Neighbours Water Meter on My Property - Can I Get Meters Moved?

Lhardcorecrayon on 06/04/2021 - 21:48
Last edited 06/04/2021 - 22:41 by 1 other user

Hi gang,

My partner and I recently purchased a place and we've picked up that the water meters for our neighbour are installed on our property. The plot has been subdivided into 3 properties and all 3 water meters are in our front lawn.

Background information:

  • New townhouse development
  • Location is Melbourne
  • No easement shown on the title plans

Do you know if we can get the original developers back here to move the water meters? We'd prefer it not to be there.

I already plan on reaching out to the council and water authority tomorrow but I'm hoping some of you might be able to point me in the right direction :).

Thanks,

Home & Garden

Comments

  • pao2x on 06/04/2021 - 21:58

    Are you sure its on your property not strata? Are you sure you haven't signed that the water meter is there under your contract?

    • hardcorecrayon on 06/04/2021 - 22:12
      +1

      99.99% sure, I've checked the owners corporation schedule and it shows the property lines. The water meters are definitely in my private space.

      I haven't found anything in my contract stating that there are easements in my property which allow for it to be there.

      • taoz on 06/04/2021 - 23:15
        +4

        easement has nothing to do with a water meter.
        you may find its common for these to be in the front property..

        • MS Paint on 06/04/2021 - 23:28

          My S&D meter has its own easement (VIC)

        • HeWhoKnows on 07/04/2021 - 08:21

          Correct
          Water authorities require meters to be placed in front of property closest to the street to be found are read easily.
          They dont want to be going on a witch hunt.

  • Hybroid on 06/04/2021 - 22:00

    Congrats on the purchase. This is definitely something that will be in the paperwork somewhere that you agreed to.

    • hardcorecrayon on 06/04/2021 - 22:16
      +1

      Thank you! It's turning out to be a bit of a headache though :( too many unexpected learning opportunities.. This is our first place.

      I'll triple check the paperwork again but the subdivision paperwork definitely doesn't list any easements on my property.

      • HeWhoKnows on 07/04/2021 - 08:23

        It was there when you inspected the property so you accept the property "as inspected"

        End of story.

        Doesnt need to be listed in any paperwork.
        As long as meter readers can get easy access from the street

  • oscargamer on 06/04/2021 - 22:25
    +4

    Were they there when you were doing your due diligence before you bought the place?

    You generally don't place easements for private pipes following a subdivision.

    Can you link us a photo of these meters?

    What hardship are you suffering because of 3 meters that you wouldn't be suffering with only one meter?

    • hardcorecrayon on 06/04/2021 - 22:40

      Yeah, they were there during our inspection. I stupidly accepted that they were installed where they're meant to be..

      I can't take a photo at the moment but it's basically 3 of these next to each other: https://www.citywestwater.com.au/sites/default/files/inline-…

      I want to see if I can get all 3 moved to the common area of the land. They're currently in the middle of my front lawn which means that I can't do much with it. (my front lawn isn't very big)

      • MS Paint on 06/04/2021 - 22:43
        +1

        Getting them moved will cost a fortune. Who do you propose to fund the move?

        Moving them will create a huge mess and potentially create more issues (eg. mini excavator destroyed part of driveway)

        • hardcorecrayon on 06/04/2021 - 22:51

          The original developers were responsible for their installation so 100% them.

          • MS Paint on 06/04/2021 - 22:54
            +7

            @hardcorecrayon: But you and others purchased with them in that location. I'm guessing developer won't do sh!t. Why would they spend $20k moving meters just for the fun of it.

          • avoidfullprice on 06/04/2021 - 22:55
            +10

            @hardcorecrayon: You're in for a shock. Good luck getting any defects fixed, let alone not a defect.

  • MS Paint on 06/04/2021 - 22:30
    +3

    Why does it even matter?

    • hardcorecrayon on 06/04/2021 - 22:41

      If somethings not meant to be on my property, I'd rather it not be there. I think that is pretty reasonabl..

  • kfcfatfat on 06/04/2021 - 22:33
    +1

    How much space did you lose? They have to read your meter anyway so is not like you will have more random people accessing your property.

    • hardcorecrayon on 06/04/2021 - 22:46

      It's in the middle of my front yard and it's already quite small, it basically makes the space unusable.

      • deme on 06/04/2021 - 23:20
        +9

        Seems like your FOMO is now regret

      • Chandler on 07/04/2021 - 09:16

        Is your front yard private or common property? Only asking as for a townhouse I owned before, the front yard was actually common property.

        • Ughhh on 07/04/2021 - 10:25

          This, but it can just be 1x1m where the meters are that is common property, not the entire front yard.

      • onetwothreefour on 07/04/2021 - 09:58

        it basically makes the space unusable

        Surely you considered this when you inspected the place?

  • poohduck on 06/04/2021 - 22:40

    I think you'll find that it is up to the water authority to move them. They won't do it till you (or your neighbours) request it.

  • bweiss on 06/04/2021 - 22:42
    +1

    Easements typically won't be in the 'contract', they will be on the plan of subdivision normally contained in the section 32.
    You might have some luck searching from the land title data
    https://www.land.vic.gov.au/property-and-parcel-search
    https://mapshare.vic.gov.au/vicplan/
    https://discover.data.vic.gov.au/dataset/easement-vicmap-pro…

    I think you'll find that it won't be worth the hassle. I assume the meter is in a corner of your property somewhere, in which case it might actually not be your property at all and all the meters may be located in common property, since it's possibly just a single pipe coming in from the water authority, then to a 'manifold' with the individual property backflow preventers and water meters attached.

    • MS Paint on 06/04/2021 - 22:47

      backflow preventers

      Did you mean:
      check valve or
      non-return valve or
      reflux valve or
      retention valve or
      foot valve or
      one-way valve?

      🙂

    • hardcorecrayon on 06/04/2021 - 22:49

      Thank you! I'll check out the links tomorrow and you're quite right, might not be worth the hassle..

      Unfortunately, its not in the corner of my property but actually in the middle of my front yard so I lose a fair amount of usable space because of it

  • tsunamisurfer on 06/04/2021 - 23:09
    +12

    My deepest commiserations goes out to the OP's neighbours.

    Wishing you all the strength in this dark time.

  • iNeed2Pee on 06/04/2021 - 23:23
    +1

    IMO not a big deal. You would have noticed them there, as you said when you purchased it.

    I don't think having them there will cause you too many issues. Enjoy your townhouse, in a month or 2, you will not even notice them as a problem.

  • Ughhh on 07/04/2021 - 00:01
    -1

    It sounds like a common property, Which can be easily missed on the surveyor map thing as it could be 1x1m square box.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/04/2021 - 04:32
    -1

    I think your case would be stronger if it wasn't about aesthetics. I have something a bit similar with a telstra pit (not used by me) stupidly inside a carriageway easement I have rights over. It is a safety issue as pits aren't designed to carry vehicle traffic.

    • bweiss on 07/04/2021 - 07:33
      +1

      Is it a non-trafficable pit?
      Because very many pits (well the lid and structures) are specifically intended to be trafficable, I think class C and class D from memory.
      Google to the rescue AS3996 allows for Class B to also be used for driveways. Which I imagine is what Class your pit lid will be, hence not at all a safety issue if appropriately maintained.

      • [Deactivated] on 07/04/2021 - 08:13

        I think any of the rated lids have the obvious AS rating on top. The one affecting me has nothing. This is a capsule shaped with random cracking design like an easter egg. Telstra, not Telecom, but pretty old. Surround/pit seems to be concrete too, with no sign of black plastic.

        Stupidly, I believe the pit was there before the old owner subdivided the land, so the plan was done from a desk somewhere never looking at the land in person.

        Seems like 2006 is about the year the AS was updated, maybe. The area is rural/agricultural with the reasonable expectation of heavy vehicles or livestock.

  • ajh on 07/04/2021 - 07:19
    +1

    You bought it, it's your problem now. Contract should show you have signed and accepted. If it bothers you so much sell it. Market is right atm.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/04/2021 - 07:35
    +2

    If they are low to the ground could you possibly put a raised deck over them with a porthole for the meter inspection?
    Might be worth doing over the inconvenience of being left with a muddy mess in the yard after the water authority butcher your lawn/driveway/other landscaping.

  • WreckTangle on 07/04/2021 - 07:59
    -5

    If its on your property, you should also be entitled to turn off the taps at the meter too right…?

    • brad1-8tsi on 08/04/2021 - 09:30

      why would you do that? The other residents didn't ask for the meters to be there.

  • brad1-8tsi on 08/04/2021 - 09:29
    +1

    My old place in Glebe didn't have a meter but I did have the isolation valve for the 5 other terraces in the row. It was a pain as it prevented me from extending the house beyond the valve.

    I made enquiries with Sydney Water and they said it could be moved at my cost. I didn't push hard so maybe they were just BSing me.

  • OzHunterNSW on 10/04/2021 - 17:26
    -1

    Yes of coarse…. this is your property. you pay rates for this property.

    You have them remove it, or turn it off… it is on your property

    • lgacb08 on 10/04/2021 - 22:07

      yeah good luck with that mindset. Unfortunately many people turn to townhouse and subdivision as a way to get cheaper, brand new home in established suburbs without realising many compromises on that decision, but that's one thing you live and learned, to get that total freedom there's a price to pay.

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