Telus Ordered to Compensate Woman for Trespassing on Her Property

A recent ruling by the British Columbia small claims tribunal has determined that Telus must compensate a woman over $400 for trespassing on her property multiple times. The B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal’s decision stems from incidents that began in July 2022 when Telus initiated upgrades to local cables from copper to fibre for their internet services, as reported by CBC News.

The tribunal found that despite initial access granted by the woman, named Langston, she had requested prior notice for future visits to ensure the safety of her animals. Unfortunately, issues arose when a Telus employee parked in her driveway and opened her gate on July 29, 2022, leading to her dog escaping. Another incident occurred on September 15, 2022, when a Telus technician entered her property without permission and left her gate open while accessing a pole with a ladder.

Efforts to coordinate access with Telus proved challenging as misunderstandings persisted, with crews failing to show up as scheduled. Eventually, Langston demanded the removal of Telus equipment in January 2023 after a right-of-way agreement could not be reached, prompting the case to escalate to the courts.

Tribunal member Alison Wake defined trespassing as entering another person’s land without lawful justification and concluded that Telus trespassed on three separate occasions. Despite Langston initially claiming $5,000 in damages for alleged bullying and harassment, the tribunal awarded her $300 plus interest and an additional $100 for lawsuit costs. Wake noted that “Telus knew or should have known that it did not have a right of way to access Ms. Langston’s property.”

Phones Canada is committed to providing quality telecommunications services while respecting our customers’ rights and properties. We encourage open communication and collaboration with our customers to ensure mutual respect and understanding in all interactions.