Yes I know the 6 foot deal , so lets get past that comment.
What would you suggest that would help here.
I would not wish to create a trip hazard, and suppose they capped that drain below , because it emptied into the towns system.
I am thinking the flexible roll out type.
I’d recommend dumping a bucket of water down it to see what happens with the drainage. If it puddles next to the foundation, then (based on the picture) I’d recommend an elbow to shoot it away. If it drains away, then I wouldn’t recommend anything.
Thanks
The sidewalk is vaulted away from the foundation.
It is common to see this situation , but just saying to direct it 6 feet away is sure easier than giving a real solution.
I hate deferring or passing the buck.
I also think of winter and freezing rain
Is that the reason the underground drain is plugged or is it just stopped up? Ideally, cleanout that underground drain, but lacking that and given slope away I would recommend nothing. They could breakup the sidewalk and run it under, I guess their not open to sledge hammers and concrete mixers (oh well).
They could cut a trough with a concrete saw, not that hard. I think they want to direct water to the left side of the walkway there, so it would need to be a shallow open drain with a grate.
The other way would be ugly, pipe the water along the wall to the back of the house.
John Kogel
www.allsafehome.ca
Bob…in the picture it looks like the one next door is still going underground…this may just be someone didn’t want to pay to clean the drain out…I’d try that first if it was mine,…jim
There are four of them with one right by the back door going into the pipe , but I have a feeling the town forced them to be closed.
Good suggestion to have them check with the AHJ though.
Going by age of building, my guess is the underground drain is clay (ceramic) and is cracked, broke. Was there any evidence from inside basement wall of previous water damage or repair?
No but many towns may not want it draining into the public system.
Looks like 1952 using the proven toilet top method 
78 page report on this one (empty)
I was assuming it had a separate drain. We have a lot of old clay drains, but most are connected to storm water drain lines, and many are cracked.
That’s a lot of report, I hope you got paid double. 
Bob, those look like 2’x2’ concrete dry set pavers, could those be removed and go underground to a French Drain away from the building?
Just a thought when I saw those pavers.
Marcel :)
Hi Marcel
Yeah but this is a foreclosure with lots of big ticket items to fix and I figure the easiest solution would be appreciated.
It is common in Chicagoland to have sidewalk against side walk.(small lots you know)
Its a slab, and I see no other issues.
I’d just tell them to monitor it.
Wrong
Slabs are only for garages around here.
Garden unit is rental.
Bob, I looked at your picture again and notice there is another downspout in the back of the same building and also one mid stream of the walkway on the adjacent building.
Is it possible that is why they used 2’x2’ walkway concrete pads with those big gaps to dissipate the water from the gutters?
They might have back filled with all stone and it is not a problem at all.
I’m speculating here, but hasn’t this been like that for how long and worked?
Marcel :)
Not sure what you mean by pads , but that is a standard gangway sidewalk.
Notice the PVC drain is capped and there are four which corrospond with the four drains around this 3 unit building(1952)
Normally those drains would be clay tile, which means they are new , but capped.
The one in back is the only one not capped , but it is also right at the door and looks like they broke the collar to open it and place the downspout inside.
The simplest solution (although not necesarily the right one) is to run the downspout down to the sidewalk with an “A” elbow to direct the water into the gangway.
Bob, it does not look like a monolithic concrete slab, it appears like precast pads, texture is different from one side to the nest and the alignment is irregular indicating not all formed at once and inline.
The wide gap inbetween the pavers would also indicate that it was meant for water to drain in the ground.
The building might be 1953, but I would bet that concrete work isn’t.
Marcel :)
Pretty much what I am trying to say indirectly Rick, those big gaps should take care of the water from those gutters, but on the other hand we don’t know the area of roof area that is draining through those downspouts.
I think pointing out a potential freezing of the walkway areas during the Winter caused by the gutter downspouts would do for the Inspections. 
Thanks for the thoughts.
I was hoping there was some quicker solution,unknown to me, but at least this solidifies my thoughts, as this is a common issue.
