neighbours tree blocking my sewer pipes

[Ridin-High]

Hi All,

Looking for advice in regards to course of action to take with problem below.

- 15/12/2010 Notified by council sewerage going onto street via my sewer pipes, 24 hrs to rectify

- Plumber comes out runs eel, says its either 2 trees roots blocking the pipes one on my neighbours property, one on council.

- I send council some info, picture of the tree root etc.

- They send arborist who says that the tree on their land is in poor health and are going to remove it and that it's not their tree that is causing the problem.

- Council says now its basically private matter between myself and neighbor

- Tree on neighbors property is a big eucalypt



What i've done since then.

* Emailed insurance broker see if any recourse their, as someone else property damaging mine

* Emailed PM to inform neighbor and contact plumber see if another perminate solution rather then getting big *** tree removed.

* emailed council for a report from their arborist to confirm in his professional opinion that its the other tree and not theirs causing the problem.

Waiting to hear back from PM/broker/council

If anyone else had this problem, would like to hear what u did

Regards,

RH

 

[Deena]

My old house had massive tree root problems. I had the plumber out at least once a year to untangle the tree roots from the terracotta pipes. I was always told by several plumbers that it could have been any of the neighbours surrounding us trees. That you would not have been able to have pin pointed, whose trees roots were invading, given it was an old suburb, with massive trees every where. I was told, to replace all of the pipes with poly pipes I would no longer have a problem.

 

[Luv2Travel]

If anyone else had this problem, would like to hear what u did

I had same story as Deena, was told there is no way of 100% working out which tree the roots were coming from so difficult to pin point the blame on anyone. The advice was that all the terracotta pipes should be replaced with PVC (or whatever they use today) ones.

My solution was to move house! It wasn't my only reason for moving, but it was the last straw and I wanted to move areas eventually anyhow. Tree roots and sewerage are my worst nightmare and have been my worst home ownership experience to date. Just be thankful that your sewerage overflows outside....

Even though it's no longer my problem, I'd be interested to hear how you go Ridin-High and what your outcome is.

 

[Peterw]

I do believe that you can have a neighbour install root barriers, if you can at least prove that the roots from their trees, and crossing the property boundary. Not sure if others can chime in with their expperiences.

 

[Deena]

I am like Biggles, eventually sold my old house for various reasons.

Root barriers, not sure they would work, given some trees spread thier roots very deep.

If there are teracotta pipes insitu, I was told they develop hair line cracks, tree roots will actively seek out the beautiful moisture that is contained in the pipes. Once it is an issue it will always remain so until the pipes are replaced with the modern alternatives.

I had multiple huge trees removed from my property in the mistaken belief this would cure the issue, some idiot plumber told me that. Still had the plumber out once or twice a year, albeit a different one then the one who gave me that advise.