I need some advice about my neighbor's downspouts. They have two extensions that direct rainwater right towards my property. The water flows over a retaining wall—I'm not sure if it's on my side or theirs—and then floods into my yard and near my house. It's especially bad during heavy rains when I see pooling and runoff toward my foundation. I'm concerned because the pipes are just dumping water from their side without any connections to a proper drainage system. I haven't spoken to my neighbor yet, but I'm planning to. I have a few questions: Is this kind of drainage common or okay? Could this violate any runoff regulations? What should I do if my neighbor refuses to change it? And should I involve the city or an HOA about this? Any advice or experiences would really help! Thanks!
3 Answers
From what I know, draining water onto a neighbor's land can be illegal in many municipalities. If they refuse to move it and you're facing loss or damage, contacting the city might be necessary. Just be careful not to make the situation worse. It's often best to try talking it out first before involving any authorities.
You might want to approach your neighbor and see if they'll change the drainage to go alongside that rock wall instead. It's not neighborly to drain directly onto someone else's property, and they might be receptive to a change if you explain the situation calmly.
Exactly! A friendly talk could lead to a simple solution. If they're reasonable, they might not mind fixing it.
Most areas have regulations that say your rainfall is your own, so you can't just dump it on someone else's property. I'd definitely recommend talking to your neighbor about rerouting those downspouts away from your yard.
Yeah, it’s common courtesy to ensure drainage goes onto your own land.
Totally agree! You wouldn't want to escalate things too quickly. Maybe they didn't even realize the impact it has.