After cutting back our hedge, I can now see that my neighbour (or a previous resident - which is where the complication comes in) has routed their rear outhouse guttering drain straight into the our side of the fence behind the hedge.
His outhouse guttering overhangs on to our side of the boundary (semi detached) and the drain gulley goes straight down close to the boundary wall and empties on the garden behind a hedge.
Our garden is north facing and this is very close to the house so it is very damp and mossy because of this. I have asked him if he would move it (as tactfully as is possible) but he says that he didn't put it there and it has been like that for decades (it is upvc by the way) so I have to accept that is how it is (we are in a semi). He did offer to extend the pipe on our side so that it drains a long way away from our house, but I really think it should be simply moved to his side where it is an not extended for 20 feet. He says he can't do that as there is a flower bed on his side.
I did found this environment agency info, which seems clear enough - he has to take reasonable steps to protect my property from his drain water:
http://www.environmentlaw.org.uk/rte.asp?id=103
However, it doesn't say what the law is if this drainpipe has been in place for decades - would it then be unreasonable to ask him to move it to drain on his side.
His outhouse guttering overhangs on to our side of the boundary (semi detached) and the drain gulley goes straight down close to the boundary wall and empties on the garden behind a hedge.
Our garden is north facing and this is very close to the house so it is very damp and mossy because of this. I have asked him if he would move it (as tactfully as is possible) but he says that he didn't put it there and it has been like that for decades (it is upvc by the way) so I have to accept that is how it is (we are in a semi). He did offer to extend the pipe on our side so that it drains a long way away from our house, but I really think it should be simply moved to his side where it is an not extended for 20 feet. He says he can't do that as there is a flower bed on his side.
I did found this environment agency info, which seems clear enough - he has to take reasonable steps to protect my property from his drain water:
http://www.environmentlaw.org.uk/rte.asp?id=103
However, it doesn't say what the law is if this drainpipe has been in place for decades - would it then be unreasonable to ask him to move it to drain on his side.