Ohio Edison's "easement in gross" tears trees down

You could nominate this post as an effort to protect the enviornment or stymie the public utility. Either way, I'd call you my friend. Take the polar opposite stand and nominate this post as a "waste of time" I'd still call you my friend.

My parents reside in Aurora, Ohio. Last week, Ohio Edison put stakes in their backyard , seemingly to mark the beginning of the end of what no one owns. On the day of May 4th, my mother and her neighbor encountered an Ohio Edison employee who informed them that Ohio Edison is implementing their "easement" right and taking down several HEALTHY trees on both properties. Something to do with their electric lines being infringed upon. Rather than prune, they exterminate. We have informed Ohio Edison we would prefer the pruning of said oaks, maples, tuliptrees that are to be taken down which was answered by Ohio Edison with "we are not in the business of tree pruning." Tho it seems they are in the same business as Hundman Lumber, Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber,Pacific Lumber and such. . Remove, ground the stump and pass out the wood chips amongst interested parties. That's Ohio Edison's answer.

An easement in gross is "an easement that is not created for the benefit of any land owned by the owner of the easement but that attaches personally to the easement owner." The word "owner" is mentioned alot in that definition. Neither we nor Ohio Edison own this land. "This easement says otherwise," so explains Ohio Edison. "The government acknowledges our ownership over all land that interferes with our service." But who prays to government?


1. EASEMENTS IN GROSS AFFECT MOST PROPERTIES. Virtually every property is subject to an easement in gross. Public utility easements are examples. Most are recorded in the public records affecting each property.

However, sometimes an easement in gross was not properly recorded. But when it is obvious, such as an overhead power line or a public bike path over your land, it's hard for a property owner to deny awareness.


Scary to imagine; what next? we'll be eating each other alive.