Manhole Cover Access

Davesnave

You seem to be asking if someone unconnected with the water authority is allowed to break into your property in order to gain access to a shared drain.

The answer is, "No." That's it.

While actions for trespass aren't pursued in the courts these days, criminal damage certainly is. If anyone breaks your gate, it should be 101.

teddysmum

Some 20 years ago, we had sewage flooding of the side path to our house,obviously from above as we are on a slight hill and a few inches below our neighbours' house.


The wife refused us access to the manhole, which was in their garage and built over years after they bought the house, so we had a company in (who obviously didn't know what they were doing or were ,more likely, after making easy money)who said we needed manhole digging at a cost of over £300.


My father, who had been in the building trade, was not happy,so borrowed some drain rods and showed that the blockage was on next door's property, after they'd had builders in add a toilet and laundry room behind the garage.


We contacted our regional water authority, who demanded access (on health and safety grounds) and that the builders be brought back to clean out the drains (They had dumped rubble into them, instead of taking it away).