Ohio Couple Sues to Force Removal of AT&T’s Utility Lines From Their Property

AT&T or agents it hired began installing utility lines and manholes sometime in April 2022 on property owned by Edward and Carolyn Schimmel, “without any permission to do so, and continued doing so after notified that they did not have permission to do so,” alleged the Schimmels’ complaint Monday (docket 2024CV0154) in the Court of Common Pleas in Wood County, Ohio. Demand has been made on AT&T to remove the installations, but AT&T has “refused and essentially ignored” those demands, said the complaint. When AT&T or its agents “wrongfully entered” the Northwood, Ohio, property on numerous occasions in April 2022, the Schimmels and city told them that no utility easement existed where they were working, said the complaint. The carrier or its agents caused damage to the land and to crops that were planted at that time, plus the loss of future crops and income, it said. AT&T has refused to reimburse the couple for that damage, it said. The company’s actions have taken a portion of the Schimmels’ property “out of farm production” and “essentially created a utility easement” on the property without compensating the couple, it said. As a result of those wrongful actions, the Schimmels have suffered monetary damages for legal fees, court costs, loss of equity and income and loss of use of the property in an amount exceeding $100,000, it said.