Sorry to derail this thread. Maybe someone here can point me in the right direction.
I share a water well with the house next door. The well, power to the well, and well equipment all reside on the neighbors property.
The neighbors home was foreclosed on last December. Bank tried to sell it, but it has major renovation needs including a poured foundation wall sinking in about 2 feet, a roof that is rotten to the trusses, mold, dog and cat damage, etc.
The house has never been open for a viewing. I was able to enter it before the owners, who were squatting for 2 years, left and let me in to take a look. I seriously doubt the home could be salvaged for less money than a tear down and rebuild.
I was able to obtain some more information after the electric company cut the power last month since the bank never paid the electric bill. With no power to the neighbor's home, the pump can not supply water to me. After a couple of days, the bank restored the power, and I now again have water.
The bank's selling price seemed about $100,000 too high to me due to the damage and the fact that any bidder could not even go inside to look at it. In talking to the bank, they told me it is a HUD insured mortgage. They are looking to fix it up just enough to collect the insurance, and then revert it back to hud. Who knows what hud will do with it. They have been doing silly things to the property like painting, hanging gutters, replacing soffit and facia while ignoring the items that might ultimately condemn the home like mold, no roof, and a collapsing foundation. It seems they are fixing it up to have it destroyed.
I would be interested in the property as land, or as a rental property if the problems were properly repaired. I am also concerned with my water, especially if the home is owned by HUD and during the tear down process if it happens. Does anyone here have some advice as to where to go to best protect my interests.
One thing to keep in mind: If fighting this with lawyers costs thousands, I might just as well pay to put in my own well(cost is about $12,000) instead. We anticipated water problems when we bought our place, and our purchase price reflected us figuring on drilling our own well at some point.
Maybe I can fight to take control of the existing well?