Landowning couple returns home from cruise vacation to find their neighbor has trespassed and dug a creek through their property: 'Our fence is broken, but he says he will fix it and pay for it…'

Brad Dickson • Managing Editor

Sep 11, 2025 12:00 PM EDT

Water features can be a relaxing addition to any property. There's nothing more serene than the sound of a babbling brook, the creaking of a creek, or the gentle splashing of a waterfall or fountain… Arguably, though, the whole thing might not be quite so relaxing if you arrive home to find that some unplanned water feature has apparated onto your property without your knowledge.

If it's caused by a force of nature, well, you'd better just up and leave and seek higher and drier ground. If it's caused by a meddling neighbor, you're going to have a lot of questions, after any initial confusion as to why your neighbor is digging a literal river through your back yard, most of them are going to be directed towards your lawyer.

The altering of the course of an established waterway is serious legal business, up there with the likes of "tree law" for how devastating it can be. If you're the one undertaking the changes, you're really going to be in for it as far as your bank account is concerned. In a lot of places, you're not legally allowed to alter an existing natural waterway even if it has changed course and taken a detour through your property. It's one of the many reasons why, while purchasing property next to a river or stream might seem idyllic, it's best done only with extreme caution.

This man and his wife returned home from vacation to find that their neighbor had gone ahead and dug a "partial" creek straight through their property while they were away, apparently to bring more water into a pond on their own property. The neighbor had asked to do this previously, but the landowner had declined to oblige them. Their neighbor, who is seemingly a subscriber to the practice of "do first and ask questions later." Bewildered at what they should be doing about this unprecedented neighborly dispute and the new waterway through their property, the man turned to the internet for advice and was resoundingly advised that they should lawyer up.

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"My neighbor dug a creek through my property while I was on a cruise."

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