looks to me like the DIYer was adding onto the service drop... look at all the tape on the wire!

I agree, there is more than a little goofy about that drop. I'd start thinking 'power theft.'

Unless this place have main meter disconnect at the pole location that will be not a issue but ampcapity now that diffrent story due some peoples abuse the tap rules.

Merci,Marc

I think that it's theft of power.

The original drop down the side of the house goes to a meter, so the new connection is ahead of the meter. So...free power (until the first time that the meter reader looks up, then whammo).

Plus this guy doesn't know how dangerous this is, not to mention using an Aluminum ladder to do it; and then leaving it up there for the wind to grab a hold of.

That may have just been where the ladder was left after he was shocked and fell off.
I wouldn't be in a big hurry to grab it and try to move it.
Maybe with a rope.

Could be my eye-sight, but it looks like there is RTV-filled PVC conduit on them line conductors.
I also note there is no neutral connection (that I can see), for the "new connection".
It definitely screams DIY!

It really looks like they converted the downstairs to a separate unit and this is the service tap. There is a meter at the bottom of that raceway that starts around 3 rungs down from the top (you can see the svc head). If you look behind the 6th rung up from the bottom you see the metering equipment.
The neutral loops in from the bottom.
You really need to blow the picture up to see all of this.

That still doesn't answer the question of what the guy was doing up there.

Yes, a legal install. You can't see that there are two services on this duplex dwelling. The left SER cable is hidden by the wall corner. If you look hard you can see the right. What actually happened was the handy homeowner dude in the left unit was doing some siding repair and left the ladder up for the wind to take it and went home for the week! I was called to remove it! A little more chafing and who knows what would happen?

You did wear gloves,I hope!!

By the way, Welcome to the forums Neighbor!