Homeowner devastated as neighbor's property feature causes costly damage: 'This is a code violation'

After strong rains, water runoff from drain spouts can become a major headache for homeowners. Excess runoff frequently leads to flooding, structural damage, and water seepage inside your home. 

In a Reddit post to r/AustinGardening, one homeowner vented about their neighbor's water runoff flowing onto their property. 

"Their driveway is sloped into our property, and they have drain spouts directed into our side yard," the OP explained. "I have so much damage from the storm. Can't add video, but there are 3 spouts similar to this." 

The disturbing images show water rushing through drain spouts and displacing brick landscaping. 

Poor drainage systems like this example can result in costly repairs for homeowners and their neighbors while damaging the local ecosystem. 

This kind of water runoff can potentially erode home foundations, kill native plants, and cause mold to form within a home. It can also decrease your property value, increase the likelihood of pest activity, and pollute the environment by spreading fertilizers and pesticides the water picks up as it flows. 

Many homeowners post their complaints on Reddit about neighbors' water drainage and leaks, hoping to get advice on handling their situations. 

One way to handle excess water runoff is to install a rain garden that captures and absorbs rainwater while allowing it to filter into the soil instead of pooling around a home. Rain gardens feature native plants with deep root systems capable of naturally managing rainwater. 

If you live in a neighborhood with an HOA, you may need to work with the board, seek legal counsel, or hire a landscaping engineer to address persistent drainage issues. 

Fellow Austin-area gardeners offered additional advice to the OP about how to handle their neighbor's runoff water. 

Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden? Yes 💯 Only if it impacts your neighbors 🏘️ Depends on what you're growing 🌼 Heck no 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"This is a code violation," one Reddit user recommended in the comments. "If approaching your neighbor nicely doesn't play out, call 311 and explain the situation to them."

"Texas has revised their 'common enemy doctrine' to ensure that your neighbor's efforts to divert water from their property does not damage yours," another Redditor shared. "So, they are responsible for effectively dispersing their water." 

"In addition to the friendly and/or legal route for the illegal drainage issue, look into creating a rain garden," someone else suggested. "Rain gardens will help absorb the water to prevent flooding, return water to the earth, and contain plants that are resistant to both flood and drought." 

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.