Every property owner has a right to drain water from his own land.
Neighbors water from roof drain pipe on my property.
However the drain pipe is actually partially on our property and the runoff was dumping water into our driveway.
If surface water runs from your neighbor s land onto your land causing more damage than natural you are still expected to protect your land from this water.
I have standing water as this area does not drain well at all.
A landowner may build a building pave her land or alter the contour of the land in a way that increases the amount of surface water that drains onto neighboring property or changes where it flows thus damaging nearby property.
Every property owner may have a right to prevent his neighbor s land from draining onto or across his land if doing so does not cause harm to his neighbor.
Generally neighbors are not held legally responsible for damage to a property that is caused by the natural runoff that occurs when rain or other precipitation meets the earth.
If your neighbor s downspouts are draining water onto your property damaging your lawn you should first ask the neighbor to fix it.
I told the neighbor i wanted the drain pipe moved over but all they did was put an elbow on the pipe so now it drains onto their side of the property.
Some owners property is burdened with a flow of water across his or her property which he cannot divert.
I live inside the city limits of charlotte my neighbor whose house is fairly close to mine has added a plastic drain hose to his downspout and it ends right on the property line sending his roof runoff to my lower property.
If that doesn t work you have other options.
Many states that still follow the common enemy rule however have modified it to make it less strict.
In property law one way that a landowner may interfere with another s use of her land is by altering how surface water such as rain or snow melt drains.
Diversion of water however if the runoff is caused by alterations of a neighbor s yard that causes more water to run down the land onto the neighbor s property legal recourse may be available.