A transition from grass has wreaked havoc on one Redditor's life. According to their post on the r/landscaping subreddit, a drastic change to a neighbor's property has created a series of environmental and potentially expensive setbacks, such as flooding and erosion.
The owner of the house uphill "decided grass was [too] hard to take care of." The video begins focusing on the neighbor's house, where five vehicles — that he wanted to make room for — sit as the pea gravel washes down to the OP's property. You can also see water pooling in the yard during the rainstorm, and the gravel destroyed their retaining wall.
These issues led the affected landowner to ask the Reddit community, "Whose responsibility is this? What would you do?" Starting with a conversation with the neighbor may help reach a compromise. If not, the OP can likely seek legal compensation for property damage (with proof), as one commented, "Most jurisdictions have laws prohibiting you from creating excess water runoff into a neighboring property."
While the "nice" neighbor "didn't think of drainage or negative effects it may have," the damage is done. However, incidents like these can happen simply from a lack of knowledge, as opposed to malice. Even the OP defended the neighbor, saying, "He didn't route his drainage to the street gutter or anywhere in particular because he wasn't aware."
As one commenter said, "Grass/plant roots is important for erosion control, and soil absorbs water like a sponge….pea gravel is the opposite." That erosion problem extends beyond the affected neighbor, as the runoff can continue to flow and carry pollutants into waterways, from lakes to rivers. Area topsoil can struggle to hold nutrients, which affects gardens and other healthy vegetation nearby. The OP may want to consider planting native ground covers that can soak up the excess flow.
Unnecessarily removing vegetation also affects pollinator habitats. When critters like honeybees and monarch butterflies have nothing to feed on or plants to nest in, they become endangered, as does the food supply they maintain. Grass also gives off oxygen, making the planet breathable for all.
Maybe the OP can discuss the benefits of grass with their neighbor, since they get along well otherwise. The vehicle-hoarding neighbor can always rewild their yard by removing the pea gravel and amending the soil to grow grass again — or ground covers. Even a partial replacement can help.
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