§ 8-103. Construction of lines and fixtures -- In general

   (a) Authority to construct lines and fixtures; limitation. --

   (1) A telegraph or telephone company or a corporation authorized under § 5-410(a)(3) of this article may construct lines:

      (i) through the State;

      (ii) from or to any point in the State;

      (iii) on the boundaries of the State;

      (iv) along and on a road, street, or highway; and

      (v) across bridges and the waters in the State.

   (2) The company may erect fixtures, including poles, piers, or abutments necessary to sustain the lines.

   (3) This section does not authorize a company to construct a bridge across any of the navigable waters of the State.

(b) Fixtures not a public nuisance. -- A line constructed under subsection (a) of this section is not a public nuisance and is not subject to abatement by a private party if the line does not interfere with or disturb:

   (1) the public use of roads, highways, and bridges;

   (2) the navigation of the waters of the State; or

   (3) the convenience of a landowner more than is unavoidable.

HISTORY: An. Code 1957, art. 23, § 318; 1998, ch. 8, § 2; ch. 653.