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Neighbor's Water and Sewer Lines Run Through My Basement

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  • 10-01-2012, 09:41 AM
    Chasin Ponies
    Neighbor's Water and Sewer Lines Run Through My Basement
    My question involves an easement in the state of: Ohio
    I own a home in a small town in Central Ohio and there is a small garage "apartment" (which I do not own) directly behind mine. Apparently these 2 properties were once just one property, someone managed to split the garage off of the original property.
    It is being rented out and the water & sewer lines for this garage/apartment run through my basement. After my basement was flooded with sewage from this apartment 3 years in a row, I told the owner of the apartment that if it happened again, I would turn off the water and plug the sewer line. He said that I cannot do that because I signed an easement for the lines when I bought the house.
    If I ever signed such a thing, I was certainly not aware of it. If there is such an easement, where would I find it? I have been through all of my closing & other documents with a fine-toothed comb and can't find anything!
    No lawyer in this town will take my case as they have all represented the owner of the garage/apartment in his many "slum landlord" litigations.
    Where would I look to find out if this easement does exist and can I shut off the water/sewer if there is no such document?
    Thanks!!
  • 10-02-2012, 09:13 AM
    yyz0
    Re: Neighbor's Water/Sewer Lines Run Through My Basement-Help
    How long has this been setup like this?

    Depending on how long this has been setup like this even if there is not an easement he may be able to sue you for an easement and probably win.

    You must be leaving out some information, a "pipe" running through your basement shouldn't flood your basement. How is this setup so that it's flooding your basement? Have you tried contacting the health department about the sewage floods?

    If there is already an easement there may be something about maintenance of these lines.
  • 10-08-2012, 06:43 AM
    Chasin Ponies
    Re: Neighbor's Water/Sewer Lines Run Through My Basement-Help
    The sewer line comes into the back lower wall of my basement, then runs down under the concrete & joins with my line. The sewage came up through my shower drain very close to where they join. There are 2 water meters in my basement, one for my water, one for the apartment water.
    The sewage problem was stopped about 10 years ago, mostly because the apartment in the back has a lot of clogging/smell problems so that the tennant has to have a local drain/sewage company come into my house at least twice a year to unclog her pipes from my basement.
    Do you know what legal documents would contain this easement? As I said before,I can't find it anywhere and was totally unaware of an easement when I closed on this house.
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