Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Neighbour Warns of 'Catastrophic Sewer Backups' at $5.35M Ohio Mansion

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's plans to add privacy landscaping to their $5.35 million Ohio property have drawn objections from a neighbour concerned about a shared sewer line, who has warned of potential 'catastrophic sewage backups.'

At a Bratenahl Architectural Review Board meeting on Tuesday, 6 October, Katherine Bolton warned that roots from proposed evergreen trees could damage the ageing pipe.

The likelihood and potential extent of any damage have not been independently established.

Neighbour Flags Fears Over Ageing Pipe

Bolton, who has lived next door to the property for more than three decades, told the board that the two properties share a clay sewer line. She said she believes it is about a century old, and it was reported that she described it as 115 years old.

Bolton said she had received an estimate of $75,000 for work to line the pipe and help protect it against root intrusion. She warned that planting about 50 evergreen trees close to the line could lead to root intrusion and plumbing problems, but no independent engineering assessment establishing that risk has been reported.

'Planting 50 evergreen trees just ten feet from a 100-year-old clay sewer line is virtually guaranteed to cause severe root intrusion, pipe structural failure and catastrophic sewage backups,' Bolton said, according to meeting records reported by the Daily Mail.

She also questioned whether the owners would remain in the village long enough to address any future problems with the shared sewer line. She did not establish that they intended to sell the property.

What the Owners' Representatives Said

Representatives for Swift and Kelce did not respond to requests for comment, according to reporting on the meeting. Jacob Kutz of Tiny Construction, who presented the plans on the owners' behalf, said the couple wanted greater privacy and security at the property.

Kutz said the fence proposal had been reduced from eight feet to six feet. The Bratenahl Architectural Review Board approved the revised six-foot fence in September, and the landscaping plans were considered separately.

He also said the owners had paid $7,500 to replace a broken section of the shared sewer line and had arranged for the line to be jetted and cleaned. Those claims are attributed to Kutz and have not been independently verified.

Kutz further said a gate had been added to address concerns raised by neighbour Chuck Bauernschmidt, who had said he felt 'closed off' by the security plans.

Other Neighbours' Concerns

Bauernschmidt criticised what he described as the removal of trees and other vegetation on the property, calling it 'clear-cutting.' The characterisation is his own and the article has not independently established the extent of any tree removal.

Bauernschmidt also raised concerns that deer could injure themselves on the proposed fence. The article has not established whether the fence design presents such a risk.

Planning Decisions and Next Steps

The board approved the front-yard landscaping, subject to conditions ensuring that trees on the southern side have sufficient room to mature. However, it did not approve the rear-yard planting plan as submitted.

Members raised concerns about the proposed trees' mature height and requested further work on the landscaping proposals. The board was due to review a revised plan at its meeting on Tuesday, 10 November.

Property records and previous reporting identify a limited liability company linked to Kelce as the buyer of the Bratenahl property in March 2026. The reported sale price was $5.35 million.

The dispute highlights the practical questions that can arise when privacy measures at a property affect neighbouring residents and shared infrastructure.