Contents
- What to do if neighbors flood
- Where to contact and call to recover damages
- Popular questions and answers
- How to assess flood damage?
- How to determine who is to blame?
- What if the neighbors do not want to pay for repairs?
- What to do if the neighbors flood every month?
- What to do if there are no neighbors at home, and water comes from the ceiling?
- What to do if a neighbor refuses to participate in the drawing up of an act on the inspection of an apartment?
- What should I do if my neighbor thinks I faked the flood?
Water dripping from the ceiling is every homeowner’s nightmare. The stain on the ceiling increases, the water begins to flood the apartment, damaging the wallpaper, furniture and appliances. Everyone who has ever experienced flooding understands that neighbors may not be at home, there is a risk that they will refuse to pay compensation, in addition, they may simply not have the money for this … Yes, and repair is an unpleasant business! So, let’s figure out how to minimize the effects of flooding.
What to do if neighbors flood
It is clear that at the first moment a person begins to panic: “Oh horror, the neighbors from above flooded, what should I do ?!”. But then it retreats and the time comes for calm, balanced actions.
First of all, you need to contact the management company and invite the neighbors – in their presence you must draw up an act of flooding, – says Andrey Katsailidi, Managing Partner, Katsailidi & Partners Law Office. – You can write by hand: the act should contain information about the place and date of the incident, as well as a detailed description of the damage. For example, the wallpaper in the living room peeled off, the stove was flooded, the floor in the corridor was swollen, and so on.
An important point: it is better to describe how the neighbors from above flooded you as accurately as possible. Then write down everyone present with an indication of who they are. For example, Ivan Ivanov is a neighbor. Petr Petrov is a representative of the Housing Office. All of them must sign. Then later the neighbors will not be able to say that you yourself flooded your TV after the flood!
First actions
If possible, try to resolve the conflict peacefully. Dismantling in court will have to spend time, money, and nerves. So, if there is a chance to “bargain” – feel free to use it.
“Unfortunately, this does not always work out,” Katsailidi sighs. – Often the owner of a flooded apartment says that, for example, his TV was flooded, and the neighbor is indignant, they say, he hasn’t been working for you for 10 years! In this case, to assess the damage, it is better to contact an expert – an appraisal company.
Where to contact and call to recover damages
It all depends on who is to blame for the fact that you were flooded. These can be neighbors who forgot to turn off the tap, the management company (HOA, TSN or someone else responsible for maintaining your house), or developers who made a mistake while building the house. If you were flooded by neighbors from above, where to go is one of the most important issues.
Step by step guide
- Make an act.
- Assess the damage yourself or call an expert.
- Make a pre-trial claim and give it to the one who flooded you (do it under a signature so that later the culprit cannot make surprised eyes, they say, I hear it for the first time).
- Try to come to a consensus and peacefully resolve the issue. If it fails, go to the next paragraph.
- Make a claim and file it in court – so you can achieve repayment of all losses. Do not forget to get a writ of execution – you will need to submit it to the bailiff service, to work for the defendant or to the defendant’s bank, if you know where it is serviced.