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Neighbor says he's going to sue when his basement floods

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SnoMN

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MN

My Dad was told by the neighbor to stop blowing snow in his yard, and that he was going to sue when his basement floods in the spring. The neighbor even claims he has video evidence. My Dad doesn’t intentionally blow snow into the neighbor’s yard. He likes to snow blow a path in the backyard for the dog, the snow gets pretty deep. My Dad aims the snow blower’s chute down as far as it goes, but some snow still makes it about 4 feet into the neighbor’s yard. The neighbor’s house is about 15-20 feet from the property line. I told my Dad I wouldn’t think the neighbor would have a case. How could they possibly determine it was the snow my Dad blew into the neighbor’s yard that caused the damage, and not the 1-2 feet of snow that fell there naturally. Plus more snow gets blown around. My Dad even offered to shovel some of the snow back into our yard, but the neighbor declined.

What do you all think?
Thanks.
 


Proserpina

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MN

My Dad was told by the neighbor to stop blowing snow in his yard, and that he was going to sue when his basement floods in the spring. The neighbor even claims he has video evidence. My Dad doesn’t intentionally blow snow into the neighbor’s yard. He likes to snow blow a path in the backyard for the dog, the snow gets pretty deep. My Dad aims the snow blower’s chute down as far as it goes, but some snow still makes it about 4 feet into the neighbor’s yard. The neighbor’s house is about 15-20 feet from the property line. I told my Dad I wouldn’t think the neighbor would have a case. How could they possibly determine it was the snow my Dad blew into the neighbor’s yard that caused the damage, and not the 1-2 feet of snow that fell there naturally. Plus more snow gets blown around. My Dad even offered to shovel some of the snow back into our yard, but the neighbor declined.

What do you all think?
Thanks.


Let me guess. This would be the same neighbor who would probably sue your father for damages after slipping on ice because Dad didn't make it safe?

I fully recommend that your father ignores the threat.
 

FarmerJ

Senior Member
If this neighbors yard is at the same level as yours no matter where the snows came from both yards are going to be just as wet as snow melts. SO now the silly question, but in a way its not that silly, is there any kind of ordinance that says that a resident cannot snow blow / plow/ shovel or in any way move snow onto another persons property ? your city hall will have the answer for that at zoning, inspections, etc ) BTW even if your yard is one inch higher than this neighbors yard when snow melts its gonna run off from your yard to the lower one, ( my former neighbor when I lived in mpls claimed she was gonna sue me because snow melt water from MY yard which was higher than hers flooded her basement , city said unless I made changes to force water to drain onto her yard there was no ord that would make me responsible (I used to get alot of drainage off the alley itself wich had a low low spot that water from lots to my north which were a tiny bit higher than mine drained toward then into my yard and hers was just a bit lower than mine, her solution was on weekends to install a French ditch drain from her yard pointing to the neighbors yard to her west, since that house was being torn down and its lot was even a bit lower than hers. ( her install this way was in violation of city ords) Anywho do re check with your city re its ords.
 

OHRoadwarrior

Senior Member
Advise neighbor to strengthen his case, he should standby each time dad used the snow blower and mark each molecule of snow as it crosses property line so as to distinguish it from snow placed there by God.
 

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