Neighbours gutters

gorbalsgerry

I'm looking for advice, I live in a row of terraced houses and my neighbour has changed her gutters and she now has a small pipe on the end of her gutter that is feeding directly into my gutter and causing me major problems when we have heavy rainfall. She did not consult me about this and I have asked her to remove them as I have water actually coming into my property when it's at its worst. My house is below the level of her house and her gutterng used to run to a downpipe to the left of her. She was having a problem with a neighbour not cleaning their gutter it's it looks like she has basically redirected her gutter and put the problem onto me. Any advice would be very helpful. This is at the back and front of my house. 

shiraz99

Tell her to get the downpipe reinstalled, and if not consult a solicitor.

gorbalsgerry

There has never been a downpipe and I have previous photos to prove it. The downpipe she originally used was 3 houses away but because the house closest to the downpipe weren't cleaning their gutter she has redirected her gutter and inserted pipe in picture leading directly into my gutter. When the problem is at its worst I literally can't get out my front and navk door. It's like a waterfall. 

gorbalsgerry

shiraz99 said:

Tell her to get the downpipe reinstalled, and if not consult a solicitor.

There has never been a downpipe and I have previous photos to prove it. The downpipe she originally used was 3 houses away but because the house closest to the downpipe weren't cleaning their gutter she has redirected her gutter and inserted pipe in picture leading directly into my gutter. When the problem is at its worst I literally can't get out my front and navk door. It's like a waterfall. 

gorbalsgerry

I'm looking for advice, I live in a row of terraced houses and my neighbour has changed her gutters and she now has a small pipe on the end of her gutter that is feeding directly into my gutter and causing me major problems when we have heavy rainfall. She did not consult me about this and I have asked her to remove them as I have water actually coming into my property when it's at its worst. My house is below the level of her house and her gutterng used to run to a downpipe to the left of her. She was having a problem with a neighbour not cleaning their gutter it's it looks like she has basically redirected her gutter and put the problem onto me. Any advice would be very helpful. This is at the back and front of my house

grumbler

Well, in two words, she had no right to do this without your permission. 

john.h

If it was my neighbour I would turn the guttering around so it was flowing down her wall 

Bendy_House

Hi Gerry.

Do you have Legal Protection on your house insurance? If so, great - you'll have that as a stand-by should 'reason' alone not work.

Clearly she shouldn't have done this.

It is quite normal for terraced houses which are on the same level to share a run of guttering, and that will often mean that not every house has a downpipe, but it should still be designed to cope, and all houses have a 'right' to have their rainwater dealt with like this.

Yours would, however, appear to be different, and it's no surprise that your end run of guttering cannot cope with a concentrated flow from your neighbour's roof as well.

What to do? First - if you can - use Google maps or old photos to show how the gutters used to be. Also, if you can, take photos of the water gushing over your gutter from this additional flow.

Then you write your neighbour a note...

This should - unemotively - describe what has happened; "Your house's rainwater guttering shared a downpipe with the neighbour at NoX. My guttering uses a downpipe on my property/ continues on to NoY, which is to my right. Each setup is therefore designed to cope with the rainfall from two properties only. Without consultation or permission - which would not have been given - you blah blah blah, and I have already explained to you in person - on the Gth of Aug - that this is causing overflowing issues which could lead to damage to my property. I attach a photograph showing an example of what happens. Despite this, you have failed to correct the changes you have made.

I am therefore today - the Fth of Sept - putting you on notice that you are directly responsible for any damage caused to my property and land due to the excess water coming from this altered arrangement, and instruct you to replace the guttering to its original layout in order to prevent such from happening. Please confirm by return that you acknowledge and understand this issue, and that you undertake to correct the blah blah."

Something like that. And it needs to be delivered in a way that's recorded - witnessed, emailed, texted, recorded-del post (possibly more impactful and official).

If you have LP, just call them up - they will guide you. If you do not, then it's up to you to sort, and this has to be done correctly - you shouldn't, for example, simply take down or redirect that downpipe because then you could find yourself directly responsible for damage caused to her property...

This should be easily sortable, but I hope you have LP as this should make it SO much easier. If you don't have LP, add it at next renewal (but it's too late for this issue...)

The above is what your neighbour should have done with her neighbour - explained their responsibility to keep the gutters clean, or else they have some libaility for any damage caused to her house. BUT, it would clearly be reasonable to offer to share the cost of having her neighb's gutter cleaned, as she is a beneficiary - I wonder if she offered? If you get a chance - when passing on your letter... - you could explain to her how she should be sorting this. And, if her neighb refuses, and also doesn't allow her to arrange it to be cleaned, then SHE needs to put HER neighb 'on notice' of THEIR responsibility for any damage caused.

Bendy_House

Don't do what John suggests...!

And - lawdie - don't post the same damned issue twice on the same forum!

(I've replied on the other one.)

clearancer

The first thing you need to do is check YOUR gutters. I checked mine yesterday after I saw rain gushing over the top. I found a chunk of moss and a plastic fork (!) blocking my down pipe. Gutters are designed to carry away downpours of rain water, but only work if they are maintained. And while I was up there I’d redirect your neighbours pipe back to their property!

sevenhills

john.h said:

If it was my neighbour I would turn the guttering around so it was flowing down her wall 

Just get some ladders and block the hole with a crisp packet.