bigskycali
New member
Need advice, please comment.
I bought my property 6 months ago, during escrow we tried vigorously to verify we could hook up to city water as a large lien was being paid off to the city for city water. The seller showed us pipes that were part of the property that connected to city water. Our title company (even though they were directly asked multiple times for any issues in connecting to city water) failed to notify us that we did not have an easement for those water pipes (more on that later). We need city water because we have bad well water (high levels of arsenic). When we moved in, I had the city water pipes hooked up and connected to the house. (Previous owner had not done so.) We were then informed by a neighbor that we lacked an easement. The neighbor wants us to pay some vendors that put the pipe in for his 20 ft easement. The vendors did have mechanical lien's on the property I purchased but they had long been lapsed and are invalid as discussed with the title company. The prices for the work that was done is immense and ridiculous (400% more than going rates and into the 10's of thousands).
I did a bit of research, contacted the vendors and found out that the neighbor, the vendors, and the title company agent all know each other and planned this very scenario. The title agent was keen on not answering my emails and would only call me and give me vague details without answering my questions. I received the original correspondences regarding the bills and they were certainly ridiculous. I contacted the vendors to agree on a price (still ridiculous) as I was also informed by the 2nd neighbor of the 'plan' to give me easements if the vendors are paid. We also discovered that my pipes lie 2 inches away from another neighbor's pipes (not involved) who already have an easement.
The pipes are still hooked up and I use this water as a necessity, otherwise we cannot live here. City water is charging me for the meter, and the water. I went through the process of setting up another escrow to pay these vendors for concurrent performance of easements from the neighbors. We are in the middle of that escrow and one of the property owners (sensing this is a blackmail gang bang) decided that they want to receive money as well. I will most likely not concede to their demands, which means no payments and no easements.
What can I do to protect my water supply?
Couple of things to note:
- I will never leave this property so I am not concerned about selling it.
- Ripping the pipes up will not be a reality because the 2nd neighbor (who also recently moved in) would most likely not want their new driveway torn up and the 3rd neighbor (not involved) would not like that given his pipes might be damaged in the process.
I bought my property 6 months ago, during escrow we tried vigorously to verify we could hook up to city water as a large lien was being paid off to the city for city water. The seller showed us pipes that were part of the property that connected to city water. Our title company (even though they were directly asked multiple times for any issues in connecting to city water) failed to notify us that we did not have an easement for those water pipes (more on that later). We need city water because we have bad well water (high levels of arsenic). When we moved in, I had the city water pipes hooked up and connected to the house. (Previous owner had not done so.) We were then informed by a neighbor that we lacked an easement. The neighbor wants us to pay some vendors that put the pipe in for his 20 ft easement. The vendors did have mechanical lien's on the property I purchased but they had long been lapsed and are invalid as discussed with the title company. The prices for the work that was done is immense and ridiculous (400% more than going rates and into the 10's of thousands).
I did a bit of research, contacted the vendors and found out that the neighbor, the vendors, and the title company agent all know each other and planned this very scenario. The title agent was keen on not answering my emails and would only call me and give me vague details without answering my questions. I received the original correspondences regarding the bills and they were certainly ridiculous. I contacted the vendors to agree on a price (still ridiculous) as I was also informed by the 2nd neighbor of the 'plan' to give me easements if the vendors are paid. We also discovered that my pipes lie 2 inches away from another neighbor's pipes (not involved) who already have an easement.
The pipes are still hooked up and I use this water as a necessity, otherwise we cannot live here. City water is charging me for the meter, and the water. I went through the process of setting up another escrow to pay these vendors for concurrent performance of easements from the neighbors. We are in the middle of that escrow and one of the property owners (sensing this is a blackmail gang bang) decided that they want to receive money as well. I will most likely not concede to their demands, which means no payments and no easements.
What can I do to protect my water supply?
Couple of things to note:
- I will never leave this property so I am not concerned about selling it.
- Ripping the pipes up will not be a reality because the 2nd neighbor (who also recently moved in) would most likely not want their new driveway torn up and the 3rd neighbor (not involved) would not like that given his pipes might be damaged in the process.
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