#FloodedBackyard #FarmersField #DrainageIssues
Are you dealing with a severely flooded back yard due to your neighbor’s field? 🌧️😞 Living in central Indiana, I’ve experienced firsthand the frustration of dealing with constant flooding in my yard. The field next to my property slopes downward towards my yard, causing a significant accumulation of runoff water. This has made a large portion of my back yard practically unusable and has been a persistent issue for years.
If you’re in a similar situation and feeling overwhelmed by the flooding, here are some practical solutions to consider:
1. Address the Source
First and foremost, try to reach out to the farmer responsible for the field. 🚜🌾 They may not be aware of the extent of the issue or the impact it’s having on your property. Opening up a dialogue with them could lead to a collaborative solution that benefits both parties. Start by discussing the drainage issues and potential solutions that could help alleviate the flooding.
2. Seek Legal Advice
If contacting the farmer directly doesn’t yield results, you may need to seek legal advice. Consulting with a lawyer who specializes in property disputes could provide you with valuable insights into your rights and options for addressing the situation. They can help you navigate the legal aspects of the issue and determine the best course of action to protect your property.
3. Implement Drainage Solutions
In the meantime, consider implementing some temporary drainage solutions to mitigate the flooding in your yard. Installing French drains, building up soil around the perimeter of your yard, or redirecting the flow of water with landscaping features can help alleviate the impact of the runoff. These measures may provide some relief while you work towards a more permanent solution.
Don’t let your flooded back yard continue to disrupt your daily life. Take proactive steps to address the issue and reclaim your outdoor space. By addressing the source of the problem, seeking legal advice if necessary, and implementing drainage solutions, you can effectively manage the flooding and restore your yard to its former glory. Remember, you’re not alone in facing this challenge, and there are options available to help you find a resolution. 🏡💧
For visual references, check out these images: [https://imgur.com/a/Ijjc748](https://imgur.com/a/Ijjc748)
Its always a good idea to try to talk to the farmer first, if you can reach a solution out of court thats ideal for everyone. If you can’t reach an agreement outside of court it looks good and reasonable to show that you tried.
I am not an expert, but did grow up farming. There would ideally be a culvert on the farmland property for stuff like this. Not sure if it would be his responsibility or government responsibility or what but you do have a right to use of your land without it flooded by other people’s actions ((not sure if he is fully subsidized or what)).
Side note that if you are living in a midwest lowland flooding is very real, some areas near where I grew up in nebraska would be flooded for months straight just from natural rainfall . If the flooding is deemed natural and not caused by unreasonable actions of your neighbor its possible to be seen as you needing to alter your property to fix a natural issue, not anyone else at fault. So having a land survey done to evaluate that kind of thing may also be useful. IANAL just some general food for thought hope it helps.
Should have been disclosures from the sale of the real estate.
A small dike, about a foot high maybe three feet wide, would fix this. The farmer might be able to help, or rent a Bobcat. Contact the farmer first.
It appears you bought a house built in a flood plain. I say that as that big berm in the background appears to be a levee of some sort.
Unless the farmer did something to direct water onto your lot after you bought it, I doubt you will get anywhere with blaming the farmer for this situation which existed before you purchased the home.
The solution would be to figure out a drainage waterway at the edge of the field to take the water somewhere else as I doubt the farmer wants his field under water either. This raises the question of whether the water eventually drains away, or does it sit flooded until it all evaporates?
Much depends on the lay of the land in the surrounding area and if the water has a place to run downhill. Beyond that your other solution is to build a dyke around your lawn, but keep in mind it will have to go along the sides as well as it looks like water will simply back up onto your neighbors and run into your yard from the side.
I would be curious what your neighbors on each side think of this issue. I’d speak with them and the farmer, not out of anger and not with threats of legal action, but just to get their opinions and ideas on what could be done.
The farmer may be able to get assistance from the USDA or SWCD (Soil and Water Conservation District) folks for solutions. Or, you may find that the USDA and SWCD have declared this a wetland and you have bought a home with half the yard legally protected and allowed to flood seasonally. If it is a wetland, he should not be farming it and I would be curious if the local agencies know it’s happening.
Where is the water coming from?
If it’s from rain or a flooded creek or river, you have no legal recourse.
If the field naturally slopes to your property the neighbor has no legal obligation to stop run off from rain.
Your best bet would be to contact the farmer and see if he would help with a berm or ditch.
If he won’t than you are probably on your own to mitigate the water or you have to learn to live with it.
I cannot think of any legal recourse because you chose to purchase low land. It’s common knowledge that water flows downhill and pools in low areas regardless of whether it’s a field, a forest, a city, or whatever is adjacent to your land. The farmer isn’t going to be responsible for something that happened because rain fell faster than the land could absorb it.
Try talking to the farmer first but this might be a cause of nothing you can do as that might of been how everything was draining for so long and just consider “natural” at this point. This falls under general regulation dont change how run off leaves your property.
If you can find a good civil engineering friend who does a lot more of FEMA and flood management work. It a nitch field in civil engineer. Any lawyer going to find and engineer any how and even then it gets really expensive REALLY fast but worth talking to them to get an idea.
Also do note it is fairly common for counties and cities to default these issues to state level as it messy.
Either way best advice is calmly talk to the farmer and makes friends with them. They might be willing help.
Looks like a pretty cool place for a pond. I’d talk to the farmer.
Your yard is a low spot, that’s got nothing to do with the farmer. His field is also flooded in the picture. There isnt any legal recourse unless they did something to intentionally send surface water onto your property. If you try to strong arm with litigation, you are only going to piss off a neighbour. A neighbour with heavy equipment and possibly access to literal tons of manure, do you see where I’m going with this? Its seasonal spring flooding, live with it or try to work with your neighbour to find a solution. Is there anywhere this water could be drained to? A nearby ditch or municipal drain that a catch basin could be tiled to? If you are willing to cost share with your neighbour, they almost certainly have existing relationships with contractors or even the equipment themselves to install a solution
This is likely an issue for the farmer too. Farmers often have drain tile burried in fields to drain off excessive water. If you approach him by offering to contribute to the cost of the tile it would be mutually beneficial.
I grew up in central Illinois and I don’t see anything out of the ordinary. I acknowledge that the ground looks sloped with the transition between your backyard and the field being the lowest part but there is zero chance that the farmer did anything to make it this way. The only thing they could do is install some tile work to drain the land quicker but it is both very expensive to do and you would likely be expected to pay for a non-insignificant portion of it because you benefit at least as much as the farmer does.
I’m curious about what other folks think—would talking to the utility company be of any use? If there was ever a downed power line or something I’m guessing they probably wouldn’t their poles in that amount of standing water.
Is there a lower area anywhere nearby that the water could flow to either through a ditch or underground pipe? If so can you access through your land or along your shared boundary.
The farmer likely also wants a dry field since it makes planting easier. Digging a ditch or placing underground drainage (tile) may be an option if there is somewhere low for the water to go. Approaching the farmer and trying to work with each other against a common problem is likely the fastest solution and the one with the best outcome for everyone.
Most farmers are great people and want to get along with their neighbors, but go in with an open mind.
It is possible, to likely, your lot is the problem. It is reasonable to assume your builder built your house up some because he could see you were downhill. It is very possible the water used to flow across your lot and on down the line and now pools in your back yard because it cant go where it has always gone. You could unknowingly be flooding his field. In most states it is illegal to block the natural flow of water, so if you are downhill you have to take the water and pass it on to the next. You may have to put in a dry creek bed landscape feature or buried drain pipe in your yard to pass the water through if there is lower topography past you.
Unless your farmer neighbor is a shaman who is purposely calling down rain on your specific property, you do not have any legal recourse against him.
How is this the farmers fault?
You want to pursue legal action because of natural water shed?
Next time buy a house on top of the hill, not at the foot.
Not a lawyer, but a landowner. From the looks of it…you had a major rain event. The ponding will happen with that. It will likely be gone within a week. Most states water laws state you cannot do anything to stop the natural flow of water. The only thing that can be done is to put drain tile in, but even then if you don’t have a waterway or main tile to tie into it doesn’t make a difference. I would say to be happy you are getting rain and not in a drought. This will happen many more times in your lifetime and should be nothing but a minor inconvenience, so long as the one doesn’t reach your door and you have a good sump pump. Welcome to living out in the country