Unground water damage to my driveway

Is this a condo or townhome community where the driveway is a limited common element or is it single family homes where you own the lot and the driveway? In the latter case, is the damaged section on your property or on the right of way?

This is not an uncommon problem because developers really don’t address ground water issues. If the home is new, it may be a home warranty issue.

If your HOA is a a PUD, (planned urban development - meaning you own the lot and the structure) the driveway repair and the ground water issue is 100% your responsibility. If the HOA owns your lot, then it’s likely their responsibility, but not always. Getting an HOA to agrees tge cause of the damage….. well good luck.

It is also highly unlikely a local govt. unit (city, county, village or township) is going to use tax payer funds to solve your ground water issues on private property. There will be a number of solutions that can reduce future water damage to your driveway once you figure out whose responsibility it is.

Thank you Dean!.

When one is addressing ground water and a water table, the issue is subterranean water that is bubbling up. You can disagree with anything I post, but it is extremely unlikely a POA responsible for this and your local government isn’t going to address it either. An HOA, condo, may opt to simply repair the damage and not address the underlying issue.

But let’s assume I am wrong and the water is simply pooling on the surface on private property, that’s is the owners problem and a POA or not local goverment responsibility.

A townhouse in an HOA is typically a multi-story attached home that a homeowner owns, including the interior, exterior, and the land it sits on. You will have to review your declaration for this HOA to determine who is responsible. It is possible it’s your land and your driveway. It’s possible the HOA performs maintenance on your property through the collection of assessments.

"Ground water" (or "groundwater") was the definition in question.

Who is responsible to fix the underlying problem just depends on what an investigation reveals.

Per my first post, start with the city.

DeanJ, you seem to think cities never have anybsay over drainage problems. This is flatly false. Example: plats often have drainage notations. If a land owner adds an improvement that results in more impermeable surface than is on the plat, the city can take action.
Yes

No, I am not saying they never do, but the circumstances outlined in this thread do not qualify for 99% of govt. units to spend tax payer funds to correct a drainage issue on private property. There may be some Beverly Hills type communities out there that may address it. I know of one where the police shovel snow from private driveways. Otherwise, the owner has to get out their checkbook. .

That's not what I asserted.

JimS29 seems ready to skip checking with the city (at no cost). Now he can wrestle with the HOA and pay a few grand to get an attorney started on this.

JimS29, non sequitur.

Hello City Public Works Manager,

This is DeanJ and I am the president of the XYZ HOA and we have a drainage issue we would like to discuss with you. Owner Jones’s driveway is broken and we are going to fine him for his driveway condition, but he can’t fix his driveway until a drainage issue is corrected and HOA believes the drainage is your responsibility.

This is why you want the HOA involved first.

I would start with the City Land Use yada department.

A city's public works department is responsible for building, maintaining, and repairing the community's essential infrastructure and public facilities. This includes a wide range of services such as roads, sewers, water systems, parks, and public buildings, which are crucial for the city's quality of life and day-to-day functioning. The department's duties are focused on keeping the city running efficiently and safely for its residents and visitors

Thanks for all your help folks!

I have all the info I need. God Bless....

Jim