Neighbor Draining Roof onto My Property

My next door neighbor has run his black corrugated pipe from his downspouts down to the back corner of our adjoining lot, right up the the fence, and it is draining directly onto my property, and drenching the footings of my shed.

I can't believe this is anything but intentional. In fact, he did it a few years ago, and even more blatantly, and halfway from front to back, instead of the back corner.

Do I have a reason to complain to the guy? Am I torqued over nothing? Someone please talk me out of calling him and "politely" asking him to move it again.

Or should I go out there at night, and push a long pole through the fence and push the drain back onto his yard, and see if it magically reappears again back towards my yard?

Reply to
Perry Aynum
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Considering the tone of your message, I would totally avoid any contact with the neighbor and certainly any illegal action on your part.

You need to contact the local authorities. In most areas there are regulations about changing drainage patterns and how you handle such drains. It sounds like your neighbor is in violation of the typical regulation. Let the authorities handle it.

Reply to
sligoNoSPAMjoe

Call your Building Dept. or Code enforcement.

Reply to
evodawg

He is trying to care for his issues. The law ends up saying you can't add water to someone else's property and you can't stop water that has always gone that way. Have you looked over the situation? Is there a place or direction that could be beneficial for both of you without messing up someone else? If water has always flowed toward you, he may need a rock garden or some other diffusion system to prevent rutting out either of you. A mutual solution is always better.

Reply to
DanG

What kind of fence? Can you put something on your side of the fence (lawn edging plastic stuff several inches tall?) to keep the water out of your yard?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I agree. Nothing can create ill will faster than calling the authorities before discussing the issue with your neighbor. If you let him know you have a problem due to his actions, perhaps the two of you can find a solution that satisfies both of you. If not, then you can call the authorities for help.

I no longer live in a mega-city environment, but I did live in one for many years. It is amazing how many people in large cities don't even know their neighbors name, hence the reluctance to discuss a problem.

Reply to
Ken

Water does tend to run down hill and if you property is lower than his you will get the water sooner or later anyway.

It does sound like he may being a bit of a butt to not allow the ground to absorb some of the water before it reaches you.

Before you follow the advice of other posters and call code enforcement, make sure your own house is in order. Did you get the proper permits for the shed? Did you alter the natural drainage patterns with the shed (illegal most places with codes)?

While it is annoying I doubt that a shed has enough weight for it to really be an issue. Maybe some flow routing can help?

Colbyt

Reply to
Colbyt

+1

I'd start with figuring out if there is any easy solution as to where he could be routing the water that would alleviate your concerns. Then I'd talk to the neighbor. If that doesn't work, then I'd proceed with a call to code enforcement and see what they have to say. It's possible the neighbor didn't even think about what he was doing. But of course it's also very possible he's just a jerk.

Reply to
trader4

Did you put the shed in a drainage easement. My property for instance has a 20 foot drainage easement in the back yard that is easily overlooked if you don't think about it.

Reply to
Kurt Ullman

Cold you explain what you mean by "drainage easement"?

To answer the other question - yes, I pulled a permit for the shed and it is compliant.

Reply to
Perry Aynum

An easement for drainage (g). It is an area in back of my house that basically contains the drainage swale and some extra. The developer put in these easements for drainage where you can't put anything that would impede drainage. Can't even run my fence in there because stuff floating by might get caught and do the impeding.

Then that is probably not a concern.

Reply to
Kurt Ullman

Google "water drain to neighboring property".

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Reply to
Bob F

Maybe one night the end of the drain pipe becomes clogged with debris resulting in water backing up all the way to his gutters.

Reply to
MLD

I would not move it. Degree of concern should be where the water drains from, what alternatives there are, who was "there" first and general slope of the properties. MUST he drain there to keep water away from the foundation of his house? Got basements? Distance from house to house? Drainage pipe to shed? Any potential real harm to your shed? "Drenching the footings" sounds like a non-issue unless there is standing water or really soggy soil around the shed.

Reply to
norminn

It is illegal for a property owner to direct run-off onto another person's property. In current developments here the location of downspout discharges in relation to property lines is subject to planning department approval (building permits0

Reply to
clare

AIUI, the Earth rotates once a day, so half the time, the water should flow the other way.

Reply to
mm

As crazy as I am, I would probably dig a pit and put a large sump pump in it that would spray the water back the way it came. *snicker*

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

Drainage law in most States is a left-over from British common law. To wit: You have an obligation to take whatever waters nature would have sent towards you. You have to accept your neighbor's water. However, your neighbor has an obligation not to alter the path of the water and not to concentrate it to one location. Obviously he has done that.

As one respondent noted above, he should spill the water onto a dissipater (rock bed possibly the whole width of his yard) and thence the water will revert back into sheet-flow instead of being concentrated against your shed.

I disagree with all the teat-suckers that suggest you run to your government for help. Ultimately you have to work this out with your neighbor and might even have to bring a tort claim against him.

BTW, a simple dissipater would consist of his drain pipe ending in a "TEE" section. The "TEE" would be perforated pipe laid within about 6-8 inches of drain rock. The pipe should follow the contours of his lot, i.e., it should be run level. The entire assembly can be placed a few inches below ground and a lawn can be placed thereon. The water will exit the perforated pipe, saturate the drain rock and hopefully percolate into the ground. Whatever does not percolate would 'sheet-flow' across his lot onto your property just as nature had intended.

There are some codes and design standards for the above system. Some codes require that the dissipation system be placed a minimum of 20 feet uphill from your common property line.

Ivan Vegvary

Reply to
Ivan Vegvary

However, your

around here code requires downspout water to goi in dry well.........

neighbor got in troublew and was required to install dry wells.

interestingly the water from his property still flows like a creek in heavy rains..

first ask the neigbor nice, then if that doesnt work complain to authorties.

but know your going to start a war, if you are doing anything the other fellow can complain about

Reply to
bob haller

Howdy,

How might the OP "bring a tort claim" without the involvement of the government?

Thanks,

Reply to
Kenneth

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