokesperson said. “Our Xfinity technicians have been responsive to Ms. Stinson’s requests, including today when our technician performed minor maintenance work.”
As Balogun was speaking with Stinson, a technician from Xfinity arrived at her home. He met with Stinson then went to clean the wires around the hub.
Items like the utility box are allowed on homeowner’s property due to easement.
The Texas Utility Code says companies can access private land to use easements for work on things like cable lines, internet, and sewage.
After the Xfinity technician responded, he gave Stinson a direct number with someone with the company. Stinson shared that the company said they would return to her home to maintain the wires and explain to the Massachusetts transplant Texas easement laws.
She was told the previous number she had been calling was a representative in Denver, Colorado.
The company offered to speak with the HOA to explain why the utility boxes are necessary.
“Thank you so much. If you had not come out, they would not be here,” Stinson told Balogun.
“You believe that,” he asked.
“Wholeheartedly. They would not be here. I would still probably be on the phone trying to be in touch with someone,” she said. “Because it’s not important but it’s important to me because I live here.”
COMCAST XFINITY STATEMENT:
“The telecommunications equipment, or pedestal, outside of Ms. Stinson’s home is long-standing, existing infrastructure that serves multiple residents in her community. Our Xfinity technicians have been responsive to Ms. Stinson’s requests, including today when our technician performed minor maintenance work.
Burying the equipment, as requested by Ms. Stinson, would make the network vulnerable to water damage during heavy rains. This would compromise the reliable service Ms. Stinson and other customers in the area expect from Xfinity.
Our Comcast team will continue to partner with Ms. Stinson to help her address any further concerns.”