Sewage or gray water leak from neighbors property? (Renton: squatters, garden)

[Tac-Sea]

There appears to be an occassional stream of water that smells bad (like water from a hotspring) running down through the hill from my neighbors property.

The water is not on the surface of the top part of the hill. It comes out the middle of the hill from behind a t pop rso sized rock then rolls down rest of the hill but on the surface through my garden from there.

When it rains its much more water, but it's not always consistent from limited observation thus far.

To top it off neighbor is a huge douche, so in order to determine what's going on the city or plumber may have to go on his property, which he will fight I'm sure. Appears Renton doesn't repair any leaks on private property.

Any ideas if this is likely sewage or gray water? We don't see it for weeks at a time sometimes.

[Diana Holbrook]

Are you guys on septics? or sewer?

If septic, the location of his drain field is probably on file with the county building department.

[Tac-Sea]

I actually just got off the phone with the sewer department, and they have no record of the neighbors address being on sewer. They suspect he is on septic though my property and other neighbors are on sewer. The guy from the sewer department suggested calling code enforcement as they handle septic leaks and things like that when on neighboring property. So I left a message for code enforcement who will respond within 5 days according to their greeting.

I really hope it is not sewage. The city sewer department said he probably just needs to have his septic pumped and his drain field is facing my property.

[Hemlock140]

It does sound like the septic system is in need of pumping and fills faster than it can percolate at times. Hopefully the code enforcement people get them to fix the problem, and the neighbors don't get upset with you for reporting it.

[froglipz]

Call the county health department and file a complaint.

[homesinseattle]

Write neighbor a heartfelt non threatening letter. Give him a chance to respond appropriately. Maybe frame it as something that is affecting his property value, not yours. Empower him to possibly respond more kindly than you thought possible.

[Beernik]

The health department is probably the enforcement agency.

The city/sewer district or health department will likely have an ordinance that says if he is within 400 feet of a sewer line and his septic fails then he has to make a new connection to the sewer.

[Tac-Sea]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

It does sound like the septic system is in need of pumping and fills faster than it can percolate at times. Hopefully the code enforcement people get them to fix the problem, and the neighbors don't get upset with you for reporting it.

This is the same neighbor that after repeatedly asking him to stop using my driveway as overflow parking for his house, threatened me with a fake sewer easement (that doesn't exist)which he could revoke. No record of it. Also, utility and access easements are easements of necessity and cannot be revoked. One of the other neighbors driveways goes through my land, and I can't revoke it.

The guy is a huge douche, and frankly, although I prefer to have good relationships with my neighbors, this guy is far beyond that point, and I'm not going to apologize for his sewage spilling into my property into my garden just 6 feet from my window, especially not after he trespassed repeatedly after my asking him not to, and then tried to bully me with threats of extortion, based on an easement that doesn't exist...

[Beernik]

If it's an actual easement, it can't be unilaterally revoked. It's a right to use without actually owning the real property.

If there is a pipe without an easement, you can argue a prescriptive easement. It's like squatters rights. If it's been there for 10'yeara and they have known about it for 10 years and haven't done anything about it for 10 years, he can't do anything about it.