The guy who owns the flat down to mine has decided to sell his apartment.
Now he found out that there’s water leaking under his roof near the window area (which is under my floor) and he wants to repair it.
In the beginning he even wanted to compensate me for any related construction (which means open the parquet floor and make a big hole).
But after they had a house meeting with my landlord my landlord agreed on the construction.
(Note that he still hasn’t proved that the problem is caused from my apartment).
Finally, today, that downstairs neighbour sent a registered letter (I suppose by his housing agent not by himself) that if I don’t agree to the construction I will have to pay all the extra costs and damages, as my landlord agreed, and according to paragraph 184 of the Taiwan Civil Law, which reads:
[quote]
A person who, intentionally or negligently, has wrongfully damaged the rights of another is bound to compensate him for any injury arising therefrom. The same rule shall be applied when the injury is done intentionally in a manner against the rules of morals.[/quote]
He mentioned I should reply within three days. Any suggestions how to react (if at all)?
I really doubt he will sue me in civil court (as he can just repair it from downstairs).
Maybe thats more expensive to do but why should that be on my cost?
[quote=“bigduke6”]Surely it is an issue between him and the landlord?
What does it have to do with you?[/quote]
I’m living there? I don’t want to sleep in an construction site.
I think I’m not going to do anything (unless they kick us out).
This happened to us, except we were underneath the leaky man.
it’s way easier to fix the leak from above. Ever tried drilling and jack hammering UP into a concrete ceiling to find the source of a leak (usually a corroded joint on a pipe or a drain fitting)? Nope, that’s why they come in from the top. And normally, as the leaky pipe services YOUR apartment, not the person downstairs, it’s your /your landlord’s thing to fix. They try to replace the whole leaky section of pipe, which means complete access to enough of the length of the pipe to cut out the bad section and graft in a new piece.
Fess up, allow them to fart around in your apartment for three days, and avoid the hassle. Don’t be the guy who refuses to cooperate, or you’ll find yourself out of pocket and likely out of an apartment too.
I’ve had a similar thing happen. It turned out to be much less hassle than I’d thought, and they were done within 2 days. Other than a bit of noise for an hour or two while they jackhammered the concrete the first morning, and the fact that one bathroom was off limits for 48 hours, it wasn’t a big deal.
You do have to put up with the ‘ruckus’ for a bit of time. They are generally fast. Quite simply put, it’s a consequence of living in an apartment building. Most things are connected. Frustrating? Yes.
That’s why I bought a house.
Good luck and be patient. Things have a funny way of working themselves out.
Yep. I know that and I’d like them to do it if they can make things clear. My lawyer says the only way they can force me to do it is by ending my rental contract.
Today I got the log from a community meeting where that guy and my landlord agreed they won’t do anything without my consent and nothing before August 20.
He (the downstairs guy) still sent me that registered letter asking to respond within two days.
Before he wanted to compensate for the work, now he doesn’t. So I can’t trust him.
I’m also certain the problem exists since before I moved in. The flat has been for sale since over a year.
Apparently the previous guy moved out because of that leak. Its not a huge leak and they are morons… so I guess I just watch them play and in worst case move out
Surely I won’t reply to that letter.
During the hotter months when the concrete expands a little, that leak might just get a lot worse. The water can find its way into places you couldn’t imagine, like the wiring in his apartment (trust me, it’s a scary sight to see water dripping out of a 220v power socket). Then there is the damp and mold that comes with even small leaks. How about your wooden floor? How long till it goes rotten?
I think you should try to cooperate with the repairs - it’s the responsible thing to do.
I still don’t understand. Why on earth would anyone other than your landlord be talking about compensating you for inconvenience? Why are you even in the equation? Its between your landlord and his neighbour. Its not “your” parquet floor, it belongs to someone else.
It seems to me that both your landlord and your neighbour are being rather courteous to you by even taking account of your opinion on the matter.
[quote=“sandman”]I still don’t understand. Why on earth would anyone other than your landlord be talking about compensating you for inconvenience? Why are you even in the equation? Its between your landlord and his neighbour. Its not “your” parquet floor, it belongs to someone else.
It seems to me that both your landlord and your neighbour are being rather courteous to you by even taking account of your opinion on the matter.[/quote]
I guess so too. But could they kick me out to do their construction thing? I already changed the locks I really think ending the rental contract would be my landlords only way.
BUT My landlord is a really nice guy and hates the guy downstairs. He now repeated to me he won’t do anything unless I agree.
They’re basically asking you,“Excuse me Sir, what days might we be able to come into your apartment to fix a leaky pipe? And sorry for the inconvenience.”
Now, if you had acted first by saying , “Sure, come around Tuesday between 8:30 and 5:30, and here’s the key”, then they would have even given you some compensation to say Sorry.
but now you’re not getting that, and in the end, if you still keep going on about it, your landlord will just kick you out. Changing the locks won’t stop a sledgehammer breaking down your door (actually HIS door), or a locksmith coming and changing the locks against you.
Don;t be a dick, just answer the letter and say Come over any time next week. It’s a lot like cancer: ignoring it will only make it much worse.
[quote=“urodacus”]Mate, they DON’T WANT to kick you out.
They’re basically asking you,“Excuse me Sir, what days might we be able to come into your apartment to fix a leaky pipe? And sorry for the inconvenience.”
Now, if you had acted first by saying , “Sure, come around Tuesday between 8:30 and 5:30, and here’s the key”, then they would have even given you some compensation to say Sorry.
but now you’re not getting that, and in the end, if you still keep going on about it, your landlord will just kick you out. Changing the locks won’t stop a sledgehammer breaking down your door (actually HIS door), or a locksmith coming and changing the locks against you.
Don;t be a dick, just answer the letter and say Come over any time next week. It’s a lot like cancer: ignoring it will only make it much worse.[/quote]
Isn’t changing the locks GROUNDS for instant eviction?
It is in the US, at least California (every lease I signed had the clause…and I knew a lady who was evicted for changing her locks).
[quote=“urodacus”]Mate, they DON’T WANT to kick you out.
They’re basically asking you,“Excuse me Sir, what days might we be able to come into your apartment to fix a leaky pipe? And sorry for the inconvenience.”
[/quote]
Its not like that MATE. As I said he (the downstairs guy) was threatening me by his housing agency and citing a bunch of laws despite of already having an agreement.
If he was asking nicely I would of course agree and I sortof already had. Anyways I have no more problems with my landlord regarding this.
We just leave it like it is. I don’t like to give in to extorsion, neither does he. He can take me (or my landlord) to civil court if he must.
I don’t trust him, neither does my landlord. Thats the end of the story. There still isn’t even any proof its coming from my place.
I’d bet my last dollar that if your downstairs neighbor sues you, then your landlord is going to take a dump all over you. He’s going to tell everyone how he had agreed for the work to go ahead but the jackass foreigner tenant wouldn’t cooperate, resulting in the minor damage downstairs becoming major.
Maybe your downstairs neighbor is already trying to figure out all the new stuff he can get from this: “Auntie Mei’s old sofa - I never liked the color anyway. That hideous carpet we bought in Thailand. Pretty sure I need a new TV, too …”
Its not that easy. I MAY only be sued if my landlord doesn’t pay the bill for repairing it once the work is done from downstairs.
Then again about how much money we talk here?
Don’t want to open a new thread so here’s our situation:
Water is dripping from the kitchen cealing (one drip every 5 minutes, which is still tolerable, but it’s there and it’s not going away).
So we called the “zhua lou” (leak catcher; love that expression) who went to the neighbor upstairs and did some checking. The neighbor allowed the checking and told us he would cooperate and do whatever is needed after hearing what the water expert had to say. The previous owner of the flat upstairs did some “zhuang huang” (“decoration”; hate all about it) a while back and moved the “cooking corner” (no real kitchen in that flat) to the balcony. In the process he cut off the water supply of the former kitchen corner sink. Now, that disused pipe now sits behind a wall of wood (constructed during a later “zhuang huang” session). It’s a pretty white wall that covers the ugly tiled wall of the former kitchen corner. The “zhua lou” did some pressure testing on the hot-water pipe and says it’s 90% that pipe and he suspects the disused pipe of the former kitchen corner was not sealed properly so water leaks out from there runs down the wall and has found its way through the sealing of our kitchen which is exactly thereunder. Now, the neighbor upstairs, he loves his white wooden wall and doesn’t want no one to make no hole into it to have a look at the sealed-off hot-water pipe, which is understandable, cause the wall won’t be as pretty afterwards for sure. So he changed his mind and is not cooperating, dismissing the expert’s evaluation as “those guys just want to make more money by doing more damage.” He suggests that we install a kind of water catching device with a hose to our sink in order to solve the problem and save his wall.
Not sure what to do now.
Here are the options:
A: Do as he says and install a water catching device (problem: will the leak get worse, will the whole cealing get moist and moldy?)
B: Persuade him to have the wall cut open and check the pipe there (problem: might not be the location of the leakage, damage done, problem still unsolved, no way he is agreeing then that we check the pipes under his newly tiled floor)
C: If we can’t persuade him. Threaten legal action. Get a mediator from the district office, go to court when necessary (problem: all the stress for a leakage that causes a drop every five minutes?)
[quote=“hannes”]Don’t want to open a new thread so here’s our situation:
Here are the options:
A: Do as he says and install a water catching device (problem: will the leak get worse, will the whole cealing get moist and moldy?)
B: Persuade him to have the wall cut open and check the pipe there (problem: might not be the location of the leakage, damage done, problem still unsolved, no way he is agreeing then that we check the pipes under his newly tiled floor)
C: If we can’t persuade him. Threaten legal action. Get a mediator from the district office, go to court when necessary (problem: all the stress for a leakage that causes a drop every five minutes?)
Anyone had a similar situation? Any advice?[/quote]
You own the place or you rent?
If you rent, inform the landlord, say you want it fixed and see how he reacts.
If you own it, work on a schedule to have it fixed.
You don’t know where else the water is running and you may cause damage to someone else living “under you”.
In either case, get it fixed instead of using buckets…
I really think ending the rental contract would be my landlords only way.