Buholtz v. Rochester Telephone Corp.

Between May, 1969 and July, 1969 the defendant, a public utility, entered on to plaintiff’s land and installed telephone lines 3 feet deep, 10 feet wide and 1,600 feet long underground, all without any permission from the plaintiff. The plaintiff brings an action against the defendant for trespass and asks for compensatory damages and treble damages on the ground that the defendant’s trespass was willful. The plaintiff claims that the defendant damaged trees, shrubs and other growing things on the plaintiff’s property. The defendant interposes an answer in which it admits installing the…