Satellite dish theft?

[dareegs]

I live in a homeowners association controlled complex in Maryland. I am a renter and not the homeowner. I subscribed to a satellite TV service and during the installation process the company installed their dish and attached it to the house I occupy. The HOA decided to remove all the dishes from everyone's homes and installed two common use dishes at the end of each housing unit (4-6 twon homes per unit). The HOA had a different company do all the work and that company then took all the dishes and kept them for themselves. I asked for my dish back and the company that did the work said I was not entitled to the dish (that I paid for as part of my subscription service) claiming that the dish is free when I subscribe to the satellite service and therefore I am not losing anything by having them take the dish. When I spoke to their technicians that did the actual work they said the company is going to take all the dishes and scrap them at the junkyard (and I presume get the money for that). Is that legal and what is my recourse for getting my dish back? Thank you.

 

[Zigner]

Report the removal to your satellite provider.

 

[davew128]

As Zigner said, report it to your provider. That said, unless you personally purchased the dish yourself from an outside party, you are technically leasing it from the provider.

 

[FlyingRon]

By the way, it is patently illegal for them to have done that. There's a federal preemption when it comes to TV (satellite or otherwise).

 

[davew128]

By the way, it is patently illegal for them to have done that. There's a federal preemption when it comes to TV (satellite or otherwise).

I thought so as well, but the federal law isn't so iron clad as you might think. In the case of a renter, they must have exclusive use over the area where the dish is to be mounted. That may not be the case here.

 

[justalayman]

but taking property that does not belong to them without permission from the owner or person entitled to possession is still theft.


to whomever said they lease the dish therefor it is not theirs:

we don't know which sattelite service is involved. In at least one of them, the subscriber is the owner of the equipment. The cost is amortized over the life of the contract.

 

[davew128]

we don't know which sattelite service is involved. In at least one of them, the subscriber is the owner of the equipment. The cost is amortized over the life of the contract.

And on the other provider, unless you literally pay $500 or therebouts directly from the provider up front, you are ALWAYS leasing the equipment regardless of how long you subscribe unless that equipment is extremely old (think no HDMI connection old) and acquired before 2006 or so.

 

[Dave1952]

Many States, including Maryland, have laws concerning renters who "attach things" to the owner's property. I suspect that the satellite dish, once it was attached to the home, became the property of the home owner. The OP may not have any ownership of this dish.

 

[FlyingRon]

Many States, including Maryland, have laws concerning renters who "attach things" to the owner's property. I suspect that the satellite dish, once it was attached to the home, became the property of the home owner. The OP may not have any ownership of this dish.

It appears not the homeowner who took the dish but the HOA.

 

[davew128]

Many States, including Maryland, have laws concerning renters who "attach things" to the owner's property. I suspect that the satellite dish, once it was attached to the home, became the property of the home owner. The OP may not have any ownership of this dish.

And the contract regarding the usage of the dish in the first place probably stated it belonged to the satellite company, which means you're wrong.