What can be done when you live in a garden style home and the front and edge of your house is on the property line of your neighbor and they will not keep the leaves/debris picked up along the drainage pathway causing my front yard/side of lawn to flood and not properly drain?

So water is to move toward the houses and then split and then drain down the side of each home and toward the back of the property as told to me by the city.

Yes, I have once and he got really hostile then after about 2-3 minutes he calmed down and we had a productive civil conversation.

Then about 2 weeks later he got out there with a bunch of bull rock and tried to create a trench to facilitate the drainage...but at this point he does not pick up leaves or debris along the drainage points.

https://www.echo-usa.com/blowers/pb-580t

What is a good way to raise the level of the yard?

CAR96 said:

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What is a good way to raise the level of the yard?

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Without living in a a garden style home??????

I don't think I am following you?

French drain instead?

the appeal of garden homes (i surmise) is lack/minimal yardwork. so asking the neighbor to police the leaves/debris is probably contrary to the whole point of living next to you (for him).

ask for permission to blow his leaves and pick up debris on his property, as needed.

or, bring in a load of topsoil and build your yard up higher than his, which will either cause the water to back up into his yard, or else funnel down the channel intended for the drainage (if possible, and done right). french drain might work too.

I think what happened is the water should flow from front of the house / yard toward the back by way of my neighbor's gate. He has not picked up many leaves or limbs or debris and that caused the water to pool and flood in the front of my house...which is the low spot area.

That low spot area usually flows down the side of my house, which is his yard, toward the back of the properties and out into a drainage ditch.

What I am concerned with what can you or should you do when you feel like your neighbor does not keep up with the drainage issues. He has been open to discussion on a french drain before at maybe a split cost but I told him as long as the water is flowing and drainage we may be able to avoid that cost.

At this point the water is not flowing or draining, it is backing up and I am not really completely sure as to why. I have the theory on the leaves and yard debris creating a dam of sorts...but I am not sure.

I'd probably consider the French drain at this point. My only question for those that have had them is whether the neighbor not picking up leaves and other stuff would prevent it from working as intended.

Is water getting in your house?

No. But in 20 years even Hurricane Harvey I have never seen water flood like that in the front yard so close to the house.

If he's not the shooting type I'd just clear it myself.

Looks like you are in good hands with advice.
I would need a Plan view of what's going on to be of help.
I don't think I would put pressure on such a neighbor other than
have written permission to access/trespass to protect yourself.

The only item that might be overlooked is .... a plumbing leak ... perhaps the line that runs from meter to house IF located in the front yard. The most likely leak location is near the meter & on your side of it. Sometimes this can be an undetectable slow leak that only exhibits when things are flooded.

It's tempting to point fingers at both land developer AND home builder for such a poor grading/drainage result UNLESS Owners after-the-fact have either not managed maintenance & slopes well or
contributed to the problem with new additions. The photos don't suggest this ...

Are you talking about the main water from the street? It comes in from the other corner of the front yard.

Now you have me worried.

The last couple of rains the water seems to pond up and then as it stops it drains off. It's not moving away as quick as before.

Who or how would I get a water line checked?

The DIY way would be to insure 100% water at house is OFF, then see if meter is running a bit. This is not as exact an investigation as having a plumber test pressure in the lines. The location cited prior is a common leak area and also prone to freeze-defrost periods. The plumber will explain all the whys ....

As for the area drainage - even when installed new as perfect, Nature changes how all this works over time, even w/o Owner additions and lack of maintenance. Even the clay in the soil can be the type that expands to-fro ala a kitchen sponge when wet-dry, contributing to the havoc and moving earth around at 1-6" and up to 2tons/sf.

Eventually, you'll want a visit from a 5-star rated landscape design/build
who will address - on site - why your soils don't absorb anymore, drain and even French drains, cabbages & kings.

The regrading that others have suggested is the best option, but you can also add gutters to your roof to bring more of the water to the front or rear of your house instead of dumping it all on the side. Of course you will then have a maintenance item that will get clogged with leaves, and you will be helping your neighbor out more than yourself, but that is another option that will reduce the volume of water you are seeing.

Agree that gutters will help a lot, A front view of the house showing slopes would also help assess.
It looks you both have a problem, I bet it can be sorted though.

Maybe this a decent street view. Area is left corner from viewing perspective of the street.

what is keep the water in your yard and not heading to street or your neighbors?

need pic of his house/yard

It appears your back yard slopes toward your house quite a bit

So, after hurricane Harvey, I had a guy from the county who works in water management and drainage, and he explained to me that the water drainage at my home is supposed to collect some water runoff from my neighbors driveway, my roof, his roof, and as it moves towards the home, it splits and goes down each side of the home as it makes its way to the back of the property and into drainage ditch . He mentioned that this area of my front yard and my neighbors yard gate access that area needed to stay debris free so that water had a chance to run flow escape out the back fence, etc. I have had several renters next-door for the last 20 years who don't care about the yard and leaves would build up on the back gate back fence and he just said you got to tell whoever that is I got to keep that area open. This new neighbor tried to dig some more of a trench bull rock in it and create some kind of path, but apparently does not keep up with the leaves that may be the issue I don't know.

Your neighbor's back privacy fence is stopping the water as his pickets are flush with the ground.

To solve your issue, cut bottom 2-3" of that fence to allow water+debris to flow under it or cut an opening & cover with hog panels/wrought iron to allow water to flow through it.

This picture is similar what I'm referring to (though obviously you don't have a chain link fence)

French drains, etc are not necessary.
Gutters may help if you can capture the roof runoff left side of your house & have the downspout dump beyond the back fenceline. I'm not sure what lies beyond that, may not be an option if there is another house.

Why is a French drain not needed.

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Why is a French drain not needed.

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Because if you cut the fence & allow the water to exit, there is enough slope on the left side of your house for the yard to drain properly without the expense of a French drain.

Would you also encourage the neighbor to pick up leaves and yard debris to help the water flow to back fence?

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Would you also encourage the neighbor to pick up leaves and yard debris to help the water flow to back fence?

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Sure, but based on their track record I don't think that will be productive.

IMO, you need a swale. Just clearing leaves may not be enough. Need to direct the sheet flow of water. A swale is a type of ditch, can add small diameter rocks to stabilize the edges. We have a low spot in our back yard that collects water from neighboring lots. We dug an area out and added taller grasses and vegetation to let the water soak in and ease the "flash flood" that was occurring every time it rained. Still floods, but now it just fills up. Maybe an opportunity for really nice landscaping?

HTH

Looking at the pics, sweetness like the mass of leaves on the neighbor's backyard is what's causing the pooling. Ask him if you can either remove them or rake them away from your house and see what happens the next time it rains.

I had a conversation with my neighbor about the leaves and he strongly disagreed that the leaves were the issue. He stated it would be too much work for him to pick up those leaves and I volunteered to have my lawn crew do the work and I would pay for it and he was against that as well. He was adamant that I needed to raise the ground level on my front yard and bed, and also create a layer of soil/sod away from the foundation of my home, which sits in his yard to draw the water drain pathway away from my home and the leaves or just a small inconsequential issue.

I had a guy employed by our water district who specializes in drainage come out and give me his assessment and he stated that the water needed a unobstructed leaf free path and room to flow underneath the back fence.

My neighbor feels that the bull rock river path he created was all done on my behalf , and was the best course of action and feels that the leaves that fall in his yard are beneficial to his ground and soil and his eventual one day planting of sod. He also felt that I was/am not appreciative of the work he has done on my behalf. I replied that you were adamant after your survey that section of yard was yours and could do what ever you wanted. I never asked him to build a bull rock pathway. I only told him this summer the water just needed a path to drain.

He was pretty hostile at times and I had to talk him down several times and approached him politely I even tried to show him a video during Saturday evening rain occurrence, and he said "that video is too dark. I can't see anything and you need to get a new phone". I literally could not believe it and had to keep my mouth shut and walk away.

My final thought was that he came around to allowing me to undo some of the rock work. He had done this summer and allowing me to maybe blow some leaves away from the gate area so we ended on a handshake and on good terms. And my final thoughts on my neighbor after having three or four conversations in the last year and a half is that he is a narcissistic personality.

I guess you just got to love your neighbor.

Is your new neighbor a new owner or a new renter? If renter, I would think the owner of their place would be concerned about standing water too. Maybe they would at least take you up on the offer for your yard crew to take care of it if the tenant is not.