My neighbor lives down a slope from me, and our downspouts are not buried, and she swears that she is getting excess water on her property because of the water from our downspouts. Our neighbor also lives on the lowest plot of land on our street, and I think that she is getting water from everyone on our street and that it’s her responsibility to provide drainage for her lot. But, she is constantly yelling at us when she sees us, and has called the police, the county engineer to complain. They all say that we are not obligated to bury our downspouts. BUT, now she has been threatening to file a lawsuit, and honestly, we are just sick of her approaching us belligerently everytime we are outside. So, we’ve decided to bury our downspouts AND get a privacy fence. We are doing both things ourselves. Is there anything we need to be careful about – that people may often forget about when using a trencher and/or building a fence- I do not want to do anything that will give my neighbor any right to complain.

Answer:
Contact all your utility providers (water, electric, gas, cable, etc.) and they will send someone to mark where any underground utilities are located. Do a little research before you bury your downspouts because you have to provide a drain field. When you build the fence, be sure you have the proper permits, etc., and build it entirely on your side of the property line. I’m saying all this because this nuisance of a neighbor is going to look for any excuse to call an inspector, etc. I think you’re making a wise decision to address her drainage complaint and then block her out of your sight. Good luck.

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