Crazy Neighbours are flooding our foundations

R

RuthS

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This sounds unbelievable, I know - but it's true ... our next-door neighbours, 'till recently, fairly normal people, are actively flooding the foundations of the extension we're currently building. WHAT CAN WE DO???They are shoving a hose pipe into a gravel bed on their side of the garden wall and leaving the tap run and run and run. Our garden is lower than theirs and is flooding again and again and again. The builders are going spare! They've tested the water and have confirmed that it's treated, tap water, not rain water. They called the Council in, who also took a water sample, and have siad they'll meter next-door's water. The Council guy called to the house ref a 'suspected water leak out the back', but the neighbour told him he didn't know what he was talking about, and closed the door on his face,When we called to see the house last night, it was going on again, hosepipe jammed into wet gravel on their side of the wall - our site, dry on Friday afternoon was fill or water, and the 'lady' of the house was pottering about in her kitchen. (She's a solicitor, by the way!!).We called to the police station on the way home. They said they'd never heard the like - and told us to talk to the Council .... What's the best thing for us to do??(Neighbours objected to the PP, by the way, and appealed to ABP - lost out both times - but this is ridiculous!)
 
Pull the hose through next time you see it and keep doing it until they get tired of buying new hoses. Bet they will not ask for the hose back. Silly people should be treated in a silly manner.


Secman
 
Would if I could!!The hose stays well on their side, far down into the soil, and then floods out under the dividing wall into our, lower, garden.
 
Set up a video camera to record their actions...it's criminal damage in my opinion but you need proof...
 
Yep

Agree with Welfarite - video is the only solution to this. They can't argue or deny anything then.
 
Get a pump to pump the water out of the foundations to allow the builders to get on with the job - that would sick'en them worse that you won again
 
This does seem crazy. Get your solicitor on the job for goodness sake. Don't delay. And don't waste time with lots of letters - one warning letter and then straight to court. Tell your solicitor not to send the warning letter until the court proceedings are already drafted and ready to go- if you say that proceedings will issue in seven days, you absolutely must carry out the threat, so make sure thay are ready to go before that first letter. This will cost you more, but in these situations it is the right way to go.

It may be that the legal proceedings would be best coming from your builder - as the nuisance created by your neighbours is actually impacting on him in the performance of his contract. Your solicitor and barrister will be better able to advise.
 
Nightmare! Try the pump angle as the legal route could go on for ages especially as you say she is a solicitior (I know someone who did try to tackle a solicitor about PP and he basically blocked them at every turn as said directly to them at he would continue to do so, they evenually gave up but had already incurred about €20k of legal costs).
Try the pump and say nothing to them about it.....just wait to see their faces once your builders can get started. Or could you get the builders to put down something that would force the water back onto their property (some sort of plastic board down into the ground?). Would cost abit but nothing in comparison to legal costs.
 
Caveat said:
Agree with Welfarite - video is the only solution to this. They can't argue or deny anything then.
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Video your neighbours in their own lawn? If she's a solicitor, she'll have a field-day with that one
 
You mentioned that one of the neighbours is a solicitor, if it continues I would let them know that you will report them to the Law society on the grounds that they are bringing the profession into disrepute. Nobody in any profession wants their regulatory body on their case, believe you me.

Best of Luck

Secman
 
Pumping the water out is really the best way to go, the hire of a pump for a few weeks would not be much and you wouldnt be getting into petty battles with your neighbour. By digging a small sump near the neighbour side the builder should be able to work away with no problems and he can direct the water to areas of the to suit himself
 
secman said:
You mentioned that one of the neighbours is a solicitor, if it continues I would let them know that you will report them to the Law society on the grounds that they are bringing the profession into disrepute. Nobody in any profession wants their regulatory body on their case, believe you me
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And the Law Society will be fascinated but politely tell you that they are not in the habit of policing the private lives of their members. And the neighbour will have a field day with a libel action.........

mf
 
paddyd said:
Video your neighbours in their own lawn? If she's a solicitor, she'll have a field-day with that one
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The OP can still video on their own property.

Presumably the water can be seen entering the basement - it has to be coming from somewhere. Neighbour said they didn't know what the council guy was talking about re suspected water leak. At least video evidence will show that something untoward is indeed happening despite the protestations of the neighbour, and it may even indicate that the water originates from the neighbours property.
 
Just get the builders to get the concrete into the foundations.... fair enough the concrete will displace the water and it will be messy... but i wouldnt allow this gob****e next door to disrupt the work in anyway..... The concrete will still set ok....

either that or get the builders to shore up that side of the garden and this will cause her gravel bed to flood...... its not a big job....
 
sydthebeat said:
Just get the builders to get the concrete into the foundations.... fair enough the concrete will displace the water and it will be messy... but i wouldnt allow this gob****e next door to disrupt the work in anyway..... The concrete will still set ok....

either that or get the builders to shore up that side of the garden and this will cause her gravel bed to flood...... its not a big job....
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sounds like a plan!
I would also get some legal advice but it does seem like you are doing all that you can within the law. I would not try anothing remotely illegal much and all as they are trying to rise you, stooping to their level will only make things even worse.
 
From a UK council site so I'm not sure if this applies in Ireland...

"
There is a 'right of natural drainage', which means that water flowing naturally across the surface of your land is allowed to flow downhill naturally onto your neighbour's land. You must not channel the flow of water to cause damage to your neighbour's land - so water falling as rain on your lawn is allowed to flow downhill onto your neighbour's land but roof-water coming from a down-pipe is not.

Similarly your neighbour on the uphill side is allowed to let the water flowing naturally across their land, flow onto your land. You are not allowed to take any action to prevent this. One of the problems in modern built-up areas is that by building garden walls or raised patios, the flow of water is stopped and can then cause flooding."
 
the issue here is not the restriction of 'natural water' but actually 'forced flooding'....
 
Could you dig a short shallow trench along this gravel bed and put in some waterproof shuttering? This will deflect at least some of the water back onto your neighbour. Ultimately it will find its way back into your garden, but it might create a bit a mess in theirs too. A trench would also channel the water away from the foundations. Its really a problem for the council to sort out though isn't it. Because it essentially a water leak. Though deliberate. Is this not criminal damage though?
 
RuthS said:
This sounds unbelievable, I know - but it's true ... our next-door neighbours, 'till recently, fairly normal people, are actively flooding the foundations of the extension we're currently building. WHAT CAN WE DO???They are shoving a hose pipe into a gravel bed on their side of the garden wall and leaving the tap run and run and run. Our garden is lower than theirs and is flooding again and again and again. The builders are going spare! They've tested the water and have confirmed that it's treated, tap water, not rain water. They called the Council in, who also took a water sample, and have siad they'll meter next-door's water. The Council guy called to the house ref a 'suspected water leak out the back', but the neighbour told him he didn't know what he was talking about, and closed the door on his face,When we called to see the house last night, it was going on again, hosepipe jammed into wet gravel on their side of the wall - our site, dry on Friday afternoon was fill or water, and the 'lady' of the house was pottering about in her kitchen. (She's a solicitor, by the way!!).We called to the police station on the way home. They said they'd never heard the like - and told us to talk to the Council .... What's the best thing for us to do??(Neighbours objected to the PP, by the way, and appealed to ABP - lost out both times - but this is ridiculous!)
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When they objected to your planning - did they maintain that you were trying to build your house in ground liable for flooding or foundation too close to water table ? Is there water near your site (river, lake, drain) ?

If it were me, I would be 'immersing' myself in CSI Miami/Vegas/NY and then planning the perfect murder cos that is scandalous behaviour.

But the Law Society recommendation sounds good too.
 
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