Woman returns home to find neighbor digging 40-foot-long trench in her backyard as turf war breaks out

A Tennessee woman is suing her neighbor after she came home from work to find a 40-foot-deep ditch in her yard.

Linda Riddle, of Knoxville, accused her neighbor of trespassing on her property with an unlicensed plumber while she was away from home to dig the five-foot deep hole running the length of her backyard.

“I just want my backyard fixed,” she said 6 News. “I want it so I can use it for pleasure.”

Riddle’s neighbor argued that she agreed to the trench after the clay pipes in front of his property broke. Without access through her property, he had no other way to connect to the city’s sewer system.

But Riddle insists she only gave permission for the use of the space behind her garden, and not the huge hole dug straight through the middle.

She also claims in her lawsuit that the work was done without a permit or by a licensed plumber.

According to the publication, her own connection to the sewer was broken during the work.

The City of Knoxville issued a stop work order after being notified of the situation in mid-February 2024. According to the city, the plumber who performed the initial work was not licensed.

Now she is stuck in the ditch in her backyard and worries about the risks this poses to passers-by

Riddle initiated legal proceedings against her neighbor in September 2024, which are still ongoing.

She is seeking compensation for the damage and costs suffered, and previously refused a settlement from her neighbor’s lawyer, which she said did not adequately cover her costs.

Now she is stuck in the ditch in her backyard and worries about the risks this poses to passers-by.

“You want to make sure no one walks out here,” said her attorney Bennett Hirschhhorn.

She maintains a bright orange fence around the trench to prevent anyone in the area from getting hurt.