Neighbours new garden

[Rach92]

Hi all.

I'm wondering if there's anyone out there who has a lot of knowledge about gardens especially soak aways etc.

Last year my neighbour had her garden done. She had half of it paved and half of it has decking. I should mention the gardens aren't very big round here. The paving has been built up to the bottom of her back door and the decking is on my side of the fence.

Since she's had the garden done and when it rains my garden is a right boggy mess. Water collects in between mine and hers and takes days to drain and eventually ends up stinking of stagnant water. Within about half an hour of rain my garden is a muddy bog pit.

To make matters worse her dog has started to defecate on the decking. She's told me parts of his poop have dropped thru onto the sheet underneath the decking. So when she has these mad cleaning sprees she gets the pressure washer out. Blasting all that feaces onto my garden.

Recently I've noticed these dips in the mud at the back of my garden (when the person that did her garden destroyed mine to get her fence in and left it in that state) these little dips have filled with weird looking fluid. I thought it was water, till a friend of mine told me it looks like the dogs urine has been running off and collecting in these dipped areas. Can it actually do that? There's no grass at all there just mud. I also have a dog but because he hates how muddy it is he rather go out the front.

Recently it's started to smell really bad out there. I've complained to the housing and they have basically dismissed it. Claiming it's not their issue.

She never got permission to do her garden and I've also heard that the other neighbours on the other side have also noted their garden flooding.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Water flow issues are one reason permits are required for certain constructions. The insurance held by the certified planning party is what ensures quiet use and enjoyment of a property among other things. I wonder if a permit was given? If so there is a record with those names.

 

[DrCase]

Can you dig a small ditch or make a burm to redirect the water away

 

[alp]

Might be a good idea to join up with this person's other neighbour and call in Environmental guy in the council. But don't hold your breath. These people and the police just don't like being disturbed and just enjoy their wages. But get this as a 3rd party to see this from a fresh perspective.

Since you still talk to her, it might be a good idea to tell her that a daily sweep of dog poos collecting under the decking is not the way forward as this could seriously constitute a health hazard. Tell her that she should have her dog trained to poo in the open so that the poo can be collected and disposed of properly. Explain in no certain terms that sweeping poo down the decking is a definite no-no. If the housing ignore it, send something to their twitter or facebook - bad publicity is not good for them. Find out their ceo email address and send him a nice email.

 

[Rach92]

Hi all.

Thankyou for your replies.

I once rang the environmental health because of her playing music through a home cinema system for at least 8 hrs a day. They told me to ring the housing association she is under. So I kno where you are coming from there

She complains that her dog uses the decking so I've suggested to her blocking it off with a railing with a gate or something so he can't get on it. Like everything else in her life she can't do it. I even suggested to her training the dog to do his business in another area. Again there was an excuse that the dog likes the decking. The simple fact of the matter is she can't be bothered.

I now have these little flies coming in my kitchen. My Windows get covered in them. I dunno if they are anything to do with the smell.

She told me she never got permission to do any work in her garden. She also claimed that the person who did it works in drainage. I don't think he actually does.

I've spoken to the guy who's in charge of the maintenance of the houses and he told me that the tenants are responsible for their own gardens. In so many words he told me there was nothing he could do with my garden flooding. However when I mentioned about the feaces being dropped underneath the decking his tune changed and said he was sending someone out to inspect her garden. No one has been out as yet and this was the end of Feb.

I may drop him another email and find out when these people are coming to inspect her garden and surrounding gardens

 

[alp]

Can you threaten not to pay your rent or withhold part of your rent?

 

[Rach92]

I could try. I have stated to them that I use hard earned cash to pay for my rent and I should be allowed to enjoy my garden smell free just as everyone else should.

She gets her rent paid for her because she can't be bothered to go to work. She also had the garden done for free because the guy fancied her and she played him till he finished the garden. So there would be no loss on her if they were to tell her to pull it all up which is what they have stated if it's found to be affecting the other neighbours garden.

 

[MaryMary]

Do you have any pictures of the yard and garden before? Doesn't matter if it's a picture of a cookout, or your dog, any picture to show "before" ? Take pictures of "now." Take pictures of everything. Show the boggy parts. Show the strange fluid which may be dog urine. (I do not think it would pool like that.) But the point is, you don't know what it is. It wouldn't hurt if you can take a video narrating what's new and different. (And nasty!) You are trying to establish "proof."

Again, to establish proof, if you get a daily newspaper, start putting it down on your deck next to the feces and taking pictures. You want the date on the banner of the paper to be visible in the shot. If you can't get a paper, turn on the date/time stamp on the camera. You are proving this is an ongoing problem, not just "Oh, the dog had an "oops." "

Start sending the pictures and videos to the e-mail of anyone you think will be able to make moves to fix it. Send them to your landlord. Send them to the man in charge of maintenance. Send them to Environmental Health. Print the pictures of the bog and the poop and the pool of unknown fluid, and go show them to anyone you can, try to do that once a week. Make follow up phone calls. Be prepared to go into histrionics about the contamination.

Turn this problem into their problem. You want to be a thorn in their side. You want the time and effort it takes to fix the problem to be totally worth getting rid of you.

Read your lease, and see what is said about what they promised you as far as "acceptable living conditions." Also read up on tenant law. "Quality of life" is usually covered there. Learn these phrases as outlined in lease and law. Use these phrases when you go to talk to them. Let them know you know what is due to you, and freak out a little about the poop and the pool. Your role is "Smart and informed, with a touch of whistleblower germaphobe."

You may want to speak to an attorney. When @alp said to not pay your rent, that is called putting your rent "in escrow." Here, that means you open a separate bank account, and pay your rent, in full, into that account. This has to be done through an attorney here. Read up on escrow laws, you may not need an attorney.

Good luck, and keep us posted!!
(I want to know how this turns out... .)