Another Neighbor Dispute

[JanieBeaumont]

Hi Ya'll,

My name is Janie and I'm a resident of Turbeville, SC. I found Tractorbynet after doing an internet search about maintaining my 1975 John Deer 8630. (Good thing for grandkids to show you around the world wide web!)

Instead I found JimR's message about his neighbor dispute, which is just like one I'm having now. So at his urgency, I'm writing to share with ya'll my problem, and to seek some advice for a fast fix.

My neighbor has been diverting a drainage culvert (the
ditches on the side of the road) to my front yard. He's got pigs and is channeling the waste downstream.... "downstream" now runs through my property. My friends are joking now that it's a "***" situation. That's an understatment. When it rains, my yard probably qualifies as a "superfund" site. I'm going to contact county ASAP since it's their ditch, but would invite any comments or suggestions. I've tried "other" methods to find a fix (calling the police) ... but they only redirected me to the County. What a headache. My neighbor treats me like a dang rug.... walks all over me. Nice way to treat an older lady who uses her JD 8630 to go to the mailbox down our long driveway.

Thanks ya'll, Janie

 

[MrJimi]

Welcome to the forum
Contact the EPA

 

[RonR]

Welcome!

One thing I'd suggest is find out who your county commissioner is and invite him/her out to visit your situation.

Or take some pics and go visit them.

I know the right fix is not on your dime, but if it were me, I might build a small dirt dam to keep the stuff from crossing into my property. It would still be in the ditch, but not on your place.

Enlist their support to help you. They have the muscle with the department heads. After all, you represent a vote for them!

Let us know how it works out.

ron

 

[chucko]

Got a loader on that tractor? Dam the ditch

 

[chucko]

I guess I was channeling Ron. Same fix posted at the same time LOL

 

[EddieWalker]

Start documenting what's been done and the results.

Here it's illegal to redirect teh flow of water onto a neighbors land. Is the culvert in a location that runoff has always traveled?

Is it legal for him to raise pigs on his land? Are there any environmental restriction or laws about fecal matter of livestock?

Once you have pictures and/or video of what's happening, you have several options. You can go to the health department, the EPA, the county court and the new media should.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[kenmac]

Contact county agent or city offical , epa ,or attorney

 

[dmccarty]

Hey Janie,

Welcome to TBN.

My first thought after seeing a picture of a JD 8630 is hook up a box blade to that big huge tractor and change the flow back to his land.

But seriously, , try the county environmental services if there is such a thing in your state. Since he is a farm also call up the state agriculture department. There should also be a state environmental department and very likely an agency for water quality. I would be suprised that he could just let surface water filled with pig poo flow into a body of water. I would think the fines would be pretty hefty. There should also be a Federal agency dealing withwater quality.

Another route is to call your state and/or Federal representatives and get them to help.

If you have to, get a lawyer, but it would be better if the state/county/representatives does the work for you. That is why you pay taxes after all.

If the government won't/can't help you, call up the local TV or newspaper and get them involved. Mention ecoli contamination. That will get their attention.

Later,
Dan

 

[AlanB]

I would call the health department, not the EPA.

I believe a neighbor dumping sewage into your yard would get quick and effective action from the local health department.

I am betting hours or days at most.

 

[JanieBeaumont]

Ya'll, thank you so much for your suggestions!

My tractor is very large, as many of you know. My driveway is nearly a half mile long and so I use the 8630 to get my mail. It's a nice way to get all the juices flowing within the tractor, keeping it in top shape. My husband doesn't use it any more for unrelated health reasons, so it's sort of our souvenir of a life we modestly retired from. Because it's our only piece of sizable machinery left, I want to keep it runnin'.

As many of you suggested, it will be best to go through the County so officials do the work and battle the legal stuff. But, oh boy, I really adore the idea of mounting the 12' plow onto the JD 8630 and pushing dirt into the ditch to divert it back towards his yard, then pushing whatevers left right through his cattle fence. But then you'd see me on CNN as the "Grandma Gone Gooney." Or, "The Turbeville Terror." I might get my rig stuck in the mud if I pull any of that Dukes of Hazzard stuff. Anyway, every time it rains I get so heated. You can smell it for a mile.

I'll try to keep ya'll updated as things get rollin'.

-Janie