Neighbors retaining wall falling on your property? Due to heavy rail falls or damaging the foundations of the retaining wall, it can fail. Besides this, if someone doesn’t comply with modern building codes, the wall can damage early or fall.
Last month, my neighbor’s retaining wall fell on my property of the heavy rainfall. I was too upset because many bricks, vegetation, soil, and dirt were deposited on my property. But my neighbors were not willing to take responsibility. Then, my friend suggested sending a legal notice to my neighbor if the damage happened for their negligence.
Still confused about who is responsible for the retaining wall falling? Go through our detailed guide to get a quick clarification on how you solve the issue.
How To Respond If Your Neighbour’s Retaining Wall Falling On Your Property
Unfortunately, it’s a big problem when your neighbor’s retaining wall falls on your property. Sometimes it happens accidentally, or sometimes due to negligence. Whatever the reason, you must take wise steps to solve the issue. In this case, your first focus should be your safety. Then, secure the affected property; the final step is protecting your legal rights. Some practical tips are here on what to do when the neighbor’s retaining wall falls on your property.
- Firstly, check for damage. Consider the extent of any damage. Plus, check the structural damage and potential dangers.
- Secondly, notify your neighbor about the accident of the retaining wall falling. The neighbor should know the situation and take responsibility for the incident.
- Inform your homeowner’s insurance company about the accident. If the accident happened to the neighbor’s negligence, the insurance company would repair the damage. But it depends on your insurance policy whether they take the responsibility or not.
- Contact a lawyer if your neighbor refuses to take responsibility for the accident. He will give you proper legal advice and suggest you how to proceed.
- Lastly, record all the necessary information about any damage as it is crucial.
FAQ
Who is responsible for the fallen retaining wall?
It depends on where the retaining wall is located. If the wall is on the neighbor’s side, they are responsible for repairing the damage. On the other hand, if the wall is located on the property line, you and the neighbor are both responsible for the damage.
How Do I Fix A Retaining Wall?
You can transmit some of the shear force to the base as there meets the wall to the ground. That’s why the wall can get strength from the bottom. Again, you can also increase the thickness of the base by placing concrete. Plus, installing tiebacks is another excellent way to raise extra strength.
What Happens When A Retaining Wall Fails?
When a retaining wall fails, the soil behind the wall starts to move as the wall moves. As a result, the moving ground causes damage to the other structure backed by that soil.
Why Do Retaining Walls Fall Over?
It can fall over when the retaining wall is not installed correctly and adequately reinforced. Again, when you install the wall with an unprofessional constructor, the wall can fall or damage quickly.
Final Words
We are at the last part of our detailed guide. In this guide, we tried to cover all the necessary information about what to do if a neighbor’s retaining wall falls on your land. Hopefully, this guide will help you a lot. Also, when your neighbor’s retaining wall falls on your property, you need to find out the causes of the wall falling. If you can find out the issue, you can easily solve the problem.
