My blocked drain affected next door

[Mr. Flibble]

I recently moved into a semi detached house. I recently learned that next door's drainage flows out under my garden using the same pipe as my drainage. It recently got blocked causing a blockage on their side too.
Am I liable to pay for their repair costs?

Do I have to keep this arrangement? If I don't want to continue to have the risk of my blockage causing damage in their house can I tell them that they can no longer use the drain under my house?

 

[ney001]

I recently moved into a semi detached house. I recently learned that next door's drainage flows out under my garden using the same pipe as my drainage. It recently got blocked causing a blockage on their side too.
Am I liable to pay for their repair costs?

Do I have to keep this arrangement? If I don't want to continue to have the risk of my blockage causing damage in their house can I tell them that they can no longer use the drain under my house?

I doubt very much that you could tell them they can't use the drain - this would be a mains pipe - and more than likely all the houses on the road use the same pipe. When the drain got blocked was it your fault?

 

[Mr. Flibble]

I doubt very much that you could tell them they can't use the drain - this would be a mains pipe - and more than likely all the houses on the road use the same pipe. When the drain got blocked was it your fault?

I have a feeling that only next door uses the drain as well as me. Will find out.

I don't know how to tell if it was my fault. I didn't do anything unusual. It was blocked with a load of gunk, perhaps from the washing machine. Nothing out of the ordinary went down it.

 

[ney001]

I have a feeling that only next door uses the drain as well as me. Will find out.

I don't know how to tell if it was my fault. I didn't do anything unusual. It was blocked with a load of gunk, perhaps from the washing machine. Nothing out of the ordinary went down it.

If it's just blocked then I wouldn't imagine that you are liable for this. In our previous house we were at the end of the road so all of the houses drains flowed under our house. The next door neighbour built a patio and one of the builders cracked the pipe and soil fell in thereby causing a blockage for quite a few houses - they did pay to have this fixed. However I think in normal circumstances drains will become blocked by various materials, particularly with the recent flooding issues, so I doubt that you would be liable for this. You cannot however block/obstruct a mains drainage system.