(un) Neighbourly Issue

[Rotweiler]

I am hoping I can get some suggestions/advice from the members of this forum. I have tried to post this twice in the "Ask the Lawyer" section of TV, but whoever controls that seems to have deemed it to be of inadequate importance and refused to permit it (twice). So be it.

But I am certain that someone else in CR Province has come up against something similar.

We have lived as good neighbours with the family immediately next-door for many years. He recently began construction of a new house, but placed it much too close to the boundary line, so much so, that when it rains, all the water off his roof runs onto our property, causing considerable damage.

We have talked to him several times, but basically his responses was inappropriate, and of course, he did nothing.

What can I do, Any ideas?

[villagefarang]

In a village environment it is sometimes possible to get the Village Headman, relevant elders and the parties who are in disagreement, to try and hammer out a solution. Unfortunately family relationships may favor one party over the other, regardless of who did what.

No doubt your neighbor is saying it is his land and he can do what he wants. Other than telling him to tear his house down you need to be ready with practical solutions and costs. In the end you may need to do something on your own to mitigate the damage to your own property and try to get some reparations from your neighbor later.

Good luck and try to keep your cool so you don’t end up looking like the trouble maker and village outcast. Lobbying your neighbors in advance and trying to get them on your side might be helpful.

Edited June 13, 2014 by villagefarang

[kartman]

zungmay asked the same somsak aswered on 10-6-14 might help you if house is too near or not legally.

Edited June 13, 2014 by kartman

[Rotweiler]

Thanks both. His house is well within the property line - just the roof over-hang is somewhat greater than expected. We spoke to the headman. but he doesn't wish to get involved. He suggested talking to the Amphur.

I will NOT go to court; will NOT damage his house - looking for a possible solution that doesn't involve either of those.

[Pomthai]

Fit gutters and a down pipe.

[taotoo]

I will NOT go to court; will NOT damage his house - looking for a possible solution that doesn't involve either of those.

Then unless you find that it's illegal and the authorities are willing to enforce the law, you may be at his mercy, and given what he's already done he's unlikely to be particularly merciful.

[ripstanley]

If you have a conrete fence add a some more height so the water stays in his yard. If no fence then build one to stop the water. A little cost to you but will give peace of mind

Edited June 13, 2014 by ripstanley

[Pralaad]

If his roof overhangs over your land, it is by right you can cut the overhanging part.

Another choice is to put up a high thin wall so the water will run off down under the neighbors house and not yours

I have a neighbor at the back of my house, ie our houses do not connect but "meet" back to back.

My kitchen had glass bricks (2 rows) to bring some light into my kitchen.

After 6 years, neighbor has decided that those bricks look like toilet and she does not want to see it from her backyard.

She went ahead and put cement over it and legally while it is part of my house, apparently it is over her air space.

So cut the story short, i have a dark kitchen.

I re adjusted my kitchen ventilation to direct all the "nice" smells, including smoke from cooking in her direction, which so happened to be on height with her bedroom.

Ventilation system is totally in my air space, so nothing illegal, no commercial cooking or anything really.

Cut the story short, she has offered to remove the cement from my glass bricks if i could adjust the ventilation?

To which i agreed, providing she pays for NEW ventilation system and all the changes.

Morale of the story is, when neighbors want to be unreasonable, the only way to deal with that is to also be unreasonable and return favor in kind

[RichCor]

As Pomthai has already posted, Rain Gutters and down pipe.

Otherwise, utilize techniques to channel water around sensitive areas by some combination of grading, swales (shallow ditches), culverts, and French Drains.

Not all Thais have such an attitude as your neighbor. My family have repeatedly cautioned me about doing anything that would allow rain run-off onto the neighbors yard.

When there is major flooding in the village, nobody cares where the water comes from nor where it goes. But a little rain water, and you best keep it on your own property.

[JusMe]

You might be able to slightly extend the overhang of your own roof by using some cheap PVC panels attached under your roof, so that the rain flows off his roof and over your extensions so that it then flows back onto his property.

[Bpuumike]

Fit gutters and a down pipe.

That's what I did when I realised I had caused a similar problem to my neighbour.

[Rotweiler]

Several suggestions of this kind. Was the meaning that I build gutters and down-pipes on HIS house? I don't think he would take too kindly to my entering his land and working on his house.

Fit gutters and a down pipe.

[Chao Lao Beach]

Is his roof overhanging your land ?

[Rotweiler]

Roof right to the border (not into our land).

Which means that every time it rains, the run-off water pours onto our property. It wasn't much of an issue until recently (rains.....).

My wife is going to have a long chat with his wife to see if a reasonable solution exists. Until now they haven't been "friends" but not really bad neighbours either. We know they resent this village's farang.

As a picture is worth .... I've attached a photo of the scene. The wall is 100% on our land. The stick on the front of the wall is the neighbour's - showing his property line.

Is his roof overhanging your land ?

[Rotweiler]

Missed the second pic.

[AJBangkok]

My GF faced a similar problem when building her house. She wanted to build up to the property line and her neighbor complained so she checked with the local tessabarn and was told that any structure built must be 50 cm from the property line. She adjusted her plan to comply.

[kwaussie]

Extend your roof-line, or built lean to/pergola with roof to boundary so as water gets dumped back in their yard, or alternatively offer to go halves to pay someone to fit gutters and downpipes to his roof.

If to costly attach black plastic from your roof to boundary and once water flows into their yard hopefully a solution will be found.

[ezzra]

I'd put up a temporary wall right up on the edge of you property's boundary and in his face

blocking his view and let him understand the two can play the ignorant game...

[KonaRain]

Yeah, we catch water in Hawaii..after gutters or temporary fence, who wants the water..

build a water tank? 12 foot diameter holds 2500 gallons..

Good rainwater..he needs gutters. I'm glad You are talking to Him..

alohz

[wvavin]

2 options - 1. Extends the height of the perimeter concrete wall or build one to block the flow of the water coming into your house and 2. build gutters to collect the water to direct it back into their compound.

[kartman]

Missed the second pic.

Is that wall 2mtr from the property line? what Somsak says with door/windows.

[pjmansions]

just go to the local amphur office when i built my houses as stated above building have to be a min of 50 cm from the land boundary looking at this picture this has not happened so i doubt his plans have been approved by the local land office so give him the choice either install guttering or be reported and face being told to pull the house down

[SOTIRIOS]

...don't you think you should have raised your concerns ....waaaayyyy before the house was completed???

...maybe he thought you wouldn't mind.....

...maybe now.....if his only option is extensive demolition and reconstruction.......he will not respond favorably....

[KonaRain]

Just ask.. or post 22 is the possible outcome..

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Mrjlh]

Rain cutters on "both" Houses wouldn't hurt. It may be that you will end up paying for both but then you'll be "happy". That's one solution.

[ggt]

Use the rain water from his house to collect water for your use...or plant fruit trees or a garden...that will benefit from the free watering...when someone gives you an overripe fruit...plant the seed...make it a positive...instead of negative...you will be so glad you handled it in this manner...

[oneday]

In all liklihood he has built his house illegally in that it is too close to the property line. The two people that stated 50cm are correct, if not more in some areas...up to a meter. Personally I will keep my house at least 1m from the edge of the roof to the boundary. However, even 50cm may not be enough given the height of your neighbors house. So you would first try to tackle this by visiting the village elders or whatever serves as the local mediating body to try and solve this.

If that does not work your only option is to do what others have said and that is to build an extension to your wall or some type of system that catches or deflects the water back to his land without crossing over the wall. Unfortunately, it looks like you would have to build quite a wall extension and then the wall will be engineering improperly for that height and weight. I do not envy you.

Your last option of what others have suggested. Carefully note where the water is hitting and build some type of drain system to catch and direct the water to your drainage system. Of course, these solutions will cost you money you should not have had to spend and that is a great argument for any mediating body you meet with.

Would love a follow up on this.

Edited June 14, 2014 by oneday

[Lunghans]

As far as I know, gutters and a down pipe are mandatory in cases like this even in Thailand. This is a standard building regulation, go to the local Tessabaan and ask for a copy of these regulations and present them to your neighbour, he will get the message.

[MobileContent]

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I'd put up a temporary wall right up on the edge of you property's boundary and in his face

blocking his view and let him understand the two can play the ignorant game...

I would do exactly the same.

[KonaRain]

I heard about underground watertables in California, there gonna release it and run the Calif. Aqueduct backwards to help people that don't have an aquifer up north.The water floods the lqnd then drains at six inches per day. They compared it to a bank deposit. The people up north dont have a 'bank'

We had a gutter in the road above Chaing Mai, where they drained a pond ..

Let's find out how much water You can handle.. into the water table.? keep us posted...good luck