What to do about my new water feature

[Broke EF]

Did you speak to DNR specifically?

No, I have only talked to the county so far. I don't really want to go that high up the ladder.

If you had to guess, how much higher is his property than where your treeline is? I can see in one of the images it has some slope down to your property, but how many feet is it would you guess? Would a 4 or 5 foot tall berm be higher than his property?

Without going out there and really checking, I would guess 4-5 feet in the lowest area. if you are standing in my yard, in the new creek, looking at his property the trees to the right are already on kind of a berm that is maybe 2 feet higher than my yard.

I wouldn't want a rock trench in the middle of my giant yard.

I dont want that for sure. If I put anything in my yard it is going to be a building

 

[FESTER665]

I wouldn't want a rock trench in the middle of my giant yard.

I wouldnt either, but if youre looking for the cheapest option that would be it.

This neighbor obviously gives zero fucks and just didnt want the water on his land anymore.

So the options are:

1. Wait for it to dry up to be able to mow, then deal with the creek anytime it rains heavy enough to overflow his retention pond.
2. Build a berm along your property about a foot higher than his property so all the water stays in his yard.
3. Dig a tench through your yard, fill it with rock to make a dry creek bed.
4. Dig a big ass trench, fill it with a culvert to bring water from his property under the road and out the other side, regrade and re sod/seed on top of culvert.
5. Raise enough hell that the DNR, and a bunch of people come out and agree with you that he re-routed a waterway and he has to fix it.
6. Ask him to dig it deeper and make a hydro-electric dam to power up a new building on the property.

Number one is obviously not an option if he's already aggravated at the water coming through the yard.
Number two shouldnt be THAT expensive, would block the water from coming into your yard, and once you put trees on top of the berm would look good as well.
Number three, would be not great looking but effective at being able to mow still instead of having a soggy moat in the middle of the lawn.
Number four would be a really good option, but ridiculously expensive.
Number five doesnt sound like much will happen based on the city phone call, but he might get lucky.
Number six is because I was bored.

Personally, I call everyone possible, if they tell me its not a problem I got to number 2 if I cant deal with it. Likely the cheapest option, wont look bad, and is also a big fuck off dickhead to him for trenching that shit over to your yard.

20 yard dumpster is 22' x 8' x 4.5' in size. 20 yards of fill dirt would be $400. Buying in bulk likely cheaper. I don't know how long his property line is, but a few 22' long, 8' wide, 4.5' berm would go a long way.

 

[Broke EF]

I am all on board with option 6!

Like I said, option 2 is pretty much out of the question. I have terrible luck with stuff like this, and I would for sure get fucked for changing the flow of water by blocking it up. I know they seem to not care that he did this already, but trust me when I say as soon as I do it I will be swarmed by the DNR and get screwed. Otherwise I dont think that idea is terrible, just dealing with the trees kind of sucks.

If nothing happens, which it probably wont, I will likely do something along option 4. Super expensive, should be totally unnecessary, but I bet that is what I will have to do eventually.

I am gonna call the county here in a few minutes. Standby for some lame update

 

[1quick]

It wouldn’t be a dnr waterway because it’s the guys private retention pond dnr won’t have any jurisdiction over that, if it were a creek or river he redirected them yeah, drainage would probably cost a decent amount to do it right, my yard is smallish 100x180 I had a bad water problem when I moved in, I paid around 5500 to have 100 yards of dirt brought in hard piped the gutters with underground rock Beds at the ends and pop ups, they graded it Harley raked it I wish I would have had them bring double the dirt now but oh well it’s a lot better than it was

 

[1quick]

I wouldnt either, but if youre looking for the cheapest option that would be it.

This neighbor obviously gives zero fucks and just didnt want the water on his land anymore.

So the options are:

1. Wait for it to dry up to be able to mow, then deal with the creek anytime it rains heavy enough to overflow his retention pond.
2. Build a berm along your property about a foot higher than his property so all the water stays in his yard.
3. Dig a tench through your yard, fill it with rock to make a dry creek bed.
4. Dig a big ass trench, fill it with a culvert to bring water from his property under the road and out the other side, regrade and re sod/seed on top of culvert.
5. Raise enough hell that the DNR, and a bunch of people come out and agree with you that he re-routed a waterway and he has to fix it.
6. Ask him to dig it deeper and make a hydro-electric dam to power up a new building on the property.

Number one is obviously not an option if he's already aggravated at the water coming through the yard.
Number two shouldnt be THAT expensive, would block the water from coming into your yard, and once you put trees on top of the berm would look good as well.
Number three, would be not great looking but effective at being able to mow still instead of having a soggy moat in the middle of the lawn.
Number four would be a really good option, but ridiculously expensive.
Number five doesnt sound like much will happen based on the city phone call, but he might get lucky.
Number six is because I was bored.

Personally, I call everyone possible, if they tell me its not a problem I got to number 2 if I cant deal with it. Likely the cheapest option, wont look bad, and is also a big fuck off dickhead to him for trenching that shit over to your yard.

20 yard dumpster is 22' x 8' x 4.5' in size. 20 yards of fill dirt would be $400. Buying in bulk likely cheaper. I don't know how long his property line is, but a few 22' long, 8' wide, 4.5' berm would go a long way.

I think if you get non pulverized fill it would probably be cheaper, I was paying 400 per semi load for pulverized topsoil a couple years ago

 

[PANDA]

I would start by calling the city. But my guess is nothing you can do about it. You neighbors are probably well aware of these water issues and what they done. I got a friend in Barrington who has her yard, garage, and sometimes inside the basement flooded because of multiple neighbors sump pump discharge. She has all her sump pumps and gutters sewer tied as well as some very expensive drainage in the yard. Nothing she can do about her neighbors because their pumps discharge 36 inches away from the property line and that is legal in barrington. Water just flows downhill.

I have waterfront property and have to deal with water creeping up into my yard when the river rises. But I also have to deal with my neighbor across the street that has a basement with 12ft ceilings and a sump that discharges into his yard 24/7 365. This floods the low spots in his yard and mine. I am downhill from him.

Few years ago the city replaced a clogged culvert on my road. Now whenever it rains I got a river running between my house and my neighbors and draining into the river. It makes for a very muddy mess and a spot that is hard to mow. I called the city right after it was replaced due to the flooding but nothing I can do. They own easement rights to use space between my neighbor and me to drain into the river.

 

[Kensington]

I didn't read this entire thing, but there is a ton of information on drainage through properties, etc. I do believe there is a law that prevents a neighbor from purposely draining water away from their property onto a neighbors property, by altering the drainage plan. This may be a real estate attorney question.

https://farmdoc.illinois.edu/assets/legal/pdf/drainage_law.pdf

 

[Kensington]

Landowners Cannot:

• Dam or obstruct a natural channel so that the flow of surface water from higher land is impeded or blocked
• Divert water to lands that do not naturally receive this drainage
• Change the point of entry on lower land
• Bring water from another watershed that would not naturally flow across the lower land
• Pollute any waters that pass from their land through property of others
• Connect their own tile with another landowner’s or a drainage district’s without consent
• Dam up or impound large bodies of water that escapes and cause serious damage to the lower land
• Accelerate the flow of water unreasonably, or malice intent to damage the lower land

http://iadd.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/iaddbrochure.pdf

 

[FESTER665]

I think if you get non pulverized fill it would probably be cheaper, I was paying 400 per semi load for pulverized topsoil a couple years ago

Thats what I'm saying. A berm would likely be the cheapest option and be a middle finger to him as well for being a dick.... That price I came up with was a friends company and is for 5 yards of fill dirt. If you're doing 200 yards of it Im sure it would be MUCH cheaper.

My damn shed got water in it because the water was so high between mine and my neighbors yard, likely going to do a retaining wall and get about a foot of height over the current grade, let all that shit stay between our properties.

 

[FESTER665]

Another option would be berm it up enough just to re-direct the overflow to the edge of the property so it's at least not a river right through the middle of your yard.

 

[boostedguy05]

I would start by calling the city. But my guess is nothing you can do about it. You neighbors are probably well aware of these water issues and what they done. I got a friend in Barrington who has her yard, garage, and sometimes inside the basement flooded because of multiple neighbors sump pump discharge. She has all her sump pumps and gutters sewer tied as well as some very expensive drainage in the yard. Nothing she can do about her neighbors because their pumps discharge 36 inches away from the property line and that is legal in barrington. Water just flows downhill.

I have waterfront property and have to deal with water creeping up into my yard when the river rises. But I also have to deal with my neighbor across the street that has a basement with 12ft ceilings and a sump that discharges into his yard 24/7 365. This floods the low spots in his yard and mine. I am downhill from him.

Few years ago the city replaced a clogged culvert on my road. Now whenever it rains I got a river running between my house and my neighbors and draining into the river. It makes for a very muddy mess and a spot that is hard to mow. I called the city right after it was replaced due to the flooding but nothing I can do. They own easement rights to use space between my neighbor and me to drain into the river.

But that also wasnt your neighbor altering the land to divert water away from his land to yours.

 

[Broke EF]

Small update. I haven't been able to get anyone at the county again. I sent off an email, because that is the best I can do. They are all working remotely, which means I cant even go there to talk to anyone.

Anyway, there is now a pipe laying next to the ditch. Which to me, means they are making it permanent. I was sure to mention this in my email, which probably wont do a damn thing. Fingers crossed they actually send someone out this time?! I am telling you all, I will get fucked on this deal.


Sean

 

[FESTER665]

Try to sneak some pictures, Im curious how this is all going.

Im telling you though, at this point if I was going to have to shell out money, Im adding a big ass berm and flooding his land now just to be a dick.

 

[Broke EF]

The wife snapped these, I am back in the office so I cant get any better ones yet. I need a drone to get some aerial shots of all of the fuckery.

Flooding his yard wont have the effect you think it will. I doubt he would even really care to be honest.

 

[FESTER665]

He cares enough to trench his yard and put in a drain pipe to put it all on your yard.

 

[Broke EF]

He cares enough to trench his yard and put in a drain pipe to put it all on your yard.

I should rephrase that. The person who lives there wont give a fuck. All of that area is just a field that they never touch other than mudding and burning construction debris. I am pretty sure its that guys parents who actually own it, and the Dad cares enough to drain off the pond.

 

[FESTER665]

Out of curiosity.....

Berm of entire lot line to keep water on his property costs $5,000.
Trench your entire property, add a culvert pipe, re-grade and re-seed the grass costs $6,000.

Which one are you doing?

 

[Broke EF]

Out of curiosity.....

Berm of entire lot line to keep water on his property costs $5,000.
Trench your entire property, add a culvert pipe, re-grade and re-seed the grass costs $6,000.

Which one are you doing?

I would go with the buried pipe. Not because I don't want to fuck up his property, but because mine will look better like that than with a berm. It will also come in handy when I go to build a shop and my land is already flat and level. I don't want a levy across 200' of my property. Plus having to pull up and re-plant all the trees.

 

[FESTER665]

 

[Broke EF]

LOL, I love that movie!

You should have had a bigger spread between options. $2,000 for berm or $10,000 for drain I would probably go berm. I posed the question to the wife too and she instantly said drain as well. A berm or dam or whatever would look like shit. It would also probably be damn near as much as putting in some kind of drain. But I really dont want to do either of those things since this wasnt a problem for decades before this shit. It would be a whole different story if it normally had some water and its just worse, or would flood in heavy rains. It was bone dry all year last year, and now I cant go anywhere near it.

 

[FESTER665]

You can make berms look great, plus they help privacy by raising the plantings higher blocking more view.......

Many people do them to help block road noise as well:

 

[The Beast]

Badazzteal you have a beautiful back yard love your neighbors house

 

[FESTER665]

Badazzteal you have a beautiful back yard love your neighbors house

Guessing taxes on those houses are more than my mortgage.

 

[zenriddles]

LOL, I love that movie!

You should have had a bigger spread between options. $2,000 for berm or $10,000 for drain I would probably go berm. I posed the question to the wife too and she instantly said drain as well. A berm or dam or whatever would look like shit. It would also probably be damn near as much as putting in some kind of drain. But I really dont want to do either of those things since this wasnt a problem for decades before this shit. It would be a whole different story if it normally had some water and its just worse, or would flood in heavy rains. It was bone dry all year last year, and now I cant go anywhere near it.

Have you tried contacting the Illinois DNR yet?

This asshole NEEDS to be fucked with.

I am sure there is some 17 yr locust grub under your grass mat that might be injured by his actions.

As this grub is not due to emerge for another 14 years, the DNR will want to do a study, you know, just to make sure it DOESN'T happen. And that study will involve a cease and desist on your asshole neighbor.
It's not YOUR fault they intervened, you were just doing your part to prevent another potential extinction event.

 

[DEEZUZ]

He/him/his is not wrong. ^