‘It’s collapsing!’: homeowner’s desperate plea over bad neighbours

A desperate Aussie homeowner is reaching out for help over claims the next-door neighbour’s pool is collapsing into their yard and posing a serious danger to their children.

The worried homeowner from the South Coast of NSW posted the pictures online saying: “I’m really stuck with a situation involving my rear neighbours”, alongside a series of pictures that appear to show the dilapidated pool falling apart and debris falling into their backyard.

“Our properties are on a downward slope, with mine being lower,” the person wrote.

“There’s currently no fence between us, and they’ve got an old pool that’s been neglected for years. It’s filled with debris, and over time, the structure has started collapsing over the boundary line.

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“Recently, large rocks and debris have started spilling from under their pool’s concrete slab and falling into my yard. It’s not just an eyesore anymore — it’s a real safety concern, especially for the kids.

“The neighbours are aggressive and outright refuse to discuss or fix the issue, let alone go halves in a proper dividing fence. I’ve reported it to council, but they’ve washed their hands of it, saying it’s a “civil matter.”

“The problem is, I just don’t have the time or, more importantly, the money to take them to court. Has anyone dealt with something similar or have any advice on how I can fix this?

“Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.”

A number of people responded to the Reddit post to try and help the homeowner deal with the allegations.

“Mate wtf! Call council asap and have their development compliance team investigate,” one person replied.

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The pool appears to have been filled in.

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“I’ve done my time in council development compliance in a previous life and this 100% warrants an emergency order either under schedule 5 of the environmental planning and assessment act OR the Local Government Act.

“The structure is obviously failing and poses a risk to life and safety.

“Even if it doesn’t bother you, you should feel obligated to call council to prevent anything happening to anyone at all including your neighbour.”

Another respondent wrote: “Maybe get in contact with your local councillor. I had a dispute with a neighbour previously as well over a retaining wall, and it wasn’t until I got in touch with the local councillor council actually took any action.

“They had someone go to the property and we had the issue resolved pretty quickly.”

Several others who had seen the pics and read the post also advised the homeowner to contact their local politician, be they at the local, state or even federal level, about the situation.

Others had a crack at council inaction.

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The debris is alleging falling into the homeowner’s yard.

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“Council when you’re building something: Jump through all these hoops so you don’t cause any possible harm to anyone. Council when you cause possible harm to someone: not our problem,” the wrote.

While another replier advised: “Has your council actually come out to have a look at that? I can’t imagine anyone working in local laws or some sort of development compliance team will look at that and say it’s a civil dispute. If that’s what they are saying keep hassling them until a supervisor comes and has a look at it.”

Yet another simply advised the troubled homeowner to lawyer up.

“Lawyer. Now.” they said.

The Local Government Act 1993 (NSW) concerns neighbour disputes including in regard to nuisances and tree-related issues, and allows councils to issue orders and individuals to seek resolution through the Land and Environment Court.

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So that legislation could very well cover these allegations made by the homeowner.

Another issue that the concerned homeowner could focus on could be safety issues surrounding the pool itself.

“If it’s an approved pool and it does not have an appropriate pool safety barrier then you could raise this as a safety issue as well,” another respondent to the initial post wrote.

“Council may have approved this structure, if so they can be held responsible for its certification if it’s unstable. Remind them of that and their potential liability in not actioning a potential safety aspect.”

According to the Building Code of Australia and the Swimming Pools Act 1992, which covers child-resistant fencing and safety barries, the homeowner could also have cause for action here.

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The homeowners lives on the NSW South Coast.

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Under the Act: “The permanent pool fence must comply with the Building Code of Australia and be designed, constructed, installed, and maintained to meet Australian standards for swimming pools.

“The pool must be surrounded by a safety barrier that separates the pool from any residential building on the premises and from any adjoining property.

[Homeowners must] maintain a ‘non-climbable zone’ around the pool to prevent children from climbing over fencing into the pool area.

So, the homeowner could also address the allegations there.

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