• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Shared sewer line needs repair (who must pay

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

S

Sue Y.

Guest
Hello from the State of Montana!

I own a house that shares a common sewer line with two other neighbors (who also own their buildings). The sewer line is plugging-up every 6 months (root penetration)and is flooding two of the three houses' basements. The third building is vacant and run-down, and I don't know if it floods when the line plugs up. The owner of the 3rd, run-down building is not a very cooperative person when it comes to being a good neighbor.
I'm not sure where the plug is. None-the-less, am I correct in assuming that since we share a common line to the main line that we all share responsibility.

Putting in a new sewer line will cost big bucks. I don't want to be the only person paying the contractor for the work, if all 3 of us benefit from the repair.

Finally, my question:
If the dead-beat neighbor doesn't cooperate and chip-in a 3rd of the cost of the repair, do we have any legal recourse on our side to force him to pay?
 


T

Tracey

Guest
Can your attorney get the city to fund the work through a special assessment on the 3 properties? It would show up as a lien & be paid over some number of years.

------------------
This is not legal advice and you are not my client. Double check everything with your own attorney and your state's laws. [email protected] - please include some facts so I know who you are!
 
D

David J. Miller

Guest
Another possible solution: If your tree roots are the problem it means your trees are not getting enough water. The root system searches for moisture in the sewer lines. If you keep the trees well watered it may solve the problem.

It may be a good idea, silly as it sounds, to have an arborist check your trees and give you a plan to sort of nurse them to good health.

I am not an attorney or an arborist. In fact, I'm not even sure if I spelled "arborist" correctly.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top