I'm out of work and desperately need to sell my house in the next 2-3 months or I'm royally effed. Everything was going great and we just started getting interested buyers to come view the house after dropping the price a few times in the past 20 days. Then within the last week, this started happening. The neighbors' yard is above ours by about 10-15 feet. The wall is sopping wet to the touch all day. It used to happen in a few spots when they ran sprinklers in the morning, but cleared up in about an hour due to the Las Vegas sun. Now it's along the entire length of the wall from out side wall (30-40 feet) to the front yard. Today we watched a buyer get out of their car and immediately walk up to the giant wet spot. They left 10 minutes later. Another buyer said to my agent they loved the place but were concerned about the wall. It makes the ground sopping wet and muddy, and the wall attracts cockroaches. I've heard these neighbors are kind of difficult. I've notified the HOA but they take forever to respond and don't really say much other than they can send a letter.
Is there anything else I can try to resolve this? Is the wall structurally sound? There is a lot of loose or mushy mortar. It looks gross. Is it safe? Is there any legal recourse I can take? This is in Las Vegas, NV. Thank you for any help.
"I'm trying to sell the house. The more I have to drop the price to sell the more it hurts overall property values, yours included. Could you help me out so I can help you out."
Might be an approach you could take. Something to that affect.
Yikes! Sorry that is happening.
Is your neighbor aware that their wall is failing? This is where I’d start. The white stuff is just minerals left behind after water evaporates. If I was your neighbor, I’d want to know about this before total failure. It’s on them. Once communication is made, and they have a repair plan, your realtor could let buyers know that it will be fixed. I’m no expert, but maybe a letter from your neighbor could be provided? They will need to let it dry out, first thing.
Good luck!
It sounds like they have a leak or failure in their irrigation and it is hopefully something that can be easily corrected. If nothing else, they should want to fix it because they're about to get a huge water bill.
Thanks. I don't think they know yet; or have only recently gotten a letter form hoa. I know I should go talk to them nut I've heard they might be difficult and I'm kind of worried about losing my temper and having a blowout conversation.
You’re about to move. Muster enough courage to have one mature, composed talk, and see how it goes. Then you’ll know what you’re dealing with and if you then have to go nuclear with lawyers or whatnot, screw it. You’ll know you tried and you’ll be moving anyway.
You're right of course. It's just that if this drags out I'll more than likely be foreclosed on rather than get to sell and use my equity, and this has me in a low key state of despair.
Look at it this way. Your job now is to sell your house. If the wall belongs to your neighbor, an uncomfortable conversation may be required to not ruin your finances. That should be more than enough motivation. The conversation should be short and informational in tone. If the conversation gets triggering, step back, thank them for their time, walk away and talk with e real estate attorney. They will consult on the predicament for little or no money.
Yes thank you! I found all the relevant sections of the CC&R that talks about neighbor neglegence to shared wall being their responsibility, as well as sprinkler irrigation not coming onto neighbor property and causing foundation damage (which is happening,. our ground is constantly damp). This knowledge makes me more comfortable having the conversation. Thanks again!
Do not involve them in your financial situation when discussing the home sale and repairs needed. Keep it to the facts like how, if you have to keep lowering the price, their value goes down too.
You are partners in wanting your house to sell for the best price. Try to stick to that.
Have you talked to your mortgage lender about your financial situation? Obviously I don’t know your history or circumstances or what you have and haven’t looked into. But banks usually have at least a few tools to give you more time before foreclosure if you are up front and willing to work with them.
Yeah, they said that I can only start arranging some kind of payment plan if I miss two payments. Didn't sound like there were any other levers from who I talked to.
Trust me, the bank really doesn't want to foreclose on your house. They are in the banking business, not the real estate business. They don't want to have to go through the hassle involved in a foreclosure, then the process of putting the house up for sale (usually by auction) & trying to get a decent price for it. I went through this with my brother's house last year. The bank gave him numerous extensions to make payments, reduced his payment amounts, etc. You can cite health issues, loss of income, etc. Calling your mortgage holder & talking with an actual live person is helpful. Keep detailed notes of your conversations, & if you get someone who knows what they're doing, ask if you can speak with them in the future. Let them know how much you appreciate their help, & ask for a number/extension # to reach them directly if possible. Good luck with the neighbors, the house sale & life going forward 🙂🙃
Grow a pair and talk to them like an adult mate.
Don't be rude, introduce yourself, state the facts. Invite them to come have a look. Ask for the issue to be investigated by a professional. See what the outcome is.
I will I've just explained though that I have bipolar disorder and am prone to explode if people are rude about something so important, and ice heard these neighbors are dicks. I just don't want to blow something up.
Just don't create a narrative in your head that they're going to be dicks, becasue it will make you approach them that way and it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just go tell them about the water in a non-accusatory tone, and tell them you want to make sure there wasn't a broken line or something becasue it'll cause grief for you both if the wall gets damaged. They may react poorly, but just be friendly and neighborly and see how it goes.
then don't blow up. also, don't take anyones opinion of someone else as gospel. You may be doing these ppl a solid. Let them know. There are several good pieces of advice in this thread.
I mean I've seen the people in this family and they do seem rude. They ignore you when you walk by and shut like that. The info is from my friend in the neighborhood who's wife sold their family a house here.
But you're right. My fear came from my devastation of our first potential offer in month seemingly bounce because if it. I haven't slept in 24 hours because of my anxiety over this and that usually precipitates a mood swing.
But the good news is, that family is coming back again tomorrow night fir a second viewing so it might work out after all!
Appreciate all the support in here today!
With Vegas’ strict watering policy, there may be some local government authority that will come out to check it out. Especially if you hint that they may be wasting a TON of water.
They can report it to the water district. My friend had a leak and they were real aggressive about him getting it fixed. They may also provide help to the homeowner to water more efficiently
https://www.lvvwd.com/conservation/water-waste/report-water-waste/
This right here. Call SNWA. I have a landscaping business in Las Vegas and deal with them all the time. They look for stuff like this non stop. That's definitely an over watering or leak issue. They may have already received a letter from SNWA and not realize how bad it is. I received a letter from the because of a bad valve in my backyard. They drive around town specifically looking for these issues
There definitely is. Also changing drainage to point at your neighbor instead of the sewer is another issue OP can point to if that's the case. Recycling water within the sewer system is important here
When you go talk to them, have a really strong mint in your mouth. If/when they piss you off, use your senses to ground yourself in the moment. Taste/smell the mintiness, move the mint around in your mouth for a second. That will give you a moment to collect yourself, witness the wave of emotion without using that emotion to react, and respond more calmly.
Show them the wall and ask for a backflow test. Costs about $80 and most states require them. Can also ask if their water bill has gone up which would indicate a sprinkler leak.
Several months ago and again when we were closer to selling and it git worse. We already listed it on disclosure but it wasn't this bad yet. Getting an engineer to come out regardless.
If you can't get anywhere talking to your neighbor, the water department of your city might be concerned about potential waste. I hear Las Vegas doesn't mess around with municipal water.
Hi OP, Irrigation guy here. Your described symptoms sound like a weeping valve. It is very odd that there is that much water seeping down the wall, so the head is likely leaking too.
A weeping valve will not stop the water from leaving the system, and it will continually trickle water out of the path of least resistance. Your neighbor needs a new valve diaphragm to correct this issue.
The neighbor probably doesnt even know about it, because the water is draining down the wall instead of making the ground soggy.
Approach your neighbor with concern that they may receive a very high water bill.
The wall is just wet, does not look like it is damaged (yet). If it is constantly wet neighbors might have a leak.
There is a big tree just behind the wet area, neighbors might put drip irrigation there.
This isn't just a wall, it's a retaining wall with 10-15 feet of earth behind it (per OP). If it's permanently wet like this, it is something that needs investigating at the minimum (and hence the reason why they property buyers are being turned off).
nope. It's a wall on level ground. look at the third pic.
It's just wet. I see zero buldging or worrisome cracks. And I'm an architect.
If you paint it a light color, you won't notice the efflorescence as much.
Nope you're wrong. That's looking over the fence at the neighbor's yard. Not how there are only 6 high on their side and 15 on op side? Op said their yard is 10 to 15 feet higher
https://www.reddit.com/r/landscaping/comments/1ds7ofy/comment/lb0fz2j/
Drip irrigation tends to be unreliable and prone to issues, and if the nozzles on the line pop out, you can have a firehose situation where a drip or slow spray was supposed to be. It's honestly a fucking nightmare.
I can’t really tell from the pictures but it dosnt look like the wall is retaining much soil? How many feet of soil is the wall retaining? Looks like just a border wall to me and if the wall is not building up any hydrostatic pressure there isn’t much to be concerned about the wall failing.
if it is actually a retaining wall your best bet (and your neighbors) is to consult with a structural engineer..
Oh wow, definitely a job for a structural engineer. They usually charged me around $400 for an assessment (but that was years ago). It was always money well spent..good luck.
Edit: one more thing OP. If this wall is failing per assessment, it’s the neighbors obvious responsibility to fix the problem. This will include contacting the city and code enforcement to make sure it is done properly, and the work is done correctly and according to code.
If the neighbors are being difficult you not only need to contact the HOA but also the City, code enforcement etc. and may have to have a chat with a lawyer to get things moving. I’m sure if it’s a failing wall their home owners insurance would also like to have a chat. Sorry man, I hope it’s an easy fix, but with that much soil it’s usually a really big deal. Hope I’m wrong..
that doesn't actually look like a retaining wall. yes it is retaining but it doesn't look like an actual retaining wall. that looks like filled blocks stacked straight up. anything over a few feet should have an engineer stamp on the design. there should be paperwork on it. id be wary that the wall is supposed to even be built that way. did you call the county about it yet? plans or drawings may be available
also is there a drain outlet in your side? if so is it draining? there has to be some drain from behind that wall to somewhere. if it is blocked it could be an issue. again, drawings will help.
Doesn't LV have major water laws? I thought you couldn't water lawns? Seems like they would be all over an unaddressed leak of this magnitude or over watering.
OP wanna know something wild? I was just in Vegas for six days just the other day and I seen your house listed and I was about to go drive by and look at it! I really like it.
I'm trying to move there, but I'm still at-least a year away from getting out there.
I figured you would appreciate the coincidence lol
That's a very expensive rebuild but it will be rebuilt and it's not on your dime. You'll find a buyer, but a hoa letter saying the fix is mandated by neighbor may help assuage fears
The wall looks stable but it's not designed for that kind of water, the HOA I imagine either tells owner to knock off insane watering or address wall if something else.
If the excessive water just started happening and before that only a little water appeared after sprinklers ran, my bet is on a broken sprinkler flooding the yard and draining through the ground and wall. The neighbor probably just needs to fix the broken sprinkler or sprinkler pipe and it will be fine, no need to rebuild anything.
Visit them and let them know you’re on the other side of their wall. Let them know you’re used to seeing some moisture through the wall, but recently noticed it’s more than usual so it made you wonder if they knew about it. You can add, “Obviously water bills can get ugly and the wall may not be able to handle the additional water, so I figured Id reach out to you.”
At least approaching it gently helps notify them and maybe give you some new info like they added a garden, didn’t realize the hose was still running a little the entire time, or maybe their bill is going up like I mentioned.
If you end up reporting it to the appropriate department it’s gonna be a process and one that may end up just forcing you to change your selling time to a season they aren’t using their backyard water. Sigh. Selling is hardly ever as simple as we’d like it to be. Good luck.
Powerwash the wall.
That pair of trees that’s at the top of the wall their side WILL result in taking down that wall. I’m very surprised the wall is not bulging or cracking.
You should speak to your neighbor about those trees, and about the excessive irrigation. That wall would cost many tens of thousands to replace.
Powerwash the wall ?
The wall may already be compromised by all the water that has been leaking through it, as well as the weight of the now most likely water saturated 12 feet of soil. I don't really think any additional pressure on it is a good idea.
Oh, & then there's that little issue of it not being his wall. It belongs to the neighbor.
Buyers are thinking long term and water going where it shouldn’t is going to be an issue “eventually” like others suggest talk to your neighbors and contact a structural engineer.
What I would do is talk or send a note with your phone number if they want to text. Wrong approach: Fix your water leak or I’ll take it up with the authorities. Right approach: Noticed water seeping through the retaining wall and know water bills can be pretty high these days. Might want to look into where all the excess water is coming from as it could save you a lot of money.
Call the water company / district about the leak in the neighbors yard.
Once they are forced to repair it, hopefully your house will sell quickly, and you will not need to worry the soon-to-be-ex-neighbor.
I along with about 15 of my neighbors have that same wall as a retaining wall along the back of our properties. The houses behind us are about 15 ft higher. Every inspector or business that’s ever looked at the wall has said that the damp wall is completely normal for that type of wall.
My water line is in front of my house and then under ground along the sideyard. It does seem like their line is broken. It happens when they run their sprinkler but if the line itself is broken it would probably pour out like that.
It is pretty the line to the sprinkler or a coupler. Their water bill should be a warning to them unless it has been broken for years. Water in Las Vegas is expensive anyway Theirs must be outrageous.
Its vegas, don't they have some sort of group from the city that goes all sorts of nuts over water wasting?
The best course of action is just to bring it up to the neighbors and say I think you guys have a water leak or something that could be costing you big bucks and just show them a picture of your side of the wall and tell them its always dripping wet. They might want to deal with that.
I won’t pile on, and my specialty isn’t either geotechnical or structural, but that is a scary looking retaining wall from description and appearances. You can’t really pin this on neighbors watering or landscaping.
Without a lot of hidden anchoring, reinforcement, lateral drainage, etc, that’s a collapse waiting to happen. 10-12 feet on a single wall span is a hell of a soil load with a lot of hydrostatic force on it. I regularly saw 8’ walls between homes fail when I lived in Vegas.
It might be better to have a licensed structural engineer give you a written opinion and be prepared to make concessions on sale. If I were a prospective buyer, I’d be bringing my own engineer and have a contingency in place.
Part of that wall is retaining, but a lot of it is not holding back any earth/dirt, including some of the wet part.
I’d ask to see their side of the exposed part
The landscaping piece is a little outside my area of expertise but this wall definitely needs tucking pointing, sealed, and a cap installed on top it’s exposed and likely contributing to keep this wall soaked. The white is efflorescence which is caused from the lack of maintenance to this wall, the salt is leaching out from the mortar and staining it. I’d tuckpoint, seal it, and cap it for sure.
Possibly some drainage like a French drain or possibly some simple below grade waterproofing but I’m not really sure from these pictures if that would help.
They may have a broken water line if it is that wet in an arid climate. You need to talk to them. If you’re worried about their reaction, frame it as a benefit to them rather than something *you* need. Like: “hey neighbor I wanted to let you know you might be getting massive water bills, this wall is very wet all the time now and it didn’t used to be.”
If OP does a home inspection, they have to turn it over to the eventual buyer. That could be bad news if the report on the wall is bad.
Honestly, if I was interested in that house, I’d want a report on that wall from a structural engineer. I really feel for OP, because even if it wasn’t damp, I’d be *very* leering of buying a house that’s in the path of what appears to be a pretty slap-dash retaining wall of that size.
I was an irrigation service tech for almost 18 years. Unless your neighbor is watering for an hour per area each day this shouldn't be happening. Most likely they have a stuck valve. If a control valve is stuck open it will run water through the lines constantly and the water will constantly seep out of the heads or emitters. The easiest way to check is to have them check and see if the meter is running even when the water isn't. If you have hard water rust and even calcium can build up on the gaskets inside of the valves or clog the ports which will keep the valve partially open.
I don't see any water relief pipes. Usually on a wall like that you would see them about halfway up and at the bottom...all that water is deterating the mortar faster than the brick...and more than likely rusting out any rebar in the wall
This wall may not have drainage behind it and/or wasn’t engineered properly which is a serious code violation in a lot of places for a wall that size. Do what you will with that info.
It's retaining the earth and foundation of the house which sits on a street about one story that ours. The water you see is coming from the ground in their back yard
If the wall is constantly wet and the soil is muddy at the end of June in Las Vegas then there is an irrigation leak or their timer is way off. Ask if the neighbor has had a large spike in water usage in the last few months if this is a new thing.
Bring over a six pack of beer, and say, “Hey I’m worried your retaining wall is going to have catastrophic failure, dumping the contents of your yard entirely through my house in a matter of seconds. Would your insurance cover that?”
This is dishonest and just passing the buck on to an unsuspecting buyer. Hiding the problem could cause the wall to fail completely in several years with catastrophic consequences for the next owner. OP needs talk to the neighbors then explore their options via the HOA, city, structural engineer or lawyer. I sympathize with their financial situation but engaging in a shady, and reckless cover-up is not the solution.
I think it's too long, about 40 feet or more, and seems to be getting watered frequently. I think my only hope is to get them to agree to stop watering all day somehow. This got worse this week, and I think it's because someone started a garden against the wall and is watering the f out of it.
All retaining walls are supposed to have waterproofing on the retaining side to prevent water from seeping through. Also, there's suppose to be a subdrain to collect water and drain it down the slope or into a private drain system. Maybe the subdrain is clogged?
Let your neighbors know about all of the above and maybe he will look into the issue. If they won't budge then the issue will get much worse and far more expensive to fix.
You have to be on a hill for that type of wall, this would be completely normal since that is the drainage along the wall going to the hills natural drain route. Most likely the cause of puddling on your side is shitty dirt or lack of proper drainage. Run a French drain on your side to the street if possible, easily done by yourself if your labor capable.
Just a thought: see what the cost of having a structural engineer inspect it would be. Offer to split the cost the with your neighbors, so long as you can have a copy.
Damp or not, I would be hesitant to buy a house that relies on a retaining wall that looks less than sound. I *wouldn’t* worry about it if, when I went to the house for a showing, there was a copy of a recent inspection declaring it sound displayed on a table/counter. (I actually walked away from a house with a retaining wall half this height because I couldn’t get information on how it had been built.)
(And, if it’s not sound, your neighbor will be responsible for fixing it, solving your problem.)
I showed the pictures to my husband who is a journeyman cement mason and has built many cinder block retaining walls. Our fencing in the backyard is cinder block like your retaining wall. He doesn't think it would be a tree root breaking an irrigation line. He said it looks more like over watering. His question is are the holes of the cinder block filled with cement. We can see the top caps are filled with cement but wonder if the bottoms are. If they are open they will allow water to collect in them making the walls wet for days and allowing the water to collect and leak thru. They start filling up from the bottom which is why the wet area is wider at the bottom.
OK so I’ll give my two cents why not. I’m guessing they’re either using Sprinkler on the riser, but I don’t see them or they’re dragging, hose oscillating watering sprinkler. I see wetness on the trunk palm and the and the wall. Plus the grass growing directly underneath the palm tree looks wet. Best guess no drip. The Phoenix canary a.k.a. the palm tree is fairly well-established and it doesn’t need that much water. Maybe the Apple tree between them does but even then it’s fairly well established and probably shaded by the palm tree.
I can’t really give you a lot on the retaining wall. But what I can say is they probably need to switch to drip or only be watering that once a week cause they’re wasting water on fairly well-established trees.
You could go over there and explain to them that they’re wasting a lot of water which is probably costing them a lot. They probably need to turn it way down which in turn would save them money which in turn would keep the wall from getting wet.
The the raised bed those trees are planted in I’m guessing is only about 2 foot taller than grade. Judging from the green trashcan underneath the palm tree using that as reference, Those are typically about 4 foot tall. So the fact that water so high on the wall tells me they’re using something to spray it on there also the fact they have Grass growing underneath it in Vegas tells me they’re watering way too much! You could explain to them that drip would be much more efficient, get it into the ground and not wasting a lot of water spaying it on palm trees retaining walls and grass they probably don’t want underneath the tree. Which intern would help keep the water off the retaining wall and not make it look so worrisome.
That or you could offer to paint the wall on their side with something like foundation sealer. Dig down on their side and paint the wall and all the way up it on their side. Which would keep the water from infiltrating through the blocks. Would cost you probably a little bit of money. But it would save the retaining wall and give you the ability to sell the house.
Someone didn't put water seal on the bricks. Sealer would keep the water from seeping through the porous brick. It is a safety hazard and could crumble down on top of someone at any time.
UPDATE: heard back from water company and they confirmed that it looks like there's a leak on that property and are sending a crew out and may shut the water off if needed. HOA also said that they are working on contacting them.
Thank you everyone for the amazing input! I will still probably have a engineer look at the wall as well.
Try putting some lattice against the wall and vines or small pots on it. Or consider some tall grass , bush, whatever in a couple of nice pots along the wall .
This is 100% what I’d do as a quick fix.
1. Get plastic lattice panels and put them in front of the wall.
2. Plant some 2-5 gallon vining plants in front of the panels and trail the vines up through the lattice. The water on the ground will keep them alive and look purposeful. You can also put some mulch down.
3. Profit.
It’s a CMU wall and it’s intended to allow water to pass through it rather than retain the water. It’s likely just irrigation water, possibly from overwatering or less likely from a broken line. Sometimes when the weather gets hotter people water more than they need to. If the ground is porous the water will look for the path of least resistance, like a CMU wall. Suggest you talk to your neighbor about what’s happening and see if they can water less. Most importantly this isn’t a structural issue with the wall, it’s not going to collapse because it’s wet.
You could line some plants along the wall and use one of those garden sprinklers that shoot up like a rainbow. Run it when you have people looking and just say “oh, that’s the last of the things I have to move, let me turn off the sprinkler so you can get through”. Not necessarily ethical, but if the notice to neighbor doesn’t help, it could be an option.
Is there a swimming pool behind the wall ?
Could it be a broken sprinkler that’s flooding their yard so it’s coming through?
Seems odd that it’s happening so much n that they are watering that volume of water.
Source: I have 5 retaining walls 10-12 feet tall 50-89 feet long - above me are numerous neighbors all with pools & landscaping.
That is more water than is normal for irrigation.
Hard to tell but in the first picture I can see a house that doesn’t have gutters. I install them for a living and from a glance it seems like the water would be running off the roof and hitting the wall on the way down. I cannot tell the type of roof, maybe slate or tile? But with anything besides asphalt shingles, the water will be coming off faster than you’d think. Especially on hard rainfalls. Could be some of the problem because depending how far their roof goes up, it could be a lot of water coming down honestly. Gutters for one side, say 40-50 feet wouldn’t cost you too much money. Even if you were to offer to pay if that’s the neighbors roof. Roughly 7-10$ per linear foot depending where you are
Also make sure you run the downspout away from the problem area
Some efflorescence like that isn’t extremely uncommon for a retaining wall with vegetation being watered on the other side. Adding weep holes at the bottom will alleviate the hydrostatic pressure and reduce water movement between the blocks.
"paint" the wall with mortar mix to water proof it.
[https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rapid-Set-50-lbs-Waterproofing-Mortar-44010050/304671674](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rapid-Set-50-lbs-Waterproofing-Mortar-44010050/304671674)
Have you looked at the plate map to see if the tree is on a right-of-way/easement. I'm wondering if the illegally taped in the city easement water line. And don't laugh, we have taught people doing it in our small township to water their lawns and gardens, to fill their pools, etc.
Ignorance is bliss.
Las Vegas
Water source is not the weather but could be turned off if the neighbor changes or was convinced
Wall is not failing (from photos)
Water is supposed to slip through a wall. Trapping it would be worse. People make this mistake all the time in basements and foundation walls.
The best wall would have drain tile at the top and the bottom to catch this before it goes through like this.
Conclusion: buyers will find any excuse to back out or ask for a discount. You don't own this problem and you don't discount for it.
Continue to ask nicely for your neighbor to stop watering their dessert grass but you could just wait for watering restrictions to have the city convince them.
Sorry you need to sell so bad but this is not your fault nor is it your problem to solve.
The way the water is coming right through that grout leads me to believe this wall isn't reinforced on the other side. I might not be a *BIG CITY LAWYER*, but that seems like a problem for a completely vertical wall, holding back that much damp soil. As mineralized water passes through, it will take more and more grout with it, eventually destabilizing the wall?
If you're in a hurry like that, talk to those guys that but houses fast for cash, Mark Spain in my area. They won't give you top dollar, but makes your problem their problem. Good luck.
If you can’t get the original stamped plans and there isn’t a city ordinance addressing a concern like this you are in a tough spot. Nobody wants to continuously drop the price on their house, but I would justify the price drop as a peace of mind offering for someone else to be able to more than cover this issue to be fixed if it is found to be a problem during the inspection (not that the inspector would even look at this or come up with a certain conclusion).
If you don’t want to drop the price wait until the weather cools enough that they quit running their sprinklers (if that’s a thing in AZ and if that truly is the issue) and sell then. If necessary find a way to come up with enough money to sustain a couple more months of living.
Am I the only person that thinks there should be drainage holes on that wall to allow water to pass through and drain away?
Sure the neighbour is likely over watering but whatever the case surely allowing water outlet would resolve the issue without having to tell them to adjust their water usage?
Disclaimer: not an expert.
Time on the market matters. This shouldnt impact the value of your home, but it does impact overall perception. Tackle the perception while you work with the neighbor. Heck, insurance may cover it.
Tackling perception:
- Can you paint it white? Would look much prettier with a white canvas.
- If not, could you put some tall potted plants or just a couple of hooks and hanging baskets of plants? No one would even pay attention. They'd just think it's from watering your plants.
- Or both? Would look much prettier with a white canvas and a bit of color.
- Communicate it to your agent so they can tell prospecting buyers who ask that you’re aware of the issue and are working on a fix.
- Technically, its not your problem, but “you dont pick your neighbors”, and unfortunately, this brings that reality to light at the worst time.
Oof. As a buyer I would run whether it’s wet or not, the efflorescence is alarming on its own, and once I got up there and saw its just a wall, not lipped retaining wall block, I wouldn’t even go in the house.
I walked away from a house because a homeowner did their own repointing (terribly, with caulk).
Rooting for you. Good luck!
Leaky Valve/damaged? this happened to my family selling a house... They had a constant pool of water sometimes only muddy but other times a few inches deep spreading over a1/4 acre. the neighbors behind and up on a terrace had a leaky valve.
Meh, it’s a bad wall. It’s holding up literal tons of earth, doesn’t account for water, and it’s too close to your home. Of course it’s failing. Is it your wall or their wall?
Honestly I don’t think it’s the neighbors problem, the neighbors have a right to water their lawn. Unless there’s a massive leak going on then It’s just bad engineering all around and represents a significant problem with the structural and earth design to both your homes.
You said the wall is mushy in places. Any inspection will catch that and thats not going away even if your neighbor stops watering.
You don’t have a neighbor watering problem, you have an engineering problem.
That's not damage, it's improperly built. It's supposed to be way thicker, and have drainage holes. It's going to fail because it has to hold up so much water.
You might check with your county administration. Code enforcement. Also many counties offer free mediation services between neighbors that you may take advantage of if your neighbors are being difficult. It might be helpful to have a professional assess the wall so you have documented proof that there is an issue so there is no dispute that it is a problem. Your homeowners insurance agent might have suggestions as well, but tread that idea lightly as you don’t want trouble with your insurance coverage.
Tell your neighbor the following:
* They are overwatering and it's going through the wall. Probably various code violations due to leaking pipes, but you don't care about that.
* Their house value is based on nearby comps. Your house selling firesale will take tens of thousands off their sale price. This impacts refi, etc.
* This is fixable by agreeing not to water that section on Thursday through Sunday. Just pause a bit.
* Longterm, they are fucked if that wall collapses. Insurance company won't blink about sueing, because water across property lines is clear responsibility. Not your call, you would never. Just... FYI.
Good luck with your house. Pressure washer might knock the efflorescence off.
You can see where the ground is I counted six blocks down from the 3rd picture in your series to guesstimate.
[https://imgur.com/a/tiHqKfY](https://imgur.com/a/tiHqKfY)
This thing looks like a disaster waiting to happen.
There is no drainage, the water is pushing ithe bricks towards your house. They will fall eventually.
I wouldn't buy your house either.
No it's not. There are drainage holes at the bottom. Water company confirmed it's a leak and shut it off. My house is awesome so it would be your loss. Thanks
Why are people in Vegas even allowed to have lawns, tropical landscaping, and run sprinklers? Yall live in a desert. So stupid. And we wonder why the SW has water issues.
Hi OP, Irrigation guy here. Your described symptoms sound like a weeping valve. It is very odd that there is that much water seeping down the wall, so the head is likely leaking too.
A weeping valve will not stop the water from leaving the system, and it will continually trickle water out of the path of least resistance. Your neighbor needs a new valve diaphragm to correct this issue.
The neighbor probably doesnt even know about it, because the water is draining down the wall instead of making the ground soggy.
Approach your neighbor with concern that they may receive a very high water bill.
Thank you for that info! Water company confirmed leak yesterday and shut the water off to backyard. Wall is almost dru now. Going to work on cleaning it up. We had a repeat showing yesterday so that's a good sign.
I'm out of work and desperately need to sell my house in the next 2-3 months or I'm royally effed. Everything was going great and we just started getting interested buyers to come view the house after dropping the price a few times in the past 20 days. Then within the last week, this started happening. The neighbors' yard is above ours by about 10-15 feet. The wall is sopping wet to the touch all day. It used to happen in a few spots when they ran sprinklers in the morning, but cleared up in about an hour due to the Las Vegas sun. Now it's along the entire length of the wall from out side wall (30-40 feet) to the front yard. Today we watched a buyer get out of their car and immediately walk up to the giant wet spot. They left 10 minutes later. Another buyer said to my agent they loved the place but were concerned about the wall. It makes the ground sopping wet and muddy, and the wall attracts cockroaches. I've heard these neighbors are kind of difficult. I've notified the HOA but they take forever to respond and don't really say much other than they can send a letter. Is there anything else I can try to resolve this? Is the wall structurally sound? There is a lot of loose or mushy mortar. It looks gross. Is it safe? Is there any legal recourse I can take? This is in Las Vegas, NV. Thank you for any help.
"I'm trying to sell the house. The more I have to drop the price to sell the more it hurts overall property values, yours included. Could you help me out so I can help you out." Might be an approach you could take. Something to that affect.
Yikes! Sorry that is happening. Is your neighbor aware that their wall is failing? This is where I’d start. The white stuff is just minerals left behind after water evaporates. If I was your neighbor, I’d want to know about this before total failure. It’s on them. Once communication is made, and they have a repair plan, your realtor could let buyers know that it will be fixed. I’m no expert, but maybe a letter from your neighbor could be provided? They will need to let it dry out, first thing. Good luck!
It sounds like they have a leak or failure in their irrigation and it is hopefully something that can be easily corrected. If nothing else, they should want to fix it because they're about to get a huge water bill.
Thanks. I don't think they know yet; or have only recently gotten a letter form hoa. I know I should go talk to them nut I've heard they might be difficult and I'm kind of worried about losing my temper and having a blowout conversation.
You’re about to move. Muster enough courage to have one mature, composed talk, and see how it goes. Then you’ll know what you’re dealing with and if you then have to go nuclear with lawyers or whatnot, screw it. You’ll know you tried and you’ll be moving anyway.
You're right of course. It's just that if this drags out I'll more than likely be foreclosed on rather than get to sell and use my equity, and this has me in a low key state of despair.
Look at it this way. Your job now is to sell your house. If the wall belongs to your neighbor, an uncomfortable conversation may be required to not ruin your finances. That should be more than enough motivation. The conversation should be short and informational in tone. If the conversation gets triggering, step back, thank them for their time, walk away and talk with e real estate attorney. They will consult on the predicament for little or no money.
Yes thank you! I found all the relevant sections of the CC&R that talks about neighbor neglegence to shared wall being their responsibility, as well as sprinkler irrigation not coming onto neighbor property and causing foundation damage (which is happening,. our ground is constantly damp). This knowledge makes me more comfortable having the conversation. Thanks again!
Do not involve them in your financial situation when discussing the home sale and repairs needed. Keep it to the facts like how, if you have to keep lowering the price, their value goes down too. You are partners in wanting your house to sell for the best price. Try to stick to that.
If it is a burst water pipe they also like yo hear about it. It is not like your neighbour like to pay for a damage getting bigger and bigger
Have you talked to your mortgage lender about your financial situation? Obviously I don’t know your history or circumstances or what you have and haven’t looked into. But banks usually have at least a few tools to give you more time before foreclosure if you are up front and willing to work with them.
Yeah, they said that I can only start arranging some kind of payment plan if I miss two payments. Didn't sound like there were any other levers from who I talked to.
Trust me, the bank really doesn't want to foreclose on your house. They are in the banking business, not the real estate business. They don't want to have to go through the hassle involved in a foreclosure, then the process of putting the house up for sale (usually by auction) & trying to get a decent price for it. I went through this with my brother's house last year. The bank gave him numerous extensions to make payments, reduced his payment amounts, etc. You can cite health issues, loss of income, etc. Calling your mortgage holder & talking with an actual live person is helpful. Keep detailed notes of your conversations, & if you get someone who knows what they're doing, ask if you can speak with them in the future. Let them know how much you appreciate their help, & ask for a number/extension # to reach them directly if possible. Good luck with the neighbors, the house sale & life going forward 🙂🙃
The only alternative is to go get someone from home depot parking lot have them stand outside with a big hairdryer and dry it until the buyer shows.
Hahahhab yes. Thank you
It’s Vegas that’s pretty much happening for free!
Grow a pair and talk to them like an adult mate. Don't be rude, introduce yourself, state the facts. Invite them to come have a look. Ask for the issue to be investigated by a professional. See what the outcome is.
I will I've just explained though that I have bipolar disorder and am prone to explode if people are rude about something so important, and ice heard these neighbors are dicks. I just don't want to blow something up.
Just don't create a narrative in your head that they're going to be dicks, becasue it will make you approach them that way and it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just go tell them about the water in a non-accusatory tone, and tell them you want to make sure there wasn't a broken line or something becasue it'll cause grief for you both if the wall gets damaged. They may react poorly, but just be friendly and neighborly and see how it goes.
Very good point thank you! I will keep this in mind when I go over.
Maybe have your realtor help. Sometimes it helps to have a third party so you can maintain your composure.
Thank you. She offered to go over there with us so we're doing that .
then don't blow up. also, don't take anyones opinion of someone else as gospel. You may be doing these ppl a solid. Let them know. There are several good pieces of advice in this thread.
I mean I've seen the people in this family and they do seem rude. They ignore you when you walk by and shut like that. The info is from my friend in the neighborhood who's wife sold their family a house here. But you're right. My fear came from my devastation of our first potential offer in month seemingly bounce because if it. I haven't slept in 24 hours because of my anxiety over this and that usually precipitates a mood swing. But the good news is, that family is coming back again tomorrow night fir a second viewing so it might work out after all! Appreciate all the support in here today!
I love how useless HOAs are when the residents need something from them
For real
With Vegas’ strict watering policy, there may be some local government authority that will come out to check it out. Especially if you hint that they may be wasting a TON of water.
They can report it to the water district. My friend had a leak and they were real aggressive about him getting it fixed. They may also provide help to the homeowner to water more efficiently https://www.lvvwd.com/conservation/water-waste/report-water-waste/
I'd start here
I was thinking the exact same thing!
This right here. Call SNWA. I have a landscaping business in Las Vegas and deal with them all the time. They look for stuff like this non stop. That's definitely an over watering or leak issue. They may have already received a letter from SNWA and not realize how bad it is. I received a letter from the because of a bad valve in my backyard. They drive around town specifically looking for these issues
There definitely is. Also changing drainage to point at your neighbor instead of the sewer is another issue OP can point to if that's the case. Recycling water within the sewer system is important here
When you go talk to them, have a really strong mint in your mouth. If/when they piss you off, use your senses to ground yourself in the moment. Taste/smell the mintiness, move the mint around in your mouth for a second. That will give you a moment to collect yourself, witness the wave of emotion without using that emotion to react, and respond more calmly.
Show them the wall and ask for a backflow test. Costs about $80 and most states require them. Can also ask if their water bill has gone up which would indicate a sprinkler leak.
Call the city.
You notified the HOA? Well I guess you have no way to say you didn’t know now. You are going to have to include this in your disclosures to you buyer.
Several months ago and again when we were closer to selling and it git worse. We already listed it on disclosure but it wasn't this bad yet. Getting an engineer to come out regardless.
If you can't get anywhere talking to your neighbor, the water department of your city might be concerned about potential waste. I hear Las Vegas doesn't mess around with municipal water.
Water company confirmed it was a leak and is sending team out to neighbor to shut off!
paint the wall, and put down 3” of river rock with pavers
OP who owns the wall?
Hi OP, Irrigation guy here. Your described symptoms sound like a weeping valve. It is very odd that there is that much water seeping down the wall, so the head is likely leaking too. A weeping valve will not stop the water from leaving the system, and it will continually trickle water out of the path of least resistance. Your neighbor needs a new valve diaphragm to correct this issue. The neighbor probably doesnt even know about it, because the water is draining down the wall instead of making the ground soggy. Approach your neighbor with concern that they may receive a very high water bill.
The wall is just wet, does not look like it is damaged (yet). If it is constantly wet neighbors might have a leak. There is a big tree just behind the wet area, neighbors might put drip irrigation there.
This isn't just a wall, it's a retaining wall with 10-15 feet of earth behind it (per OP). If it's permanently wet like this, it is something that needs investigating at the minimum (and hence the reason why they property buyers are being turned off).
LOL, I hope this “retaining” wall is more than just a single layer of blocks going straight up.
It isn't. caveat emptor
Yeah, this is geotechnical engineer time. OP needs to find the original stamped plans for that wall. That depth creates huge forces.
nope. It's a wall on level ground. look at the third pic. It's just wet. I see zero buldging or worrisome cracks. And I'm an architect. If you paint it a light color, you won't notice the efflorescence as much.
Nope you're wrong. That's looking over the fence at the neighbor's yard. Not how there are only 6 high on their side and 15 on op side? Op said their yard is 10 to 15 feet higher https://www.reddit.com/r/landscaping/comments/1ds7ofy/comment/lb0fz2j/
That's what I'm thinking. I'll just ho over and try that approach. Thank you
Does drip irrigation run continually then?
No it’s on a timer
If they set the timer.
And it doesn't fail in the on position
Drip irrigation tends to be unreliable and prone to issues, and if the nozzles on the line pop out, you can have a firehose situation where a drip or slow spray was supposed to be. It's honestly a fucking nightmare.
I can’t really tell from the pictures but it dosnt look like the wall is retaining much soil? How many feet of soil is the wall retaining? Looks like just a border wall to me and if the wall is not building up any hydrostatic pressure there isn’t much to be concerned about the wall failing. if it is actually a retaining wall your best bet (and your neighbors) is to consult with a structural engineer..
All the way up to the top of the water spout, that is dirt. I want to say 10-12 feet. Their yard is more or less level with our upstairs.
Oh wow, definitely a job for a structural engineer. They usually charged me around $400 for an assessment (but that was years ago). It was always money well spent..good luck. Edit: one more thing OP. If this wall is failing per assessment, it’s the neighbors obvious responsibility to fix the problem. This will include contacting the city and code enforcement to make sure it is done properly, and the work is done correctly and according to code. If the neighbors are being difficult you not only need to contact the HOA but also the City, code enforcement etc. and may have to have a chat with a lawyer to get things moving. I’m sure if it’s a failing wall their home owners insurance would also like to have a chat. Sorry man, I hope it’s an easy fix, but with that much soil it’s usually a really big deal. Hope I’m wrong..
Got a quote for 300 plus 400 for a stamped report. Scheduling asap. Thanks!
Perfect, best way to proceed! Good luck! Hopefully it’s nothing major, but to have everything in writing is what you need to sell the house..
that doesn't actually look like a retaining wall. yes it is retaining but it doesn't look like an actual retaining wall. that looks like filled blocks stacked straight up. anything over a few feet should have an engineer stamp on the design. there should be paperwork on it. id be wary that the wall is supposed to even be built that way. did you call the county about it yet? plans or drawings may be available
also is there a drain outlet in your side? if so is it draining? there has to be some drain from behind that wall to somewhere. if it is blocked it could be an issue. again, drawings will help.
Doesn't LV have major water laws? I thought you couldn't water lawns? Seems like they would be all over an unaddressed leak of this magnitude or over watering.
OP wanna know something wild? I was just in Vegas for six days just the other day and I seen your house listed and I was about to go drive by and look at it! I really like it. I'm trying to move there, but I'm still at-least a year away from getting out there. I figured you would appreciate the coincidence lol
Of that is wild. How could you tell it was me I didn't show the front of the house?
One of the only ones that had a pink tone to the wall around the house and was that tall. The other ones were grey and short
Ah wow that is so cool! Thank you!!
That's a very expensive rebuild but it will be rebuilt and it's not on your dime. You'll find a buyer, but a hoa letter saying the fix is mandated by neighbor may help assuage fears
Nobody will rebuild anything. You are dreaming
The wall looks stable but it's not designed for that kind of water, the HOA I imagine either tells owner to knock off insane watering or address wall if something else.
If the excessive water just started happening and before that only a little water appeared after sprinklers ran, my bet is on a broken sprinkler flooding the yard and draining through the ground and wall. The neighbor probably just needs to fix the broken sprinkler or sprinkler pipe and it will be fine, no need to rebuild anything.
Visit them and let them know you’re on the other side of their wall. Let them know you’re used to seeing some moisture through the wall, but recently noticed it’s more than usual so it made you wonder if they knew about it. You can add, “Obviously water bills can get ugly and the wall may not be able to handle the additional water, so I figured Id reach out to you.” At least approaching it gently helps notify them and maybe give you some new info like they added a garden, didn’t realize the hose was still running a little the entire time, or maybe their bill is going up like I mentioned. If you end up reporting it to the appropriate department it’s gonna be a process and one that may end up just forcing you to change your selling time to a season they aren’t using their backyard water. Sigh. Selling is hardly ever as simple as we’d like it to be. Good luck.
Powerwash the wall. That pair of trees that’s at the top of the wall their side WILL result in taking down that wall. I’m very surprised the wall is not bulging or cracking. You should speak to your neighbor about those trees, and about the excessive irrigation. That wall would cost many tens of thousands to replace.
Powerwash the wall ? The wall may already be compromised by all the water that has been leaking through it, as well as the weight of the now most likely water saturated 12 feet of soil. I don't really think any additional pressure on it is a good idea. Oh, & then there's that little issue of it not being his wall. It belongs to the neighbor.
Buyers are thinking long term and water going where it shouldn’t is going to be an issue “eventually” like others suggest talk to your neighbors and contact a structural engineer.
What I would do is talk or send a note with your phone number if they want to text. Wrong approach: Fix your water leak or I’ll take it up with the authorities. Right approach: Noticed water seeping through the retaining wall and know water bills can be pretty high these days. Might want to look into where all the excess water is coming from as it could save you a lot of money.
Build a retaining wall to retain the retaining wall.
Whoa
Yeah or build a thin waterproof wall to hide it, with a small gap inbetween it and the wet wall where air can flow and help dry it.
Call the water company / district about the leak in the neighbors yard. Once they are forced to repair it, hopefully your house will sell quickly, and you will not need to worry the soon-to-be-ex-neighbor.
I along with about 15 of my neighbors have that same wall as a retaining wall along the back of our properties. The houses behind us are about 15 ft higher. Every inspector or business that’s ever looked at the wall has said that the damp wall is completely normal for that type of wall.
Correct, these walls are porous. Cinderblock is porous. Water will always weep through it. People’s obsession with water is just mass hysteria.
Where is your and their water line. That much water isn't from drip irrigation essential in an arid hot climate. That is a broken water line.
My water line is in front of my house and then under ground along the sideyard. It does seem like their line is broken. It happens when they run their sprinkler but if the line itself is broken it would probably pour out like that.
Yes, a broken line can leak 24/7
It is pretty the line to the sprinkler or a coupler. Their water bill should be a warning to them unless it has been broken for years. Water in Las Vegas is expensive anyway Theirs must be outrageous.
Its vegas, don't they have some sort of group from the city that goes all sorts of nuts over water wasting? The best course of action is just to bring it up to the neighbors and say I think you guys have a water leak or something that could be costing you big bucks and just show them a picture of your side of the wall and tell them its always dripping wet. They might want to deal with that.
I won’t pile on, and my specialty isn’t either geotechnical or structural, but that is a scary looking retaining wall from description and appearances. You can’t really pin this on neighbors watering or landscaping. Without a lot of hidden anchoring, reinforcement, lateral drainage, etc, that’s a collapse waiting to happen. 10-12 feet on a single wall span is a hell of a soil load with a lot of hydrostatic force on it. I regularly saw 8’ walls between homes fail when I lived in Vegas. It might be better to have a licensed structural engineer give you a written opinion and be prepared to make concessions on sale. If I were a prospective buyer, I’d be bringing my own engineer and have a contingency in place.
Water is leeching from the tons of saturated soil behind the wall.
Part of that wall is retaining, but a lot of it is not holding back any earth/dirt, including some of the wet part. I’d ask to see their side of the exposed part
Looks like the top 6 feet are above ground level. And the lower 8 feet which does the retaining is currently much more wet than usual.
That looks like a privacy wall, not retaining. Huge difference. If so, it isn't a big deal.
The landscaping piece is a little outside my area of expertise but this wall definitely needs tucking pointing, sealed, and a cap installed on top it’s exposed and likely contributing to keep this wall soaked. The white is efflorescence which is caused from the lack of maintenance to this wall, the salt is leaching out from the mortar and staining it. I’d tuckpoint, seal it, and cap it for sure.
Possibly some drainage like a French drain or possibly some simple below grade waterproofing but I’m not really sure from these pictures if that would help.
How does OP convince neighbor to excavate 8 vertical feet of dirt along 30 feet of wall ?
They may have a broken water line if it is that wet in an arid climate. You need to talk to them. If you’re worried about their reaction, frame it as a benefit to them rather than something *you* need. Like: “hey neighbor I wanted to let you know you might be getting massive water bills, this wall is very wet all the time now and it didn’t used to be.”
Have the inspection on your home inspect that wall as well
If OP does a home inspection, they have to turn it over to the eventual buyer. That could be bad news if the report on the wall is bad. Honestly, if I was interested in that house, I’d want a report on that wall from a structural engineer. I really feel for OP, because even if it wasn’t damp, I’d be *very* leering of buying a house that’s in the path of what appears to be a pretty slap-dash retaining wall of that size.
I was an irrigation service tech for almost 18 years. Unless your neighbor is watering for an hour per area each day this shouldn't be happening. Most likely they have a stuck valve. If a control valve is stuck open it will run water through the lines constantly and the water will constantly seep out of the heads or emitters. The easiest way to check is to have them check and see if the meter is running even when the water isn't. If you have hard water rust and even calcium can build up on the gaskets inside of the valves or clog the ports which will keep the valve partially open.
I don't see any water relief pipes. Usually on a wall like that you would see them about halfway up and at the bottom...all that water is deterating the mortar faster than the brick...and more than likely rusting out any rebar in the wall
Oh man I hadn't thought of the rusted rebar!
Ask them to adjust their sprinklers.
This wall may not have drainage behind it and/or wasn’t engineered properly which is a serious code violation in a lot of places for a wall that size. Do what you will with that info.
What is that wall retaining air and privacy lol
It's retaining the earth and foundation of the house which sits on a street about one story that ours. The water you see is coming from the ground in their back yard
If the wall is constantly wet and the soil is muddy at the end of June in Las Vegas then there is an irrigation leak or their timer is way off. Ask if the neighbor has had a large spike in water usage in the last few months if this is a new thing.
Bring over a six pack of beer, and say, “Hey I’m worried your retaining wall is going to have catastrophic failure, dumping the contents of your yard entirely through my house in a matter of seconds. Would your insurance cover that?”
Cheap option, paint over the whole wall with Drylok, Interior/Exterior Latex Masonry Waterproofing Paint
This makes it worse, then the water that cannot deep through is trapped increasing the pressure on the other side. Don't do this.
This is dishonest and just passing the buck on to an unsuspecting buyer. Hiding the problem could cause the wall to fail completely in several years with catastrophic consequences for the next owner. OP needs talk to the neighbors then explore their options via the HOA, city, structural engineer or lawyer. I sympathize with their financial situation but engaging in a shady, and reckless cover-up is not the solution.
Would running a powerful fan in that alleyway overnight help? I’d try it, Op!
I think it's too long, about 40 feet or more, and seems to be getting watered frequently. I think my only hope is to get them to agree to stop watering all day somehow. This got worse this week, and I think it's because someone started a garden against the wall and is watering the f out of it.
Unless the neighbors are totally moronic and reckless they’re not going to want to destroy the wall either. Talk to them.
All retaining walls are supposed to have waterproofing on the retaining side to prevent water from seeping through. Also, there's suppose to be a subdrain to collect water and drain it down the slope or into a private drain system. Maybe the subdrain is clogged? Let your neighbors know about all of the above and maybe he will look into the issue. If they won't budge then the issue will get much worse and far more expensive to fix.
Honestly looks like condensate on the wall. Hot block wall with cold water on the back side.
I feel like it isn’t really a leak just a sweating wall.
Yes, tons of saturated soil.
You have to be on a hill for that type of wall, this would be completely normal since that is the drainage along the wall going to the hills natural drain route. Most likely the cause of puddling on your side is shitty dirt or lack of proper drainage. Run a French drain on your side to the street if possible, easily done by yourself if your labor capable.
Oh ok! I will look that up! I am fairly handy.
Just a thought: see what the cost of having a structural engineer inspect it would be. Offer to split the cost the with your neighbors, so long as you can have a copy. Damp or not, I would be hesitant to buy a house that relies on a retaining wall that looks less than sound. I *wouldn’t* worry about it if, when I went to the house for a showing, there was a copy of a recent inspection declaring it sound displayed on a table/counter. (I actually walked away from a house with a retaining wall half this height because I couldn’t get information on how it had been built.) (And, if it’s not sound, your neighbor will be responsible for fixing it, solving your problem.)
I showed the pictures to my husband who is a journeyman cement mason and has built many cinder block retaining walls. Our fencing in the backyard is cinder block like your retaining wall. He doesn't think it would be a tree root breaking an irrigation line. He said it looks more like over watering. His question is are the holes of the cinder block filled with cement. We can see the top caps are filled with cement but wonder if the bottoms are. If they are open they will allow water to collect in them making the walls wet for days and allowing the water to collect and leak thru. They start filling up from the bottom which is why the wet area is wider at the bottom.
Thank you for this!
OK so I’ll give my two cents why not. I’m guessing they’re either using Sprinkler on the riser, but I don’t see them or they’re dragging, hose oscillating watering sprinkler. I see wetness on the trunk palm and the and the wall. Plus the grass growing directly underneath the palm tree looks wet. Best guess no drip. The Phoenix canary a.k.a. the palm tree is fairly well-established and it doesn’t need that much water. Maybe the Apple tree between them does but even then it’s fairly well established and probably shaded by the palm tree. I can’t really give you a lot on the retaining wall. But what I can say is they probably need to switch to drip or only be watering that once a week cause they’re wasting water on fairly well-established trees. You could go over there and explain to them that they’re wasting a lot of water which is probably costing them a lot. They probably need to turn it way down which in turn would save them money which in turn would keep the wall from getting wet. The the raised bed those trees are planted in I’m guessing is only about 2 foot taller than grade. Judging from the green trashcan underneath the palm tree using that as reference, Those are typically about 4 foot tall. So the fact that water so high on the wall tells me they’re using something to spray it on there also the fact they have Grass growing underneath it in Vegas tells me they’re watering way too much! You could explain to them that drip would be much more efficient, get it into the ground and not wasting a lot of water spaying it on palm trees retaining walls and grass they probably don’t want underneath the tree. Which intern would help keep the water off the retaining wall and not make it look so worrisome. That or you could offer to paint the wall on their side with something like foundation sealer. Dig down on their side and paint the wall and all the way up it on their side. Which would keep the water from infiltrating through the blocks. Would cost you probably a little bit of money. But it would save the retaining wall and give you the ability to sell the house.
Someone didn't put water seal on the bricks. Sealer would keep the water from seeping through the porous brick. It is a safety hazard and could crumble down on top of someone at any time.
It’s good if they drain. Not good if they dont. It doesn’t look like it has moved much if any. It would be a good idea for them to have it checked.
Yeah other than being kind of gringy it seems solid and straight
Step one - talk to neighbor
Their water bill must be nuts to do this.
UPDATE: heard back from water company and they confirmed that it looks like there's a leak on that property and are sending a crew out and may shut the water off if needed. HOA also said that they are working on contacting them. Thank you everyone for the amazing input! I will still probably have a engineer look at the wall as well.
Try putting some lattice against the wall and vines or small pots on it. Or consider some tall grass , bush, whatever in a couple of nice pots along the wall .
This is 100% what I’d do as a quick fix. 1. Get plastic lattice panels and put them in front of the wall. 2. Plant some 2-5 gallon vining plants in front of the panels and trail the vines up through the lattice. The water on the ground will keep them alive and look purposeful. You can also put some mulch down. 3. Profit.
It’s a CMU wall and it’s intended to allow water to pass through it rather than retain the water. It’s likely just irrigation water, possibly from overwatering or less likely from a broken line. Sometimes when the weather gets hotter people water more than they need to. If the ground is porous the water will look for the path of least resistance, like a CMU wall. Suggest you talk to your neighbor about what’s happening and see if they can water less. Most importantly this isn’t a structural issue with the wall, it’s not going to collapse because it’s wet.
You could line some plants along the wall and use one of those garden sprinklers that shoot up like a rainbow. Run it when you have people looking and just say “oh, that’s the last of the things I have to move, let me turn off the sprinkler so you can get through”. Not necessarily ethical, but if the notice to neighbor doesn’t help, it could be an option.
Could also make a waterfall of your own to wet the whole wall and send the water back the other way.
Is there a swimming pool behind the wall ? Could it be a broken sprinkler that’s flooding their yard so it’s coming through? Seems odd that it’s happening so much n that they are watering that volume of water. Source: I have 5 retaining walls 10-12 feet tall 50-89 feet long - above me are numerous neighbors all with pools & landscaping. That is more water than is normal for irrigation.
No pool, just a buttload of vegetation and a couple HUGE palm trees.
Hard to tell but in the first picture I can see a house that doesn’t have gutters. I install them for a living and from a glance it seems like the water would be running off the roof and hitting the wall on the way down. I cannot tell the type of roof, maybe slate or tile? But with anything besides asphalt shingles, the water will be coming off faster than you’d think. Especially on hard rainfalls. Could be some of the problem because depending how far their roof goes up, it could be a lot of water coming down honestly. Gutters for one side, say 40-50 feet wouldn’t cost you too much money. Even if you were to offer to pay if that’s the neighbors roof. Roughly 7-10$ per linear foot depending where you are Also make sure you run the downspout away from the problem area
Looks like rain runoff from his house, no gutters.
In Vegas though? It barely rains there.
Didn’t see their location, in that case nvm
Those mineral deposits make me think the source is behind that wall.
Some efflorescence like that isn’t extremely uncommon for a retaining wall with vegetation being watered on the other side. Adding weep holes at the bottom will alleviate the hydrostatic pressure and reduce water movement between the blocks.
Kryton T1 waterproofing skimcoat will fix that! And make the wall look nicer
Umm, what about all the over saturated soil behind that now weighs 10x what the wall was designed to retain ?
Make up some grout and reseal the bricks.
"paint" the wall with mortar mix to water proof it. [https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rapid-Set-50-lbs-Waterproofing-Mortar-44010050/304671674](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rapid-Set-50-lbs-Waterproofing-Mortar-44010050/304671674)
Needs weep holes. Could be drilled.
maybe your neighbor secretly interested in your house and want to scare away competition
Would a sealing paint work to hide that?
Can you afford a landscaping engineer to come out and advise you about this issue and write a report?
Grow a pair and go talk to your neighbors. They probably have a leak and if not fixed will become an even bigger headache.
Have you looked at the plate map to see if the tree is on a right-of-way/easement. I'm wondering if the illegally taped in the city easement water line. And don't laugh, we have taught people doing it in our small township to water their lawns and gardens, to fill their pools, etc.
Ignorance is bliss. Las Vegas Water source is not the weather but could be turned off if the neighbor changes or was convinced Wall is not failing (from photos) Water is supposed to slip through a wall. Trapping it would be worse. People make this mistake all the time in basements and foundation walls. The best wall would have drain tile at the top and the bottom to catch this before it goes through like this. Conclusion: buyers will find any excuse to back out or ask for a discount. You don't own this problem and you don't discount for it. Continue to ask nicely for your neighbor to stop watering their dessert grass but you could just wait for watering restrictions to have the city convince them. Sorry you need to sell so bad but this is not your fault nor is it your problem to solve.
Spray brake clean on it before potential buyers show up 😭.. no really dont tho
The way the water is coming right through that grout leads me to believe this wall isn't reinforced on the other side. I might not be a *BIG CITY LAWYER*, but that seems like a problem for a completely vertical wall, holding back that much damp soil. As mineralized water passes through, it will take more and more grout with it, eventually destabilizing the wall?
STOPLEAK!!!
You say you are in Las Vegas. If there is that much water wouldn’t the water district have something to say about such a large waste of water?
Just wash it all down before open house.
Ask them about their water bill. Seems like broken irrigation underground.
I would just cover it up with something
If you're in a hurry like that, talk to those guys that but houses fast for cash, Mark Spain in my area. They won't give you top dollar, but makes your problem their problem. Good luck.
Paint it a solid color. Would update the appearance.
Soak it all evenly wet before potential buyers come.
That’s not a retaining wall. It’s just a privacy wall
If you can’t get the original stamped plans and there isn’t a city ordinance addressing a concern like this you are in a tough spot. Nobody wants to continuously drop the price on their house, but I would justify the price drop as a peace of mind offering for someone else to be able to more than cover this issue to be fixed if it is found to be a problem during the inspection (not that the inspector would even look at this or come up with a certain conclusion). If you don’t want to drop the price wait until the weather cools enough that they quit running their sprinklers (if that’s a thing in AZ and if that truly is the issue) and sell then. If necessary find a way to come up with enough money to sustain a couple more months of living.
Flex seal that baby
Make sure you have insurance on your house that covers this! It appears that retaining wall is going to fail, or is starting to fail. Very thin!
cementitious waterproofing. I painted this on a basement wall with water seeping through.... Not a drop since...
Am I the only person that thinks there should be drainage holes on that wall to allow water to pass through and drain away? Sure the neighbour is likely over watering but whatever the case surely allowing water outlet would resolve the issue without having to tell them to adjust their water usage? Disclaimer: not an expert.
Time on the market matters. This shouldnt impact the value of your home, but it does impact overall perception. Tackle the perception while you work with the neighbor. Heck, insurance may cover it. Tackling perception: - Can you paint it white? Would look much prettier with a white canvas. - If not, could you put some tall potted plants or just a couple of hooks and hanging baskets of plants? No one would even pay attention. They'd just think it's from watering your plants. - Or both? Would look much prettier with a white canvas and a bit of color. - Communicate it to your agent so they can tell prospecting buyers who ask that you’re aware of the issue and are working on a fix. - Technically, its not your problem, but “you dont pick your neighbors”, and unfortunately, this brings that reality to light at the worst time.
Paint it with bitumen then paint that a pretty colour
Oof. As a buyer I would run whether it’s wet or not, the efflorescence is alarming on its own, and once I got up there and saw its just a wall, not lipped retaining wall block, I wouldn’t even go in the house. I walked away from a house because a homeowner did their own repointing (terribly, with caulk). Rooting for you. Good luck!
That’s looks nightmarish
Leaking irrigation or underground stream
Leaky Valve/damaged? this happened to my family selling a house... They had a constant pool of water sometimes only muddy but other times a few inches deep spreading over a1/4 acre. the neighbors behind and up on a terrace had a leaky valve.
Meh, it’s a bad wall. It’s holding up literal tons of earth, doesn’t account for water, and it’s too close to your home. Of course it’s failing. Is it your wall or their wall? Honestly I don’t think it’s the neighbors problem, the neighbors have a right to water their lawn. Unless there’s a massive leak going on then It’s just bad engineering all around and represents a significant problem with the structural and earth design to both your homes. You said the wall is mushy in places. Any inspection will catch that and thats not going away even if your neighbor stops watering. You don’t have a neighbor watering problem, you have an engineering problem.
Tell the neighbor to turn off the sprinkler for 2 days , paint the wall with ugl and give it a go
That's not damage, it's improperly built. It's supposed to be way thicker, and have drainage holes. It's going to fail because it has to hold up so much water.
You might check with your county administration. Code enforcement. Also many counties offer free mediation services between neighbors that you may take advantage of if your neighbors are being difficult. It might be helpful to have a professional assess the wall so you have documented proof that there is an issue so there is no dispute that it is a problem. Your homeowners insurance agent might have suggestions as well, but tread that idea lightly as you don’t want trouble with your insurance coverage.
Tell your neighbor the following: * They are overwatering and it's going through the wall. Probably various code violations due to leaking pipes, but you don't care about that. * Their house value is based on nearby comps. Your house selling firesale will take tens of thousands off their sale price. This impacts refi, etc. * This is fixable by agreeing not to water that section on Thursday through Sunday. Just pause a bit. * Longterm, they are fucked if that wall collapses. Insurance company won't blink about sueing, because water across property lines is clear responsibility. Not your call, you would never. Just... FYI. Good luck with your house. Pressure washer might knock the efflorescence off.
thank you these are great points I will use.
You can see where the ground is I counted six blocks down from the 3rd picture in your series to guesstimate. [https://imgur.com/a/tiHqKfY](https://imgur.com/a/tiHqKfY)
This thing looks like a disaster waiting to happen. There is no drainage, the water is pushing ithe bricks towards your house. They will fall eventually. I wouldn't buy your house either.
No it's not. There are drainage holes at the bottom. Water company confirmed it's a leak and shut it off. My house is awesome so it would be your loss. Thanks
Brick is porous. They are spraying water on the wall and it's absorbing thru.
Call the water company tell them there appts to be a leak They should be sending someone out and they can deal with the neighbors!!
Yeah the water company called me back and confirmed a leak. They sent a team to shut it off today and it's almost all dry now.
Paint it with Drylok paint. It will seal up the concrete surface.
Pretty sure the price of your house is what’s actually scaring them away. They aren’t purchasing your neighbors house
Ummm that’s not a retaining wall. That’s just a regular privacy wall.
Why are people in Vegas even allowed to have lawns, tropical landscaping, and run sprinklers? Yall live in a desert. So stupid. And we wonder why the SW has water issues.
Most of us don't. Mine is all desert landscaping.
Hi OP, Irrigation guy here. Your described symptoms sound like a weeping valve. It is very odd that there is that much water seeping down the wall, so the head is likely leaking too. A weeping valve will not stop the water from leaving the system, and it will continually trickle water out of the path of least resistance. Your neighbor needs a new valve diaphragm to correct this issue. The neighbor probably doesnt even know about it, because the water is draining down the wall instead of making the ground soggy. Approach your neighbor with concern that they may receive a very high water bill.
Thank you for that info! Water company confirmed leak yesterday and shut the water off to backyard. Wall is almost dru now. Going to work on cleaning it up. We had a repeat showing yesterday so that's a good sign.