We live in a zero lot line home, and my neighbor on the left is constantly complaining about rainwater pooling on her side of the shared concrete wall. After talking to some neighbors, it appears poor drainage is a common issue in our neighborhood. Here are the key points:
1. When it rains, the wall gets wet, and water collects on her side until it dries up slowly because of the sunlight.
2. My house is slightly higher than hers, so water naturally flows to her side when it rains.
3. The rain gutters on my house, which were installed over two decades ago, direct water into my backyard and not onto her property. She only started complaining recently, despite this being a longstanding situation.
4. The pooling water is just in a dirt patch between our walls; it doesn't reach her structural walls, so there's no risk of damage, just muddy dirt.
5. I've tried extending the gutters to redirect water into my backyard, but it still seeps along the wall.
6. Other neighbors face similar drainage issues due to our zero lot line setup, so it seems somewhat unavoidable.
7. The neighbor on my right also has wet dirt when it rains but it dries up in a few days.
Despite my reassurances, she insists that the water accumulation is encroaching on her property. I suggested she consult a surveyor or drainage expert if she's concerned, as I'm not intentionally directing water onto her side. I'm worried about possible legal consequences. What other options do I have with the gutters?
4 Answers
Honestly, I’d tell your neighbor to contact the Ordinance enforcement office. They’ll send someone to check out the situation and most likely tell her, "Rain happens." They might explain that you can't control the rain and suggest she needs to address the problem herself, like installing a French drain or even using a push broom.
What’s the direction of the rain relative to the wall? Is it literally just rain hitting the wall and then rolling off? It might help to understand if this is just a result of how the weather hits your homes.
Have you thought about asking her if she’d like to help cover the costs for better drainage solutions, like your gutters or installing a French drain? Sometimes that gets them more invested in the solution! She might even want to run a drain to the street to help the situation out.
I’m not sure about your housing rules regarding this, but if it’s not affecting your land, let her deal with it. She could invest in a surveyor or even consider a rain detention tank or a deep gravel pit to manage the overflow on her side. I live somewhere super dry, and we’ve set up a gravel pit in our yard to soak up the rain when it comes, and it really helps! Good luck; every neighborhood has that one problematic neighbor.
Thanks for backing me up! I was starting to doubt if I was in the wrong about how the gutter is set up. I did some research on local ordinances, but I'm not finding clear guidelines. It seems we’re okay as long as we're not directing water onto her structure.