Issue with neighbour tiled overhang roof

Bargain_Hound

I'll keep this as brief as I can.

Parents house which is adjoined to neighbours house by a single story garage that runs the entire length of the house recently got a pitched tiled roof installed over an existing flat roof. I won't go into specifics why but it has been a massive mistake and in hindsight, should have stuck with a flat roof.

The builder in question who constructed both parents and neighbors new tiled roof alongiside each other, designed it in a way that the parents property has a fibreglass channel installed on it to carry the rain water from both properties. It has been done just over 3 years ago now and continues to leak every time there is rain fall.

At this stage, we are looking to strip the entire roof back to flat roof. However, neighbors roof is overhanging the parents property relying on the fibreglass channel constructed. Neighbour and builder both deny any accountability here and neither seem willing to get this rectified. We have been very reasonable up to this point depending on numerous attempts from the builder to recify this which has not yet been resolved.

In addition, we have begun to seek legal advice, however it is very slow and a lot of parties seem uninterested in taking the work on. I have sketched up some very basic(MS Paint) drawings which might help visualize the issue better.

Any advice beyond seeking legal advice? Am I right in thinking this is a planning issue and the overhang and burden of carrying the rain water should not fall onto parents roof? At this stage it is an an expensive nightmare that we are looking to rectify.

I wont even attach actual pictures of the work, its a bloody mess up there at this stage after 5+ previous attempts at fixing this.

Parents property on left

Neighbours propert on right is built at a slightly higher elevation

Before tiled roof construction

Note: Yellow gutter collected water from each property individually on previous flat roof structure on the boundary

After tiled roof construction

Note: yellow channel is situation on parents side of boundary with neighbouring property overhang into the gulley.

mickdw

I'd suggest a parapet wall extended up on the boundary line with gutter formed on both properties taking care of own water.

A metal capped parapet fully sealed down to the gutter channel on each side would be a lasting fix.

elperello

Is the leak caused by the fibreglass channel overflowing or is there a structural defect in the channel?

Are the gutters on either house overflowing?

Bargain_Hound

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118100955#Comment_118100955

Yes, this should have been the solution initially, however, retro fitting this now might be more difficult and when it was suggested to the builder in order to try rectify the boundary issue, it was quickly shot down. I won't say too much about this builder other than he has yet to provide any written reciept for the work completed even after 3 years asking and wanted cash payment only (very large amount). I had no involvement (I dont live there) in procuring him, but definitely screams a bit of a cowboy.

Bargain_Hound

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118100982#Comment_118100982

I suspect there might be a structural defect in the channel. To try identify where myself, I had a low-flowing hose running up on the channel last week and after several minutes drips were coming into the property at the front wall above the window. I removed the soffit and facia (at the front point of the property where the flow comes out of the channel into a gutter) and the entire structure is rotten from 3 years of water intake. So water is getting in somewhere along the channel. Builder has stripped the tiles back several times now, including 2 attempts to re-fibreglass parts of the channel but the issue remains. It looks like a massive mess too visually after recementing ridge tiles several times carelessly.

From what I can tell from looking behind the soffit/facia, the original flat roof is taking on water somewhere, probably from the channel and it is leaking through into the plasterboard inside above the window now.

ideally, to go back to a basic flat roof, we would need any dependency on the neighboring property removed but actioning this seems to be a challenge. With little to no comeback from the builder (washing his hands of responsiblity, no paper trial) and an unwilling neighbour to rectify their property, we really feel stuck now.

elperello

If the neighbour will agree to mickdws suggestion get another builder and go with it.