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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

In despair about this. AIBU?

50 replies

meaningofnight · 15/01/2010 14:43

Last night we got home to find water dripping through the hall ceiling from the flat above. No-one was in above (tenants), so we phoned the owner of the flat who said "Oh yes they had a flood a couple of days ago and I called a plumber, but he couldn't find anything so he just went away."
I came home from work early in case their plumber (now recalled) needed access to our flat to be told that the plumber isn't coming until Monday.
Feel mightily fed up that we have to put up with a dripping ceiling for 4 days. It's not pouring down or anything - just a constant slow drip (filled bottom of saucepan overnight). AIBU?

OP posts:

heQet · 15/01/2010 14:49

nope. put a claim in against them - the landlord i mean. surely they have been negligent?

kinnies · 15/01/2010 14:51

Get back on the phone and tell the owner that it needs fixing NOW!
The owner is also liable for any damage to your home.
You really shouldnt have to put up with this.

Heebeejeebee · 15/01/2010 15:01

What a nightmare.. From the other point of view, I am a landlord and my flat leaked a couple of years ago. My managing agents got plumbers in on several occaisions, but it took a couple of visits to establish the problem.

Are your flats completely independent? Mine is in a block, and on the managing agent's advice, the owners below had to claim on the building insurance to repair the damage/redecorate, but I paid the excess for them as my flat caused the problem..

Original poster

meaningofnight · 15/01/2010 15:09

OK I have just phoned the owner (who lives in Oxford - we are in London). She told me her plumber can't come because he is so busy. He says he MAY come tomorrow but she is not sure. She won't give me the contact details of the plumber. I asked if I could get a plumber and she said if I do she won't pay for it. She also said she will only speak to my husband in future and then she put the phone down on me.

I am just furious now.

We live in a Victorian house converted into 3 flats. The freehold is shared between the 3 owners.

Oh now I am just SO angry. What a cow!

OP posts:

heQet · 15/01/2010 15:12

leave a message to say that you will sue her for any damage done to your flat.

Original poster

meaningofnight · 15/01/2010 15:15

She is such a vile woman. I said to her "What if our ceiling comes down?" and she replied "Well we can have a conversation about that then can't we?"

OP posts:

MadamDeathstare · 15/01/2010 15:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GibbonInARibbon · 15/01/2010 15:27

at her attitude!

Leave a message saying she should expect to hear from your solicitor.

shivster1980 · 15/01/2010 15:30

YANBU what a horrible landlady!

Original poster

meaningofnight · 15/01/2010 15:30

She's not our landlady Madame Deathstare. She's the woman who owns the flat above the one we own.

We only have a mobile phone number for her as contact (as do her tenants) and she often just doesn't answer it.

She refuses point blank to pay for any damage to anyone else's flat or share payment for repairs to the common bits of the property if she hasn't employed the workmen herself.

She told my husband last night that she had called a plumber the other day to find the source of the flood, but he couldn't find anything and went away. Her tenant (who I have just spoken to) told me the plumber wasn't in fact called until last night and has never been here. When I said to the landlady that I was confused because her tenant had told me no plumber has visited, she said "Now you are being unreasonable. I will not speak to you again. I am at work and I have to go to a meeting".
I said "I have had to take the afternoon off work to deal with this" "Well" she replied "We are all being bothered by it then aren't we"" I feel so powerless. I just want to go and smash her face in!

OP posts:

MissAnneElk · 15/01/2010 15:40

I'd seriously consider contacting your own insurance company to ask advice. It's possible you have an obligation to do this anyway because the neighbour may somehow wriggle out of her liability leaving you to make a claim anyway.

SqueezyIsStartinAResolution · 15/01/2010 15:46

Yep, get in touch with your own insurance company for advice.

Keep an eye on your ceiling and if it starts to bulge, burst it as soon as you can.

Original poster

meaningofnight · 15/01/2010 15:48

Burst it? Really? What with?
My husband is at work and has left his mobile behind so I can't tell him about the horrible woman.

OP posts:

nickelbabe · 15/01/2010 15:56

Squeezy's suggesting to burst it because it could make your whole ceiling collpase under the pressure and bursting it (with a knife or screwdriver) will make the water come through one point relieasing the pressure.
it'll be cheaper to repair

TheInvisibleManDidIt · 15/01/2010 15:58

Agree with squeezy- put a hole in it with a screwdriver or something if it bulges. Allows the water to drain through rather than gathering and bringing the whole ceiling down.

Also agree you should let your insurance company know as soon as possible. Does your insurance have a home care thing with it? They may get their own plumber out and then tehy can chase her for the costs and you're not out of pocket in any way.

DorotheaPlenticlew · 15/01/2010 15:58

What a cow

TheInvisibleManDidIt · 15/01/2010 15:58

x-posts

morningpaper · 15/01/2010 15:59

Don't touch it or you may invalidate your own insurance

Contact your insurers now and explain the situation

EvilHRLady · 15/01/2010 16:03

Our flat was flooded a couple of years ago due to work that a neighbour's plumber did on a tank in the roof - it was a bodged job, leading to a total overflow that ruined our (new) kitchen, bedroom, flooring....and it took 5 months of drying out & repair works before we could move back in. Oh, and we got married during that time as well, so we were not in our own home for our wedding.
I have quite strong feelings about flats and flooding...and Norwich Union, but that's another, very long, story

So I would very strongly suggest speaking to your buildings (probably jointly covers all flats) & contents insurers (probably just your own insurers) to see what they suggest and then ring the narky old bag upstairs owner and tell her their response. Which will probably be that the issue is dealt with NOW.

You could always call an emergency plumber and send her the bill...you don't want a drip now to turn into Niagra Falls. Our flood was so bad we had to call the fire brigade to turn the whole block's water supply off!

I don't want to scare you with OTT details (!) but then again, I woudn't wish our experience on anyone. Apart from the woman owner upstairs , possibly! Water takes an incredily long time to clean up...

HTH

BigBadMummy · 15/01/2010 16:05

Get on to your insurance company

They will appoint somebody to come and assess the damage and will possibly appoint their own plumber.

The insurance company will then pursue the owner above.

Sounds like a washing machine connection has come loose or its the bath over flow.

Is there a block managing agent?

The landlord above will possibly not cover your damage. Your insurance company will have to sort that out and pursue them anyway when the full damage is finalised.

bronze · 15/01/2010 16:08

I would start moving anything that could get ruined now

Original poster

meaningofnight · 15/01/2010 16:09

Thank you lovely Mumsnetters. I have to wait until DH gets home as I can't find insurance docs.
Feel so much better for being able to tell someone though.
Have been looking at estate agents sites to see if I can find another home! Shame because we have a lovely flat with garden and nice neighbours and good for getting to work, but the attitude of that woman really gets me down. You just know that every time something has to be done she will be as difficult as possible.
Last year she let her garden (backs on to ours) get really overgrown and to clear it she got a sweet Polish teenage girl to 'weed' it for nothing - like a slave - because she said she owed her a favour. It was really hot and we gave the girl tea and stuff. Amazing! She (horrible cow) works for large charity. I can only imagine she must be vile when she's deciding who gets aid.

OP posts:

SqueezyIsStartinAResolution · 15/01/2010 16:10

Bursting it doesn't invalidate insurance. This has happened to me more than once just before Christmas (mice attacked my central heating pipes causing approximately 8 different leaks around my house, managed to save all but one ceiling) and also in the past in a previous house.

In bursting it, I meant as soon as you see any bulging and yes, with a stanley blade (for neatness) or a screwdriver. If it bulges and you don't burst it, your whole ceiling can come in with the weight of the water. The quicker the water is let out, the lesser the pressure and weight on the ceiling.

Original poster

meaningofnight · 15/01/2010 16:14

If I call an emergency plumber I can't send her the bill as I don't know her address in Oxford. Also she has said she will refuse to pay. What to do?

Am watching for bulging and looking for insurance stuff.

OP posts:

PfftTheMagicDragon · 15/01/2010 16:20

Don't bother speaking to her again, it is clearly futile and it's only going to piss you off. Go through the insurers. Let them deal withit.

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