Complicated water issue!

racheldarcy

I was wondering whether anyone who works for a water company can help me.

I have a leak in my water pipe under a neighbours parking space with a broken down car on it. Severn Trent Water (STW) have asked him to move it and the brakes had seized, gave him two weeks to fix it but he has gone away and often is away for six months at a time. STW have my bill on hold, were very lovely said they would deal with the neighbour etc and raise court order to get it moved if necessary and I didn't need to worry. However, I had a phone call yesterday, new person has taken over my account, says I have to take responsibility for getting the vehicle moved or else they will make me pay the whole bill including the leaked water also saying they cant use court order as leaking pipe does not belong to car owner.

BTW I have not spoken to car owner as I did not want to fall out with him, we are on friendly terms at the moment, other neighbours have fallen out with him and I have been trying to avoid doing so!

Where do I stand legally? Can STW change their attitude like this suddenly? Has anyone else been in a similar situation?

I have written a long email to their customer services to ask why their attitude has suddenly changed but am hoping to know whether I actually have a case or if I just need to pay up the £1000 owed plus cost of leaking water forever until I can negotiate with neighbour to get car fixed so leak can be fixed.

Thank you, all thoughts much appreciated:)

mart.vader

If the leak is not under your property/land even if the leak is after your meter, any leakage CANNOT be your responsibility - (it may be registering on your meter, but it's not your responsibility) Who owns the land (the parking space) where the leak is situated ?

If STW actually wanted to or needed to, (i.e. if they thought there was a broken water main underneath) they could simply push the car along out of the way, but as it's just a leak on your water pipe, they can just foist the responsibility onto you.

Derelict cars can be removed by the council, but I accept that you don't say it's derelict.

racheldarcy

The land is owned by the person who owns the car parked on it.

STW have suggested pushing the car out of the way, which has caused problems in itself as that means putting it over a driveway of another neighbour who has concerns about that happening, but as the brakes have seized it is impossible to push it anyway.

Cardew

Agree with Mart.Vader.


They cannot route your mains water pipe from the meter, to your house, under another person's land; and expect you to have responsibility for that pipe.


You need to phone the Consumer Council for Water ASAP - http://www.ccwater.org.uk/

racheldarcy

I have taken a look at the website, thank you and they say to raise a complaint with the water company and they have up to ten days to reply. I have done this and will see what results from it. Thank you for the help.

deanos

Cardew wrote: »

Agree with Mart.Vader.


They cannot route your mains water pipe from the meter, to your house, under another person's land; and expect you to have responsibility for that pipe,


You need to phone the Consumer Council for Water ASAP - http://www.ccwater.org.uk/

im not so sure, responsibility ends at the boundary for the water co. , and the builder would have laid the pipe to the property not the water company.

it may also depend on the layout of the properties and parking spaces as i presume the parking space is private land ?

It might be worth seeing if you have legal cover on your home insurance

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/housing_w/housing_problems_where_you_live_e/neighbour_disputes.htm

mart.vader

If the parking space is not owned by the OP, and the leak is under the parking space, and not under the OP's garden or house/flat, under which law would the OP go about digging it up ?

The OP wasn't responsible for the siting of the meter. If the water co don't have permission from the neighbour to run the pipe under the neighbours land, why did they do it ? Is it a council estate ?

As to seized brakes, what about this ? >http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1393864/So-did-I-park-car-Council-moves-illegally-parked-Audi-legal-spot-carry-work--driver-gets-ticket.html

deanos

im not a solicitor so dont know about laws but like i said the water company would not lay the pipe to the property the builder would of, its not the water co's responsibility to lay pipe to the property , the builder would have taken the pipe to the boundary and the water co taken it from there to the main

mart.vader

deanos wrote: »

im not a solicitor so dont know about laws but like i said the water company would not lay the pipe to the property the builder would of, its not the water co's responsibility to lay pipe to the property , the builder would have taken the pipe to the boundary and the water co taken it from there to the main

OK, so the OP needs to find out who the builder was, (no matter how many years ago they left the site,) and tell them their pipe is now leaking ?

deanos

its the customers pipe now isn't it as soon as they bought the property , the water co is responsible to the public boundary, i guess the car park space is private hence the decision not to get involved ?

Its hard to make an informed decision without knowing the layout,pictures may help.

Either way if they told the op they will sort it out i think they indeed should help them out

mart.vader

deanos wrote: »

its the customers pipe now isn't it as soon as they bought the property , the water co is responsible to the public boundary, i guess the car park space is private hence the decision not to get involved ?

Its hard to make an informed decision without knowing the layout,pictures may help.

Either way if they told the op they will sort it out i think they indeed should help them out

No, it doesn't belong to the OP, they only bought the pipes under their property.