Drainfield Easement

[walkeasy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? VA.

I just purchased a home on 1.76 Acres. The property takes the shape of a rectangle. Looking over the plat, I see that the neighbor across the street has a Var. Width Drain field Easement that appears to span across the property from front to back. It takes approxamately 1/3 of the property. Our property as a whole continues after the easement for an additional 200 feet.

I have not spoke to the neighbor about this yet. I would like to understand as much as possible about the situation before hand.


What does this mean?

Am I allowed to build a fence around my complete property?
Do I need to allow them access?
Can they walk the property any time?
Who is responsible for grounds maintenance?
Do I need to provide them with groomed access?
Can I own a dog that may hendor there access?
Do I treat this just like my own land?

Exact wording:

Var. Width Drainfield Easement Hereby Established to Benefit Adjusted Lot #

Lots of questions, I appracaite any answers or additional information.


Thanks in advance!

 

[HomeGuru]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? VA.

I just purchased a home on 1.76 Acres. The property takes the shape of a rectangle. Looking over the plat, I see that the neighbor across the street has a Var. Width Drain field Easement that appears to span across the property from front to back. It takes approxamately 1/3 of the property. Our property as a whole continues after the easement for an additional 200 feet.

I have not spoke to the neighbor about this yet. I would like to understand as much as possible about the situation before hand.


What does this mean?

Am I allowed to build a fence around my complete property?
Do I need to allow them access?
Can they walk the property any time?
Who is responsible for grounds maintenance?
Do I need to provide them with groomed access?
Can I own a dog that may hendor there access?
Do I treat this just like my own land?

Exact wording:

Var. Width Drainfield Easement Hereby Established to Benefit Adjusted Lot #

Lots of questions, I appracaite any answers or additional information.


Thanks in advance!

**A: the answers to your questions should be contained within the actual recorded easement document.

 

[Dave1952]

Your neighbor has the right to bring in heavy equipment and put in or maintain a drain field. It's your land and you may do anything which does not damage an existing drain field. Anything you place on the presumptive drain field may be torn down by the neighbor when he needs to fix or install his drain pipes.
This is a good place for a fenced in dog yard if the ground isn't too marshy. Locate the drain pipes before you install your fence posts.

Good luck

 

[Kiawah]

Their system is likely a buried septic tank (mine's concrete), with a drainage field attached (mine is 2 - 200' corregated plastic drainage pipe with buried gravel underneath). They will need access to the top of the septic tank periodically (which ever land it is on), perhaps every 5-10 years to run a hose in and have it pumped out. Unless there are trees over the drainage field, I would not expect that they'd ever have to do anything with the field.

My pipes are like 6-18" under the topsoil, so you just don't want to be putting in footers or roto tilling a garden, or driving heavy equipment around on it.

His septic system could be totally different, but I wouldn't expect it to be any big deal. "Think before you dig"