Crown Castle Sues Comutel to Recover $34,000 in Damages to Underground Cable

Comutel Solutions, a support services contractor for data, video and voice networks, caused more than $34,000 in damages to a Crown Castle underground cable while excavating with mechanized equipment in January 2020 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, alleged Crown Castle’s complaint Friday (docket 502024CC000204XXXAMB) in 15th Judicial Circuit Court in Palm Beach County. Comutel’s action “constituted an intentional interference with Crown Castle’s disturbance of its rights without justification,” said the complaint. Crown Castle’s cable “constitutes movable property, for which Crown Castle has the right of peaceable, undisturbed possession,” it said. Comutel “interfered with said possession when it knowingly and intentionally excavated” without maintaining “due clearance” of the cable, it said. Crown Castle alleges Comutel failed to adhere to "all applicable federal and state statutes and regulations and all applicable industry standards and guidelines as they relate to the protection of underground utilities," said the complaint.