The not-so-great news of the week. It was raining for a couple days and during a break Mimi was back at the back wall looking in the planter bed. She discovered water dripping from the wall, water that had a slight urine smell. For a long time we had figured that the workers were using that back planting bed, destined for bamboo and heliconia, as a urinal. Mimi has been throwing chlorine in there for months.
Well, the workers are gone and the soapy looking water was still standing in the bed. That day she could see it seeping from the wall.
We showed it to Henry and got a ladder to look over the wall.
I took the following pics with my iPhone from on top of the ladder.
Behind us is a long shed-like building and we now know it is divided into one room 'apartments' about 8' wide that are rented by people from the state of Chiapas. They are very poor and I'm sure there are many living in each room. The one directly behind the planter has standing water in the small open area in back. They all have rudimentary "2 seater" bathrooms.
It appears that wherever they drain to is stopped up and backing up. The ground level is several feet higher there than in our yard. There is also a water spigot in each of them and it is likely that is the only water they have. They wash their clothes back there and both that water and the sewage are not draining.
Remember, T.I.M.?
I debated whether to even post this as I don't want to freak out my friends north of the border. Clearly we need to do something but our options are not as simple as calling the authorities and having them take care of it. That is one option, and we may make that call. There are problems with that though, for one thing it could take up to a year for a real response. For another, we have to live here and get along with the neighbors.
Henry's guy Alan has been over there twice now but the owner is never around. I think it likely that he will not be around in the future either. Solutions here are not easily passed off on someone else. It will likely be up to us to solve this as we are the ones bothered by it.
A few weeks ago we put in a concrete wall to stop what we thought was run off from the lot behind us. Once we got up and looked over the wall it was clear that this just moved the water up the wall. It also seems to be moving it to the sides as well.
So, the next step is to dig out the wall and put a concrete barrier the width of our lot and higher than the level behind us. I also asked that they drill down into the bedrock of the planter beds so that they drain better.
We'll go ahead with planting the area with Heliconia and Bamboo, both water loving plants. In effect, they will act as a wetlands filter for whatever comes through or up. I'm sure they will grow full and tall.
posted by Jonna at 12:23 PM
12 Comments:
Oh, yeah, the bamboo would be perfect. LOL, also you could plant other things that like it wet.
I know a nice nursery on 75, when do you want to go?
regards,
Theresa
Ugh! We have a neighbor here in Ursulo Galvan who built his roof hanging over our lot - so it drains in our yard. Same fellow built three casitas against our wall - actually using that wall as the back wall of the rooms. The wall had been stucco's so all their pounding and construction has cracked the wall in many places - I could go on - but I guess I am just saying you are not alone with this.
I will be watching for updates on this. Stay Warm Amigas!
Jonna -- It seems you have hit just the right tone.
Truths. All truths. Especially the part where you are the one bothered so you will be the one to fix it. Question though. Isn't there a dept of hygiene or something there in Merida? Centro de Salud? They especially come down hard on people with standing water due to Dengue scares. Try them.
John - did you know that you actually own the airspace above your lot? The stories I could tell you about that. We, too, had a neighbor using our exterior wall as their interior wall. It's horrible.
Jonna/Mimi, your equanimity and let's-deal-with-itness is amazing, we have neighbours from one of the lesser circles of hell and I froth regularly! Like my husband, you deal with these things mucho mejor que yo! Although burning the tire did flutter even his eyebrows.
Aaah, bamboo! We planted ours to block out the 5 story apartment building that peered into out back yard and it is doing the trick perfectly. And the guys who did the demo in the back also used that area as a latrine (until I caught ¨wind¨of it) and the bamboo survived just fine.
Good luck getting it resolved, sounds like you are on the right track.
I think I now have new resolve to purchase the lot next door to me...thanks for kicking me in the proverbial butt. KK
I admit that I might not be this calm about it if it smelled more. You have to get back there and sweep it around and then smell the broom to get that whiff. Still, it is what it is even if I can't smell it.
The Ayuntamiento is available for these kinds of complaints, they aren't exactly fast however. I hadn't considered the dengue people, they might actually react faster. I'll ask around.
Another option I suggested is that we just fix their problem. Probably the drain hole - which is no doubt all it is - is clogged with grease and whatever. They can be cleaned - Henry said sometimes they use small amounts of dynamite! - and we could pay for it. It doesn't solve the full problem though as it could and probably would clog again. It also starts a pattern of my paying for their landlord's repairs.
KK, I doubt you would have this problem but you could have any number of other ones. I think a buffer is a good idea. Plus, you could sell off home sites to people you like.
Theresa, I'd LOVE to go nursery shopping. We're off to watch the inauguration today, I'll call you tomorrow.
I've been hanging around blog for quite awhile now, and just wanted to pop in to say "Ew."
Hope you get things fixed up soon!
Um. Gross. I shall pray for you both.
This type of thing needs prayers.
You should report it because that the guy who is benefiting is the owner who is probably well off and can pay to fix that, taking advantage of the poor who don't say nothing. Also as a local myself extra security could not hurt especially in these times for me it very unsecured, at least decorative spikes on top of the wall. Althoguh you want to be cordial do not risk security. good luck best wishes
Yea, 'Ew' and 'prayers' just about covers it.
Meridanative, you are right. The owner is well dressed and clean, the tenants are very poor and sell bracelets in the street. He says he is going to fix it, I'm not taking any bets on when.
I do have a line on someone to report him to for standing water if he doesn't. I knew who lived back there before and that I would need to secure the yard. I'm counting on the dogs and the high wall for security. I guess we'll find out.
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