Excel Energy Entering Yard Without Permission?

Does anyone know if Excel Energy can enter your property without permission?

We're having one side of our fence replaced. The company that we contracted to do the fence told us that Excel would have to come out and spray the ground for where any wiring was - you know, the whole "Call Before You Dig" thing. The fence people said that Excel would call before they came out.

Well, I go to let the dogs outside today, and see someone from Excel standing in my backyard. I recieved no phone call, they didn't come to the door (and it was obvious someone was home, my car was sitting in the driveway), nothing. He just opened the gate and came in the yard. I asked him why he was there, he said "the fence". I asked him why I didn't recieve any notification, and he just mumbled something. I asked him again, and he just started walking around and spraying the yard.

I called my fence company and left a message, and am currently on hold with Excel.

So...my question is. Can they just enter your property without you giving express permission?

You did by calling them to do the mark out.

I believe they can. It would be smarter to let you know though. In case the dog is in the yard

I would definitely be complaining about the rudeness of their employee. He should have been absolutely willing to talk to you AND show you an ID.

Probably. Meter readers come into our yard all the time to read the meter and they never call beforehand to let us know. Auggie actually almost escaped once as a tiny puppy because the meter reader came in, opened the gate, then left it wide open behind him. But you called and asked them to come out so it's probably an implied consent kind of thing.
Still, if you were told they'd give you a call before they came out and they didn't, I would complain that there's miscommunication somewhere along the line.

Yep, you gave them permission by asking them to come out. That said, that employee should have handled it better

Yup, I was told someone would call me the day of and give me an estimated time, and they didn't. They also didn't knock on the door or anything when they arrived to let me know that they were there.

And that's what I'm going to bring up when I finally get ahold of someone. He spoke heavily accented, broken English, and either didn't understand what I was asking him, didn't have an answer, or just didn't care. Either way, it's unacceptable.

I just went back outside to let the dogs out - I went outside first to make sure he was gone, and to check the gate. Sure enough...wide open...

Now, they generally DO have some liability for leaving the gate open. And that absolutely gets a complaint.

Accepted gate etiquette is always, "leave it the way you found it."

Our meter reader used to just waltz in the fenced area without notice, and it freaked me out so I started locking the gate so they had to read it from over the fence. They should have given you some notice though.

^ That. I keep the gate locked and they either have to knock, or use their little telescopic thing from behind the fence in the alley.

One would *think* they'd want to knock or call to avoid a potential injury......geesh!

I like locks.