Bedford, VA asked in Real Estate Law for Virginia

Q: I recently closed on a property only to find out that the well, on my property is shared with my neighbor.

Prior to closing the seller had the line leading to the other house (his sisters - house being sold was his parents - seller was the executor of the estate) capped, leaving my neighbor without any water for over a week. After realizing the issue, I had the line repaired until such as time as I can find out my rights. This information was not shared with me prior to me buying the property by my realtor, the sellers realtor or the seller. What legal rights do I have?

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1 Lawyer Answer

A: There is more to this story, and you need to share it with a lawyer during a consult. If you have decided to grant the neighboring property access to your well in perpetuity and the well is safe that way, a consult is less urgent, but you probably should record a deed of gift to the sister to clarify things for future owners.

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