10 year easement contract with Time Warner Cable? Experiences??

Question

I have a 38 unit apartment complex. Twenty five years ago (or so), the building was wired for cable. It is now a mess.

Time Warner came out to do a site survey and have offered a complete, professional rewire of all three buildings in exchange for a 10 year easement and for exclusive rights to market TV/Internet/Voice to the tenants on the property.

I just put new EPMD roofs and soffits on all three buildings and am interested in keeping jack ass installers off of the new roofs for the foreseeable future. Satellite dishes will be prohibited in all new leases...

Question:  Have any of you ever asked for the cable company to include complimentary internet cable for the sole and exclusive use of the property owner? I would like to set up private WiFi to the middle building so that I can use a camera to watch my trash dumpster from home or my Iphone.

DL

Account Closed · Answer

While simplified:

I'd wire the building with all forms of wire that are used (e.g., coax, fiber) using my contractor (in part so it's done to my standards), including wire(s) to the roof (for your satellite).

I'd also trench and bury several conduits (with pull ropes and/or coax and/or fiber and/or etc.) from the building out to the easement area (near pole or box, etc.).

You then have the option to choose which provider(s) you want to work with/allow into your building, while controlling the onsite infrastructure and without giving up easements or exclusivity.

If you're up to the task and want to recoup your investment and later profit from it, serve as a re-seller to your tenants... watch how fast they make good on it once their TV/internet is cut off.  Just be careful about one tenant adding wi-fi and allowing/selling it to other tenants.

Lance Wakefield · Answer

Just another great reason to have 100 units

Lance Wakefield · Answer

I was involved in a 300 unit build and the owners negotiated getting a percentage of sales from using a specific provider. He said he had comcast and direct TV bidding against each other for his business. So yes everything in life is negotiable. Good Luck!

DL Martin · Answer

The cables are strung from the telephone poles directly to each building. The cable company has a box on the street side of each building and this is where the cable originates to each apartment (38 apartments). I'm really not interested in getting involved in reselling signal...

Also, I read somewhere that it is not a good idea to even give the appearance that you are impeding, in any way, telephone access. I guess this is some type of FCC violation. Not really sure what my responsibility is on this. Are landlords required to provide hard line telephone wires into each unit?

DL

Manolo D. · Answer

That's what I am saying, you can sign with another company for exclusivity, and ban twc. I have twc but don't really like when someone bullies around just because of their name. They think it's easy to acquire a business? It's easy to get exclusive service that's for sure.  You could also forbid future external improvements to preserve the outside beauty, just like you would not be able to hang cloths outside a balcony. lol.

DL Martin · Answer

Manolo, I hear what you are saying... I'm just trying to make a preemptive  strike to keep satellite's off of the property. Every one of my balconies in CA had at least one satellite dish attached to it and I was periodically finding them on the roof also.

I just installed three new EPDM roofs and I don't want satellite guys (or cables guys) walking on my roofs.

BTW, I didn't even ask them to comp TV at the apartments, only Internet. They still said no.

DL

DL Martin · Answer

@Lance Wakefield

Lance, Time Warner told me to jump off of a bridge. : )

Corporate policy is one "complimentary service" per 100 units. What I took from the conversation is that as soon as I hit 100 units, I can call them back and they will "comp" the cable/internet bill at my personal residence. Something to look forward to!

DL

DL Martin · Answer

@Lance Wakefield

Wow. I will see what they say and will report back here what I find out.

DL

DL Martin · Answer

@Lance Wakefield

Thanks for the comment Lance. I don't want to seem "greedy" but heck, they are bringing the signal into the building anyway... and everything in this life is negotiable, right?  : )

DL

10 year easement contract with Time Warner Cable? Experiences??

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