This goddamn house will be the death of me.

Dr. Frenchenstein

So i don't know if you all have been following the running disaster that is my house, but i've got a new problem. The guy next door recently tore the building down to the shell, he didn't do anything to protect my house from water, and subsequently i got a shitload of water damage from rains. He fixed the wall, and as far as i know, there is no more water coming in from the walls. fine... He has still not finished building, or even closing up the property next door. It's basically a pile of debris with the beginnings of walls around it. Apparently, this pile of debris is essentially creating pools of water against my wall whenever it rains, creating a nice flow into my half finished basement. The carpet is now soaked (i've got a dehumidifier down there), and more than likely the drywall down there needs to be replaced again.

He seems willing to fix the damage yet again, but what can i do to get him to finish this goddamn house ASAP. Or at least make sure it's fit to be in it's current state, without damaging my house further? The last time i called the city to complain, they essentially said it was a civil matter and i was on my own. When i complained there may be structural damage, they came right out and held him liable for it. I'm going to try and call the same inspector again and get his take, but i'm afraid he will just brush me off. Do i have any rights here except to call a lawyer?

I swear i'm just going to give my mortgage company my keys, and walk away.

Enc

Where do you live and what type of house is it? A row home? Is there an HOA?

Dr. Frenchenstein

Sorry, some more details. It is a townhouse in the city(baltimore) and there is no HOA. I'm second from the end, and his property is the end unit.

Enc

There are a few things in the city charter that look promising to supporting a claim against your neighbor: http://www.baltimorecity.gov/Government/CityCharterCodes.aspx

But I would suggest contacting the city first and find someone in the city's department of housing's main line to get started:
http://www.baltimorehousing.org/

It's very likely that he is doing something against the law, as modifying townhomes usually requires a lot of permits and requirements in the US. Going to the city is your best bet for getting repairs done and paid for in a timely manner.

Dr. Frenchenstein

Yeah i'm going to call the inspector that's familiar with the case tomorrow probably. He's kind of a prick though, but we'll see what he says. Last time, all he did was tack up a violation to the door of the other property to fix the damage. The guy is willing to fix the damage. I need him to fix the source.

My issue is that he's taking his sweet ass time completing construction, which will just damage my house more/again. I just don't know what i, or the city can require him to do to protect my house.

schuss

Call your insurance co? They can subrogate on your behalf and know this sort of thing inside and out.

NargorothRiP

what neigborhood you live in?

Dr. Frenchenstein

Pigtown/Washington Village.

Like i said, i'm not so much worried about the damage to my house, as the guy is willing to fix everything. I'm looking for a way to speed up him finishing his place, so it stops damaging mine. Or at least force him to protect mine. Maybe the insurance company can do something there?

Dr. Frenchenstein

Oh, and i've got rats in the crawlspace again as well! YAY!

Djeet

I've heard mothballs will drive away vermin, but may drive away any outdoor cats if you have them.

Dr. Frenchenstein

No cats at all actually (except for the feral ones running around). I've heard the same thing. Unfortunately I need a more permanent solution b/c they get into my crawlspace where i can't really get to. I also don't know where they are getting in...

Djeet

Is it a joint crawlspace running below all the units? If so you'll need a physical barrier (plastic sheeting maybe?) between your crawlspace area and your neighbors'. If they're individual crawlspaces then not being able to get in there is going to prove problematic. You could spread mothballs to try to serve as a deterrent, and then set baited traps to get the ones who don't take the hint, but to prevent them from coming back you'll have to caulk up all the holes in which they are coming in (corners, near entryways/windows, where siding/shiplap boards attach to one another end-to-end, or where mortar has crumbled and created a large enough void). That usually entails crawling around in the space they're intruding to set baits/traps/mothballs and to find where they're getting in. I'd wear thick leather gloves and a mask, and bring some backup (RAID for wasps and a hammer or something), but I might go overkill as vermin are one of the few types of animals that bring out the "kill it with fire" attitude in me. If there is water draining under\through the crawlspace check where it's coming from upstream and leaving downstream for voids.