Railroad troubles

   / Railroad troubles #11  
barticus73 said:
I have been sending e-mails for the past year and they have been telling me they were going to fix it. I have even been documenting pictures and attatching them as well.

Forget the emails. Send by USPS. Email has been around for a while, but it is still not as official as getting a letter in the mail. You might even try a registered letter...

Also, include pictures, and also that you sent notes on given dates. Tell them this goes back a year, and include a copy of one of those notes from a year ago.
 
   / Railroad troubles #12  
barticus73 said:
I have been sending e-mails for the past year and they have been telling me they were going to fix it. I have even been documenting pictures and attatching them as well.


Have an attorney send the railroad a very stern letter.
 
   / Railroad troubles #13  
put up a toll booth on the tracks :)
sorry I had to say it
 
   / Railroad troubles #14  
barticus73 said:
...I suspect a simple perforated pipe with shale is all that is need to fix the problem (maybe 300 feet or so). I don't want to end up going to court for years and having the swamp get worse and end up paying more than it would be to fix it myself.

If it were me, I'd spend the money on perf pipe and rock. The pipe will fix the problem, a lawyer won't.
 
   / Railroad troubles
  • Thread Starter
#15  
PitbullMidwest said:
If it were me, I'd spend the money on perf pipe and rock. The pipe will fix the problem, a lawyer won't.


That's the direction I am leaning towards. It just really gets me that big companies like this can get away with these things and they know the little guy doesn't have the means to fight it. Frustrating but I have to look at what is finanially better for my family. Unfortunatly that means sucking up my pride and taking one in the a55!
 
   / Railroad troubles #16  
Get a lawyer The railroad will spend hundreds to bet you out of pennys. I have dealt with The company i worked for, Different railroad but i hear they are all the same . They will not do anything unless forced too. I will bet they already have a team of lawyers waiting to see if you will do anything . I guess i have bad blood with them but , they are the dirtiest company I have ever had any dealings with. There philosopy is to ignore you and hope you go away, if you do they have saved money.
 
   / Railroad troubles #17  
Put the perf pipe in now. You can still try to get them to pay for it. You could spend years fighting the railroad by the time things are settled the DNR might call the spot a wetland. Then you can't put the pipe in and will have a even harder fight.
I know it sucks, I just got done putting perf pipe in a field after a road was built up and a culvert removed.
 
   / Railroad troubles #18  
Sorry to be so late to this thread, but I just have to share the most effective way to handle this problem.

Call your congresscritter, both state and federal. No, they won't talk to you personally, but they all have local offices and staff there to help constituents with exactly this kind of problem.

Sit down & write out what you want to accomplish and what questions to ask them. I would explain the situation briefly ask what state & federal agencies regulate this particular railroad. Then ask the staff member who to call at each agency, and what their phone number is. Then thank them. Don't take too much of their time.

Next call the regulating agency, and when you get to the person who has been recommended, start your conversation with: "I was just talking to Joe Blow over at Congressman Cheatem's office and he suggested that you might be able to help me." Then go ahead and explain your problem in some detail.

What you really want is the recommendation from the congresscritter's office and to be able to truthfully drop his name right at the start. The state /federal agencies will help you to the best of their ability, because you now have powerful connections.

I have used this technique when dealing with several large companies where I had gotten nowhere on my own. In my cases, there was always a state regulatory agency, and every time, one phone call from the state regulator and the companies magically switched their thinking from not doing anything, to an immediate and very favorable solution to the problem...
 
   / Railroad troubles #19  
That does sound like a very good civil aproach.:)

On the lighter side on a " Do Not Do This " send the railroad company a picture of a removed rail. Just thinking about it may alleviate some of the stress!:D
 
   / Railroad troubles #20  
I really like CurlyDave's aproach. I'm gonna file this one away in my mental folder for future, unforseen problems.

Thanks!!!

Eddie
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

TORO TRX-20 WALK BEHIND TRENCHER (A51406)
TORO TRX-20 WALK...
UNUSED LANDHONOR UNIVERSAL ADAPTER PLATES (A54757)
UNUSED LANDHONOR...
2018 KUBOTA SVL95-2S SKID STEER (A52705)
2018 KUBOTA...
2023 54' Hooklift Dumpster 15 Cubic Yard (A53422)
2023 54' Hooklift...
UNUSED IRANCH HYD EXCAVATOR THUMB CLAMP (A54757)
UNUSED IRANCH HYD...
2001 CATERPILLAR 140H VHP MOTORGRADER (A51406)
2001 CATERPILLAR...
 
Top