Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2006 11:13 pm
Any advice gratefully accepted.
I have recently started working on a barn conversion which has a rear garden seperated in two down the centre by a flint and brick wall, which also runs accross the rear of the garden forming the boundary with the property behind. The gardens were originaly used as animal sheds and storage by the farmer, the buildings being set on a concrete and brick mix of foundations. We have removed these foundations in preperation for laying new drainage, septic tank and landscaping etc.
We recently had a visit from the residents of the property behind to complain that there driveway was flooding following some heavy rain. When we investigated we found that there driveway which is mainly shingle generally slopes towards a 'dip' in the ground about 300 cm's in front of the boundary wall, this 'dip' is covered by a paving slab which which was submerged under water and a pond had formed around this 'dip'. When we lifted the slab we found a pipe exiting the bottom of the hole some 200cm deep. Subsequntly we have borrowed a 'genny' detector and traced the pipe run which turns at 90 degres and goes under the rear boundary wall and in to our rear garden. We have as far as possible dug this out and determind that the pipe does not enter the original soakaway's under our gardens but terminates in to what appears to be a large hole which has subsequently been filled with rubble etc. and which was at some time was presumably a soakaway in it's own right. We have made no allowance for this in own new groundworks etc. and have no idea as to the legal position as to our responsibility to make good or replace this 'drain'. I would therefore be grateful for any advice or experiance anyone may have had of a similar situation.
Thanks,
ceb
I have recently started working on a barn conversion which has a rear garden seperated in two down the centre by a flint and brick wall, which also runs accross the rear of the garden forming the boundary with the property behind. The gardens were originaly used as animal sheds and storage by the farmer, the buildings being set on a concrete and brick mix of foundations. We have removed these foundations in preperation for laying new drainage, septic tank and landscaping etc.
We recently had a visit from the residents of the property behind to complain that there driveway was flooding following some heavy rain. When we investigated we found that there driveway which is mainly shingle generally slopes towards a 'dip' in the ground about 300 cm's in front of the boundary wall, this 'dip' is covered by a paving slab which which was submerged under water and a pond had formed around this 'dip'. When we lifted the slab we found a pipe exiting the bottom of the hole some 200cm deep. Subsequntly we have borrowed a 'genny' detector and traced the pipe run which turns at 90 degres and goes under the rear boundary wall and in to our rear garden. We have as far as possible dug this out and determind that the pipe does not enter the original soakaway's under our gardens but terminates in to what appears to be a large hole which has subsequently been filled with rubble etc. and which was at some time was presumably a soakaway in it's own right. We have made no allowance for this in own new groundworks etc. and have no idea as to the legal position as to our responsibility to make good or replace this 'drain'. I would therefore be grateful for any advice or experiance anyone may have had of a similar situation.
Thanks,
ceb