New build - Developer has installed next doors water butt using my garage roof!

JulietWhisky

Hi there,

I have moved into a new build property. I have a detached single garage were the one wall of the garage forms the boundary to next doors garden.

The house next door is currently unoccupied, but I have just noticed that the developer has installed a water butt, that takes the feed from my garage roof!

Technically it's my garage, my drainpipe, that they have tapped in to, to collect water....

Are they allowed to do this?

Many thanks,
JW.

stator

There's no law against it. You can adjust the guttering if you like but does it slope towards the other side?

JulietWhisky

stator wrote: »

There's no law against it. You can adjust the guttering if you like but does it slope towards the other side?

Thanks for the response.

The whole one side of the garage is on the boundary and the gutter is along the whole side, so what ever way the gutter slopes it's in the neighbours garden.

I do struggle to understand how it would be allowed. Essentially the developer has drilled a hole in MY downpipe, and installed a water butt for next door.

I should also mention, that next door have their own detached garage. Personally I think it's been installed in the wrong place by accident...ideally I want them to remove it and repair any damage caused to by downpipe.

Apologies if this sounds really trivial, but the amount of snags and low quality of workmanship by the developer just goes on and on...

System

Essentially the developer has drilled a hole in MY downpipe

So, if the butt and hole wasn't there where would your gutter drain to?
BTW when he did it it was HIS downpipe

TBH if he is building the houses then there is nothing to stop him doing what he has done. May give the buyers a problem further down the line but no regulations to say it was wrong

Alter_ego

If the garage wall forms the boundary then the guttering must be in next door's property.

JulietWhisky

!!!!!! wrote: »

So, if the butt and hole wasn't there where would your gutter drain to?
BTW when he did it it was HIS downpipe

TBH if he is building the houses then there is nothing to stop him doing what he has done. May give the buyers a problem further down the line but no regulations to say it was wrong

The downpipe still goes into a drain.

I absolutely see where you are coming from, but I completed back in January, and this water butt was installed last week, so MY downpipe

Thanks for your feedback, I guess I am over reacting, I just don't wanting it causing me any problems for the future as who knows who my neighbours will be!

sniggings

!!!!!! wrote: »

BTW when he did it it was HIS downpipe

That is a silly argument.

OP I would get this sorted, go to the developer, it could bring up problems in the future, what if your neighbour decided they don't want your water, water YOU will be paying the water company for!.

JulietWhisky

Alter_ego wrote: »

If the garage wall forms the boundary then the guttering must be in next door's property.

Thanks - that is another thing I am absolutely not clear on. I mean yes, you are absolutely right, it would be in the next door neighbour's property, in my deeds it says I have the right to access adjoining property to carry out maintenance to my own and vice versa.

Opens open another question, like who is responsible if that drain gets blocked....

Honestly, the way new builds are build on top of each other these days...!

sniggings

JulietWhisky wrote: »

Honestly, the way new builds are build on top of each other these days...!

Exactly, first we get "open plan" kitchens, now they can't even give us our own drain pipe!

RS2000.

sniggings wrote: »

That is a silly argument.

OP I would get this sorted, go to the developer, it could bring up problems in the future, what if your neighbour decided they don't want your water, water YOU will be paying the water company for!.

It falls out the sky for free where I live.

RS2000.

JulietWhisky wrote: »

Thanks - that is another thing I am absolutely not clear on. I mean yes, you are absolutely right, it would be in the next door neighbour's property, in my deeds it says I have the right to access adjoining property to carry out maintenance to my own and vice versa.

Opens open another question, like who is responsible if that drain gets blocked....

Honestly, the way new builds are build on top of each other these days...!

You if you get too excitable over a gutter when your new neighbours move in.