So today, its nice and sunny outside, i thought i just rinse the car down... nothing wrong with that, move the car onto the driveway, and started spraying down

then, my neighbour, who i have never ever seen before.. comes up to me and says "Okay, this is not going to work...", then starts complaining that my wash water is flowing down to her driveway and her property (mind you, this is a townhouse, and the natural geographic features means water will flow downwards no matter what... and goes to threaten me if i wash my car again more than once a month she will complain to the city about it... i gave her a puzzled look, thinking, you, not even introducing yourself, comes up and complains about me washing my own car in my own driveway... not even saying hi

being a detailing guy naturally i don't know what to do... i took pictures of the water flow immediately after she leaves so i get evidence that it is the geography that allows water to flow down the hill... but also... how bored must you be to see something like this?

any advice? the nearest coin-op is pretty far away and its difficult to wax and stuff at those places, i can go to my friend's nearby to wash the car but i hate to bother them once every week

 

My advice:

Wash your car in that same spot, same time, same day, every week until she gets so pissed, she either throws herself off her balcony or moves.

Unless, that is, washing cars in your housing development is a violation of a written rule. In that case, go to a coin op car wash from now on. And leave a pile of burning dog poop on her porch just to feel better. Kidding, of course.

 

I don't get it? Is the water flowing on to her property doing any damage? Is it making big puddles? Flowing into her house?

Everytime I wash one of our cars the water flows down the street, but it flows along the edge of the curbing until it finds a drain. Your situation must be a lot worse or she never would have said anything about it. Maybe post some pictures?

You could wash at a coin op. Just bring your own wash mit and bucket and LOTS of money. (not the ideal scenario)

Could you lay some hoses on the ground to channel the water? The fire department gives away used up fire hose that might help. But that would be a big pain in the butt if you washed your car a lot.

 

find out if there is a village ordinance that you can not wash your car infront of your own driveway.

Then write a letter to the association that you were harrassed.

 

Wait, you own this place, right? I'd tell her to kiss my a$$, unless there is some sort of condo association rule or something. There is no way someone should tell you that you can't wash a car at the property you own...

 

Are there any water restrictions in place right now? If she complains to the city, the only way they would care is if you are breaking some kind of law. Also if the condo association pays for water, why don't you leave the hose running over night and give her something good to complain about.

 

Kyriian- btw, how much water are you using? Cause I wash 2 cars on my driveway and water still can't reach the curve. My driveway is only long enough to park one car unless I block the sidewalk. Not much slope. Is your area very hilly?

 

Just cover your bases and make sure washing is allow first, if it is then turn the water on and let it flowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Wash daily I say.

Care to throw fuel on the fire, offer to wash her car in your driveway!


(this statement does not endorse the waste of a natural resource)

 

I got one next door I wash any way ,they'll get tired of yelling and move on to something else ,mine did.Get a walkman drowns out the yelling.

 

Yes I've had something simular happen to me. Had a wonderful neighbor. My drive is higher that his. The water would run into the street & back up his driveway. When he complained I told him that God was at fault because he makes water run down hill. He didn't much like that, so I said he should go to the city & have them redo the sreet for him. He went to the city & they told him that water does run down hill. He's since moved on & I'm sure is making someone else's life miserable.

 

I agree with everyone else - if there are no rules against washing your car, or how often you can do it, then whatever. I'd do it as often as I want, and I do agree with whoever said to file a complaint for her harassment if she continues.

 

I too agree with everyone else. It makes me really happy that I live on 10 acres and have only to worry myself as to where the water goes! One word of caution. Keep your car in the garage! This type of person can be really vindictive. I watched a "friend" of mine run her keys all the way down the side of someones car because she didin't like the way they'd parked!

 

Like, whoa! I'd surround myself with a different caliber of "friend".

 

I hope you contacted the owner and gave them the name of your "friend."

 

thanks for all the wonderful replies... guess ill just keep washing the car and if she starts to complain again, i just say somethin like 'its my own driveway, complain to the city, and ask if water flows downhill' i don't even see her all the time anyways! its only on the weekends, and its one of those neighbours who never waves to say hi, imagine, first sentence she says when she has never even met me before is those sharp words 'ok, this is not going to work'

i checked the contract of our place... yes we do own our place... including our driveway... so i am entitled to wash my car on my own driveway... and i pay my own water bill, its not shared, so its not like she is losing anything other than likely a wet driveway.... and maybe some odd spray-backs, but i dont even use a pressure washer! she should be thanking me for cleaning her driveway!

as for how bad it is, its difficult to explain, but essentially, from the entrance of our street to our complex, it drops about 10 inches... my house is almost level with the street, slanted almost at 45 degrees.. my 'wonderful' neighbour's house is at the bottom of the hill at the curve... i can try to draw a picture or take pictures of the situation... the drainage system allows water to flow back toward the drain outside my garage door... however, because i sit higher up in terms of elevation, water, during rain will wash into the neighbour's driveway anyway.... i dont hear her complainin about god because water flows downwards

worse comes to worse... ill just say the basic words 'its my own driveway, and i never heard of a law that prohibits someone from washing a car on the person's driveway.... go and complain and see if the city will listen...'
or along those lines, oh, and avoid leaving the car outside!

 

Sounds like a plan - just make sure there are no regulations within your condo association (if you have one).

There is a neighborhood in my area whose CCNRs include not washing cars in the driveway - strange but true.

 

Wow, what's wrong with a little water? I've a friend nearby whose recently immigrated neighbors somehow acquired and butchered a steer in their residential driveway.

Someone did call, and the police did come by, but their report was there really was no law against it.

It's just too bad that sometimes the right people don't find each other...

 

Does she complain about the rain water coming off your driveway too?
Ignore her and she'll just go away. Eventually we all just go away...

 

Not only wash your car daily, but set up a slip n' slide for kids in the neighborhood!

 

MiniMaybee, that's what I was thinking. What does she do when there's a heavy downpour, which has far more water than a typical driveway car wash? Does she complain to the city about the weather?

 

We were told that here in Colorado Springs we cannot wash our cars at home, we have to take them somewhere where the water can be filtered etc. Something to do with clean drinking water in the future I'm sure. I'm not sure if that's a base thing or a city/county thing... Sucks either way cuz I hate coin-ops. My MINI deserves a hand job every time.
Good luck with your neighbor tho... Sometimes people are just a pain in the .

 

No doubt

 

With friends like that, who needs enemies. I had an acquantance try to key her bosses car in front of me I of course stopped her and we haven't spoke since, there is no way I would ever stand by and watch someone "key" another persons vehicle, especially because of the way they parked

 

Not to rain (pun intended) on anyones parade--but there has been a federal law by the EPA that affects the washing of cars since 1972 known as the CWA (Clean Water Act), however its up to each state and city to enforce it. It affects mostly the cities that are close to bodies of water where the potential of water coming off your car may flow into storm drains.

http://www.epa.gov/region5/water/cwa.htm

There have been stories of white trucks driving around issuing $1000 + citations to people for washing their cars on their driveways--yes affecting home owners, not just professionals.

I doubt the neighbor knew of this when she complained, but take this info as a FYI. You just can't please everybody.

 

I would suggest that the next time it will be hot and sunny, that morning early before she wakes up, to take your hose and just briefly spray some water on her car.....this will dry to some hard to remove water spots causing great consternation and requiring her to call Octaneguy to come and detail her car.