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Original poster

A little irritated with neighbours. Haven't even moved in yet

54 replies

dilapidated · 08/04/2017 12:12

We got the keys to our house in Jan.
We are doing it up as quickly as we can as baby arriving imminently and we are currently staying with parents.
House not habitable at all due to asbestos, condemned electrics and gas and burst pipes.

We have been sent a quote through from one of the neighbours saying we need to pay a 1/4 towards the replacement water main feed to our row of 4 houses that share the water main.

We have already dealt with insurers regarding leaks and water issues and our house is now dry.

They are still running off old pipes that run underground and are leaky.

We said that we wanted to meet with them to discuss the work with the company that will be carrying it out which we arranged for Monday.

We have been away since Thursday in another country for a wedding and yesterday morning received messages saying that they needed our go ahead on this urgently as the company came round and said so.

They are not giving us the chance to meet the company carrying out the work or further discussion. They realise that the work is not going to benefit us at all but say as it's a shared water main we are liable to pay towards it none the less.

We have explained that we have major issues we are trying to sort on the house and ran out of money and have already had to borrow to finish the last bit.

Would this irritate you or is it just my pregnancy hormones giving me a short fuse?

OP posts:
Original poster
dilapidated · 08/04/2017 13:20

Our insurance covers internal and external pipes. I made sure we went for top level insurance due to the age of the house and level of dilapidation it was in.

It turns out neighbours in question tried to get their insurance to cover for their work but they don't have the cover so it can't be done through insurance.

So it seems our insurance doesn't make a difference

OP posts:
Chickenagain · 08/04/2017 13:21

If you are legally liable, then pay. If you are not, then don't. Simple. It is finding out if you are liable that may be the tricky bit.
You would almost certainly not be liable for the portion of the costs pertaining to the renewal of the individual pipeworks to the other houses though. And if you have paid to renew yours independently, then you have 'removed' that part of the cost from the total anyway & the IP bill has been reduced, which should be taken into account. Depending on the location, the shared feed is either the Water Company's cost or shared by all four houses. Check your deeds & the paperwork & detailed quote from the contractors.
You are not morally obliged to overpay your share, but to be fair is important.

Original poster
dilapidated · 08/04/2017 13:23

It's frustrating that the neighbours have been aware of issues with their leaky feed for a while and it just turns out that it's just as we get the keys to ours they start asking us for contributions

OP posts:
Original poster
dilapidated · 08/04/2017 13:27

Thanks chicken will look into it

OP posts:
NotMyPenguin · 08/04/2017 13:28

Can they send you the documentation that shows you are legally liable?

If you REALLY are legally liable, you may be able to get it through insurance. If they can't find any actual evidence that you are legally liable then they may realise they shouldn't try to get you to pay!

LIZS · 08/04/2017 13:31

If you knew in January why go ahead unilaterally via insurance, it would have been more cost effectve to do it in one go surely?

Original poster
dilapidated · 08/04/2017 13:39

They told us about it this week Hmm

OP posts:
Greenkit · 08/04/2017 13:42

Can you do a diagram with houses and water line

If your insurance has paid yours, how are you liable for theirs, if they had the correct cover they would be covered to?

innagazing · 08/04/2017 13:43

I don't understand why the mains water feed is the responsibility of you and the neighbours? Does it run along the public road/pavement or under all the privately owned gardens.

If it runs along the public way, why isn't the waterboard replacing it (and paying for it)?

Original poster
dilapidated · 08/04/2017 13:45

Currently in car on way back from wedding.
Diagram to follow Grin

OP posts:
LIZS · 08/04/2017 13:49

My mistake, you said you'd got keys in January. Does your legal paperwork clarify responsibility for drains and supply, I'm surprised insurance didn't ask before they incurred any cost.

LBOCS2 · 08/04/2017 14:31

As a general rule of thumb, if the pipework involved serves more than one property irregardless of whose land it's on it is the responsibility of the water company to maintain and repair/replace.

I would check your liability on this before putting your hand in your pocket. Beyond that, yes, the timing is a pain and they should have given more notice but if it needs doing it needs doing - I'd be grateful that it wasn't another thing to coordinate frankly!

Finola1step · 08/04/2017 16:04

So you have all been having building works. Yours have been to the extent that you have chosen not to live in the property during the works. Which would suggest that your works have been rather significant. I assume that you have not been on site from 8-5, Monday-Friday thus you may not be completely certain that no disruption has been caused to your new neighbours. But of course, it is your build so I'm sure you know best.

Sounds like a perfect time for all 4 homeowners to chip in and get the pipes sorted. Goodwill can go a long way with neighbours. It can take an age to build up but can dry up in minutes.

Bluntness100 · 08/04/2017 16:10

It's clearly work needing doing, I'm unsure why you need to meet the company and why you are delaying them. I'd pay, thank them for sorting it and have good relations with my neighbours.

LizzieMacQueen · 08/04/2017 16:44

Why do you need to meet with the contractor? On a £2500 job?

I'd also pay.

MrsMoastyToasty · 08/04/2017 16:57

If you have a shared supply then as soon as your neighbours start using the water at the same time as you then you'll notice a drop in pressure. These pipes were probably up to the job when the house was built but with the number of water dependent appliances in modern houses you could experience problems with water pressure.
With a shared supply if your neighbour wants the water turned off to replace a washer etc. then all houses lose supply.
The other thing to consider that if the shared supply has never been upgraded then it's likely to be made of lead pipe. It didn't become illegal to use lead in plumbing until 1966 and wasn't enforced retrospectively. So many houses built before that date still have lead pipes leading up from the public main in the middle of the road to this day.
(Am ex water company employee )

Original poster
dilapidated · 08/04/2017 17:44

finola
Due to electrics beings condemned and having no kitchen or bathroom we can't live there.

The works having been carried out is internal works and we don't adjoin any of the occupied houses as next door is also unoccupied.

We are not having any structural work or extension work so no, there has not been any disruption caused by us. And yes I visit site regularly and my dp is there every day as we work just down the road Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
dilapidated · 08/04/2017 17:47

mrsmoasty thank you for your info. It's things like that that I was hoping to learn from the contractor rather than just saying yes to work being done.

To everyone else saying just pay up - we don't have a problem with doing so, my post was asking if it's right to be annoyed about the insistence that we need to let them know about it immediately without having a chance to even look into it at all.

I don't want to get to the point where we are regularly being asked to contribute to things that we shouldn't be. We bought a freehold house, we don't share a drive and only found out we hared a water main after we got the keys.

OP posts:
SafeToCross · 08/04/2017 17:50

I would be sending the money and a bottle of wine, as an investment in good relations, but keep an eye out for any further requests.

Greenkit · 08/04/2017 18:01

650 is a lot of money and I think your insurance has covered your part, the neighbours can split the rest between them

Original poster
dilapidated · 08/04/2017 18:15

It's certainly a lot of money when we have run out already and borrowed to finish the house, I'm also starting maternity leave in 2 weeks time and Dp earns a lot less than me so anything like this effects is considerably.
I haven't even started to get stuff for baby yet as I don't have a house to put anything in.
We will pay the amount as DP has now agreed to it as we were being pushed for an answer.
We've had no time to contact the water board since and double check things over or look into what's on our deeds, so still irritated but that's life I guess.
The neighbours new we were having leak issues which we told we were contacting insurers about so it would have been handy for them to let us know about all this before we had done.
We shall get on with the the rest of it now

OP posts:
BigGrannyPants · 08/04/2017 18:58

Op would your insurer not cover your £600 or have I misunderstood

Shortdarkandfeisty · 08/04/2017 23:44

I'd check your liability first
And see if insurance covers it or water company

Greenkit · 09/04/2017 07:36

I wouldn't be bullied into anything.

Megatherium · 09/04/2017 07:47

Check liability with your solicitor. If you have liability for this it should have become apparent during the conveyancing process.

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