Penalties can be levied if your equipment damages private property

It’s not a topic that makes it around most dinner tables, but this afternoon, representatives of the utility companies gathered at the City Hall’s Conference Room to discuss the possible perils their heavy duty equipment can pose to properties in times of natural disasters, like hurricanes.  According to City Engineer, Benjamin Mendoza, while the meeting was specifically for utility companies, the penalties are not confined only to them, as homeowners can also be found liable for any damage satellite dishes and antennas cause to other properties.

Benjamin Mendoza, City Engineer

benjamin mendoza

“If you’re the owner of a satellite and hurricane breeze blows it off your roof, falls into your neighbors home, breaks the wall, are you qualified to pay your neighbors for damages caused by your property? And that’s what basically we’re doing right now. We’re addressing the large companies that could have some problems let’s say earthquake, tsunami, hurricane; whatever natural disasters that can affect neighbouring people or communities in a total.”

Marion Ali

“What kind of penalties are you looking at then?”

Benjamin Mendoza

“Right now, for opening the utility agency, if they don’t participate it’s a five hundred dollars fine and for every day that they do not comply, it’s a hundred dollars fine. We’re just trying to see the large companies so that we can start with them so that we can move on to the smaller communities.”

Marion Ali

“So, do you have a deadline that you hope to implement all of these regulations?”

Benjamin Mendoza

“Yes, this is the first meeting so far. We’ll probably have a next meeting so that—like you see, only a few companies attended. From there if we have the second meeting and still no attendance, then we can proceed to legal actions.”

Although Mendoza quoted possible fines, those exact figures were still being discussed when we left the meeting.