If your yard is lower than your neighbor’s, you will encounter several problems. There will be soil erosion, and dirt and water from the neighboring yard will also come to your side, giving you extra work. This will also frustrate your efforts and money spent trying to make your yard beautiful and cared for.

When this is your fate, you should look for the best solution, like talking to the neighbor to lower their yard or plant trees to absorb the water. Alternatively, you can put a barrier or create slopes to stop water from flowing through your yard.

Read on to learn how to solve this issue without interfering with your neighbor. 

Can A Neighbor Drain Water onto Your Property?

Water flooding in your yard can be frustrating, and you may think of draining it out. A flooded yard will have mud and puddles, and it will be hard to maintain green and healthy grass.

If your neighbor’s property is uphill, the water might drain into yours naturally or when they decide to drain it there. Draining water on your neighbor’s property is acceptable as long as it doesn’t cause serious harm. You also have to ensure there’s no negligence on your side or let the water cause damage to the property.

However, you have to consensually drain water into your neighbor’s property. If the water is beyond your control, you can talk with the neighbor and agree to install the right drainage channels through their property.

What Does the Law Say About Draining Water to the Neighbor?

It’s important to note that the law requires you to manage your water problem and let it not interfere with your neighbor. So, if you don’t get into any agreement with the neighbor, it’s your responsibility to drain your water without damaging their property. You should, in this case, ensure that your stormwater system is connected to the legal discharge point.

You can achieve this by directing the water to public drainages like the gutter or kerb. Alternatively, you can drain the water through an inter-allotment drainage system.

Can You Sue Your Neighbor for Draining Water into Your Property?

If water is draining into your yard from your neighbor’s property, you might be tempted to take legal action against them. Before doing that, you should ask yourself if it’s intentional or not. If the water drains into your yard because of weather, then suing them is not the best solution. However, if the neighbor drains the water intentionally without your permission, you have legal grounds to sue them.

You can talk to your attorney and get the right advice on the way forward. When you do this, be ready to constantly fight with your neighbor, which can affect your relationship. So, it’s advisable not to sue the neighbor but instead talk to them to get the best solution.

How To Manage Water from Your Neighbor’s Property?

If you agree with your neighbor to help manage the water menace into your properties, you should do that the right way. You can achieve that through; installing a dry well, a French drain, or a berm.

Other ways of preventing water from reaching your yard from the neighbor’s side from causing flooding and other problems include;

  • Planting trees; trees will help reduce water runoff since they absorb water. Plant huge trees in your yard to solve this problem. The trees will also help manage pollutants and any hazardous materials the water might carry.
  • Plant rain gardens; a rain garden in a low-lying area will help gather rainwater. It will also prevent soil erosion keeping the plants in the yard healthy.
  • Stack soil; you can also stack soil in your yard if it’s lower than your neighbors. The soil will help divert the water from your yard easily. You can work with a professional if you’re unsure how to achieve this.
  • Maintain healthy soil; another way of managing the water is by having healthy soil. Unhealthy soil is poor at absorbing water/moisture resulting in flooding. If you want to maintain healthy soil, do mulching or consider changing the soil after some period.

How To Block Water Drainage from Neighbor’s Yard?

You can block water from reaching your neighbor’s yard in many ways. Remember, water draining to their property can cause serious damage, brewing unnecessary tension. You can prevent the water by;

Building A Berm

Berms will help you divert the water away from your neighbor’s home. A berm is a raised surface/hill covered with grass or any vegetation. The berm will help keep your neighbor’s yard dry regardless of the amount of water coming from your side.

Before building the berm, you need to have a plan of where the water will be flowing to. Also, know the plants you want to plant over the hill that will match your landscape.

Tips For Building a Successful Berm

If you want the berm to help regulate the water in your yard without challenges, ensure;

  • You start with a small hill and keep adding soil where need be. Use healthy soil which will absorb the water in the process and not cause further complications.
  • Have plans of where the water will flow before building the berm. This will prevent unforeseen damages.
  • Make a c-shaped berm that works better than circular berms.

Install A French Drain

A French drain is another easiest way to manage water from reaching your neighbor’s property from your yard. The underground drainage system will help collect the water and redirect it from your yard to a public drainage system. This will help prevent flooding their yards when water flows to their side.

When you opt for a French drain, have a good plan of the area you wish to have. Also, know where you’ll drain the water if you can’t access the public drainage system. You should also talk with the utility provider to know whether community pipes are below your yard where you want to install the drain. This will prevent the pipes from bursting, adding more problems to the mix.

Fix a Dry Well

You can also have dry wells in your yard to help manage water that drains from your neighbor’s yard. You should dig a big hole and then insert a drilled dry well. Let them dry well on the lower side of the home to make them more effective.

But you can also opt for ready-made drywells bought at home and garden stores. Look for one that’s easy to install and durable to have a lasting solution. After installing the dry well, do regular maintenance. You can occasionally check if there’s dirt build-up and unclog it.

Bottom Line

Your yard will not be healthy when your neighbor is higher than yours. This is because the water from their side will drain to yours, affecting the grass and any plant in the yard. There will also be mud and pests around your yard, making it unwelcoming.

To stop these problems, you should look for the best water management. You can install French drains, a dry well, or a berm. Also, have trees and other plants in your yard to help manage the water. But make it a habit to talk to your neighbor before draining water into their property to avoid legal actions against you.

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