A sewage pipeline passes underground across a piece of land, owned by a 
farmer, passing from a village to the sewage treatment plant.
The water board say they own the pipeline for a short distance from the 
plant only. Something in the vicinity of 20 metres. After that, they say the 
pipelines ownership is none of their business and they neither know nor care 
who owns it.
The borough council deny ownership. County council deny ownership. Drainage 
board deny ownership.
To cut a long story short, every organisation who could conceivably own the 
pipeline are denying ownership of it.

So, in a situation like that, does ownership of the pipeline default to the 
person who owns the land through which it passes?

"(used to be) Fat Sam"  wrote in message 
news:gd2p9j$89a$1@aioe.org...
>A sewage pipeline passes underground across a piece of land, owned by a 
>farmer, passing from a village to the sewage treatment plant.
> The water board say they own the pipeline for a short distance from the 
> plant only. Something in the vicinity of 20 metres. After that, they say 
> the pipelines ownership is none of their business and they neither know 
> nor care who owns it.
> The borough council deny ownership. County council deny ownership. 
> Drainage board deny ownership.
> To cut a long story short, every organisation who could conceivably own 
> the pipeline are denying ownership of it.
>
> So, in a situation like that, does ownership of the pipeline default to 
> the person who owns the land through which it passes?
He should know who had the wayleave agreed for the pipe, this would be a 
starting point.

(used to be) Fat Sam wrote:
> A sewage pipeline passes underground across a piece of land, owned by
> a farmer, passing from a village to the sewage treatment plant.
> The water board say they own the pipeline for a short distance from
> the plant only. Something in the vicinity of 20 metres. After that,
> they say the pipelines ownership is none of their business and they
> neither know nor care who owns it.

     <snip>

I think they are telling porkies!
IIRC more than 50% of the "Water Rates" bill is for sewage siaposal. The 
Water Co, / Uti;ity is responsible for ensuring the sewage is conveyed from 
premises which are paying for the service, to a treatment plant.

The way that things are nowadays It may be the case that the Water Co. have, 
(possibly for some obscure Accounting reasons), created a subsidiary Co. 
which owns the pipeline itself, for example as in the case of British 
Gas/Centrica.

I fail to see how the Water Co. can deny knowledge of who owns the pipe 
itself when they are onliged not only for contractual reasons but also on 
the grounds of public / wnvironmental health, to convey the cointents of 
those pipes.

But as yours is a hypothetical question, this is no mothing more than a 
hypothetical response :)

-- 
Joe Lee

"(used to be) Fat Sam"  wrote in message 
news:gd326q$cc0$2@aioe.org...
>
> "mert1639"  wrote in message
> news:gd2psg$aal$1@frank-exchange-of-views.oucs.ox.ac.uk...
>>
>> "(used to be) Fat Sam"  wrote in
>> message news:gd2p9j$89a$1@aioe.org...
>>>A sewage pipeline passes underground across a piece of land, owned by a
>>>farmer, passing from a village to the sewage treatment plant.
>>> The water board say they own the pipeline for a short distance from the
>>> plant only. Something in the vicinity of 20 metres. After that, they say
>>> the pipelines ownership is none of their business and they neither know
>>> nor care who owns it.
>>> The borough council deny ownership. County council deny ownership.
>>> Drainage board deny ownership.
>>> To cut a long story short, every organisation who could conceivably own
>>> the pipeline are denying ownership of it.
>>>
>>> So, in a situation like that, does ownership of the pipeline default to
>>> the person who owns the land through which it passes?
>> He should know who had the wayleave agreed for the pipe, this would be a
>> starting point.
>
> Aaah, Wayleaves.
> Is there anywhere that wayleaves can be looked up? Are they recorded
> anywhere? Land registry maybe?
>
If the land recently changed hands the solicitor involved might know.  Or 
else I suppose you could do a FOI/DPA request to your list of suspect owners 
but I don't know if it would work as it relates to land rather than a 
person.

(used to be) Fat Sam wrote:
> A sewage pipeline passes underground across a piece of land, owned by
> a farmer, passing from a village to the sewage treatment plant.
> The water board say they own the pipeline for a short distance from
> the plant only. Something in the vicinity of 20 metres. After that,
> they say the pipelines ownership is none of their business and they
> neither know nor care who owns it.
> The borough council deny ownership. County council deny ownership.
> Drainage board deny ownership.
> To cut a long story short, every organisation who could conceivably
> own the pipeline are denying ownership of it.
>
> So, in a situation like that, does ownership of the pipeline default
> to the person who owns the land through which it passes?

A practical solution for such a landowner might be to announce your 
intention of digging it up and blocking it.    That would 'flush out' some 
responses perhaps...



-- 
Criticising the government is not illegal, but on investigation often
turns out to be linked to other offences

"mert1639"  wrote in message 
news:gd2psg$aal$1@frank-exchange-of-views.oucs.ox.ac.uk...
>
> "(used to be) Fat Sam"  wrote in 
> message news:gd2p9j$89a$1@aioe.org...
>>A sewage pipeline passes underground across a piece of land, owned by a 
>>farmer, passing from a village to the sewage treatment plant.
>> The water board say they own the pipeline for a short distance from the 
>> plant only. Something in the vicinity of 20 metres. After that, they say 
>> the pipelines ownership is none of their business and they neither know 
>> nor care who owns it.
>> The borough council deny ownership. County council deny ownership. 
>> Drainage board deny ownership.
>> To cut a long story short, every organisation who could conceivably own 
>> the pipeline are denying ownership of it.
>>
>> So, in a situation like that, does ownership of the pipeline default to 
>> the person who owns the land through which it passes?
> He should know who had the wayleave agreed for the pipe, this would be a 
> starting point.

Aaah, Wayleaves.
Is there anywhere that wayleaves can be looked up? Are they recorded 
anywhere? Land registry maybe?

"mert1639"  wrote in message
news:gd2psg$aal$1@frank-exchange-of-views.oucs.ox.ac.uk...
>
> "(used to be) Fat Sam"  wrote in
> message news:gd2p9j$89a$1@aioe.org...
>>A sewage pipeline passes underground across a piece of land, owned by a
>>farmer, passing from a village to the sewage treatment plant.
>> The water board say they own the pipeline for a short distance from the
>> plant only. Something in the vicinity of 20 metres. After that, they say
>> the pipelines ownership is none of their business and they neither know
>> nor care who owns it.
>> The borough council deny ownership. County council deny ownership.
>> Drainage board deny ownership.
>> To cut a long story short, every organisation who could conceivably own
>> the pipeline are denying ownership of it.
>>
>> So, in a situation like that, does ownership of the pipeline default to
>> the person who owns the land through which it passes?
> He should know who had the wayleave agreed for the pipe, this would be a
> starting point.

Aaah, Wayleaves.
Is there anywhere that wayleaves can be looked up? Are they recorded
anywhere? Land registry maybe?