I have the same problem here in Alabama! The site grading was not done properly when it was built. Nevertheless, we got by without any water intrusion until my next-door neighbor redirected his storm water drainage without regard for anyone else. Unfortunately, I was "downhill" from him. My townhome flooded 8 times and water intrusion of a less dramatic nature continues to this day. Toxic mold grew inside the shared wall that separates our two units. It made me sick and I was forced to move out. My townhome sits there, empty and uninhabitable. And I must pay rent every month when I could be living there for free. I have owned my home since 1998 and lived there for 10 years without any problems. To my horror, state law does not protect me from those who are harming me. I have tried every way in the world to resolve this but without success. I even represented myself in court. Long story short, state law allows no way to resolve a problem like this. As a result, I'm losing everything I have. Have already lost my health, my home and furniture, and a significant amount of my retirement savings. I continue to lose money with each month that passes. I am a disabled senior and cannot afford a loss of this magnitude. Would LOVE to join with others in effort to get the laws changed to better protect homeowners like us. Please email me if you have a similar story and would like to join with me - jberneske@gmail.com

Based on your pictures, it looks like the neighbor blocked a natural drainage flow with his garage and pool. To me it looks like your only alternative is to take more pictures and take them before the zoning board in your community. That failing most area of the country have rules on the natural drainage systems, that a Lawyer could help you with. While a lawyer will cost, you have already spent a lot of money to correct an problem that can only be corrected on a community level. Your pump solution will be a continuing cost, not to mention the cost of the loss of the value of your home caused by the blocked drainage flow.

Thanks yes we have another smaller pond directly behind our yard and a large pond made when they built our development for this reason I believe. I am not sure how to go about getting approval for the drainage to go directly to that pond..I just got off the phone with a guy who is possibly going to give us some fill for free!! the pumping/draining will need to be figured out. I have seen trucks come and pump flooded parking lots at the school I used to work at and they take it away. What type of company would do something like that?

Yeah, my little guy and our full time jobs have obv pretty much consumed all the hours since he was born not quite 2 years ago. lol...But, the pots I had started pre-him are actually all my gorgeous hostas that are just sprouting and now need homes ;_; The big pots are my hydrangeas that are coming out as well. I didn't want to put any into the ground since I wasn't sure of the plan for our yard. I would like to keep them potted and in our hopefully semi shaded new patio wherever that may be. The weeds on that upper part have been a struggle since day 1. The tree roots sprout new shoots constantly, so weed killer becomes difficult. Not to mention, the roses we had inherited with the property became diseased so we are in the midst of pulling them out as well. Believe it or not, we had a full vegetable garden year before last which is why I was hanging on to the empty pots as we do not have great soil. Long story short, I am looking to have more livilable space that doesn't include more weeding, watering, and gardening in our outrageously hot summers. If I put a patio in the corner between the windows and the retaining wall, what would be the best surface? raised wood type? Gravel ? would gravel hinder drainage and made the ground underneath even more soggy? same issues with brick? Even if I had concrete poured and connected it to the existing patio what kind of drainage solution would we need under and around? These are my beauties from last spring.