Water Line Dispute

[nights10s]

Justalayman: Yes the neighbor lives on the corner of our block. We are directly east of his property, and the water line runs west to the street perpendicular to the street that the water line "should" be on.

I called the water company and they told us that those were all private lines, and not city owned. A person at the Meters and Taps department told us that it is the developer's responsibility to move the line, and that was only standard practice but they don't have it written in a list of procedures anywhere. He is investigating to why the neighbor would say otherwise now and is consulting with his supervisors.

In the meantime, the water company told us that there isn't anything they can do if he decides to shut off the water since the water meter is on his property.

The neighbor has been pretty hostile about the whole ordeal, but we have nothing against him building on the lot. I would hate to see my mother and father-in-law go without water. they are very elderly and it is unfair to them since they weren't the ones who put the water line there in the first place, and they have had it this way for several years.

Thanks again for your comments and help, and any more feedback would be greatly appreciated!

[justalayman]

=nights10s;2387565]Justalayman: Yes the neighbor lives on the corner of our block. We are directly east of his property, and the water line runs west to the street perpendicular to the street that the water line "should" be on.

I called the water company and they told us that those were all private lines, and not city owned.

You still did not answer the question about distance. IF there is a utility easement along the road or this line is in the ROW, the guy still cannot touch it. It would still be under the protections afforded utilities in a untility ROW.

A person at the Meters and Taps department told us that it is the developer's responsibility to move the line, and that was only standard practice but they don't have it written in a list of procedures anywhere. He is investigating to why the neighbor would say otherwise now and is consulting with his supervisors.

if it is a private line, then yes, it would be up to the individual to move it EXCEPT if the water company originally installed the lines AND a situation such as I spoke of previously took place. In a new installation the utility company often does the original install. After that time, it is generally the home owners responsibility to maintain anything between the house and the meter BUT if the put the line in the wrong place to begin with, they are at fault.

In the meantime, the water company told us that there isn't anything they can do if he decides to shut off the water since the water meter is on his property.

that is BS. I would have to search for a law but it is generally illegal for anybody to do anything with the meter. It is owned by the utitility company but wait;

if the utility company is stating that the guy can turn off the water because it is not within the utility ROW, that means it was installed improperly to start. Every place I am aware of, the utility company determines where the meter is placed. So, you might have an argument with this new bit of info. Definitely something to research.

The neighbor has been pretty hostile about the whole ordeal, but we have nothing against him building on the lot. I would hate to see my mother and father-in-law go without water. they are very elderly and it is unfair to them since they weren't the ones who put the water line there in the first place, and they have had it this way for several years.

maybe it's time to buy him a 12 pack of beer and sit down with him and explain that you are trying to rectify the situation. As I said before, if it is not in the way at the moment, there is really no immediate need to move the line. Let him know that you are in the process of moving it but you are simply trying to determine if some other party is liable for the costs but it will be remedied ASAP.