Often a situation arises that is painfully familiar to everyone. Renovated in the apartment, glued wallpaper, new tiles and laminate flooring pleasing to the soul. The apartment looks like new, and the owners have a wonderful mood. But once home from work one day, we see ceiling tiles damaged by water , wet walls and floors. It turns out that everything is trite - neighbors are flooded from above. What to do in this situation? All this is not only unpleasant, but can also significantly affect the wallet, since the cost of repairs can be very large. So, if the neighbors flooded, what should I do? Detailed instructions are fully reflected in this article. Below are tips to help solve the problem for both the affected party and those responsible.
Why is this so?
If neighbors flooded the apartment, what should I do? Often the first desire of most people is to "pour" their anger on them. However, they may not be to blame for the "flood". Perhaps it broke through the heating system, which has not been repaired for a long time. Sometimes negligent plumbers who have installed something wrong are to blame.
Quite often, the responsibility lies with neighbors. They forget to close the faucet in the kitchen or in the bathroom or break the plumbing while in a state of intoxication. Similar cases are also far from uncommon.
What to do if you are flooded, flooded by neighbors, where to go?
In any case, only the special commission can determine the culprit. To find out the cause of the “flood” and establish the person responsible, it is necessary to contact the management company or independent experts. An act will be drawn up where all the damage and the amount of compensation for the damage caused are registered.
If the apartment is flooded after repair
It is best to first turn to the perpetrators of the "flood" and try to amicably settle the issue. Many people prefer to negotiate peacefully. Do neighbors fill you up? What to do when it starts to drip from the ceiling? First of all, it is necessary to call the emergency service if it is discovered that water is leaking into the apartment. Specialists will test the leak, temporarily block the water (until the cause of the accident is eliminated).
After this, you need to apply to the management company (DEZ, ZhEK, HOA, etc.). A technical commission will be sent from there, which will establish the cause and size of the damage caused to housing.
Commission work
If the neighbors flooded from above, what to do, where to go? A commission is called up that establishes who is right and who is wrong. The damage caused is described in detail: starting from losses from damage to the technical condition of the apartment and ending with disabled electrical appliances and decor elements. An act can be drawn up only within three days from the moment of the accident. After this period, nothing can be documented.
Why is only an act drawn up in the first three days? Because the leak marks are still fresh. The commission must fix the place, time, cause and cause of the accident in the act. In addition, it reflects the degree of damage to housing.
After that, the second act is drawn up. It just reflects the amount of damage (detailed inventory). This is done because not only the ceiling and walls can be affected, but also the furniture in the apartment, household appliances, antiques, clothes, shoes, etc.
How to draw up an act
What to do if you are flooded with neighbors? First of all, conduct an examination and draw up an act. This is the most important document in which the date and time of flooding and a detailed listing of the damage caused by water should be reflected:
- Causes (damage to pipes, negligence of neighbors, etc.). The examination is paid by the culprit of the incident.
- A full list of property damage: spoiled furniture, shoes, clothes, carpets, lamps, household appliances, decoration and more.
- The culprit of the flood should be present at the examination and at the end put his signature on the consent to refund the specified amount or to refuse it. In the latter case, the amount of compensation will be determined in court. But in the act, the answer of the culprit should be recorded whenever possible.
- A document may be declared invalid if it does not contain the signatures of commission members who have suffered from the flood and the perpetrator himself.
- It is advisable to attach an estimate, which can be drawn up by an independent expert.
Where to go with acts
If neighbors have flooded, what to do next, having all the necessary acts on hand? In the presence of documents confirming damage, it is best to draw up a written complaint, which together with copies of official papers is sent to the culprit of the accident. This can be done both personally and by registered letter. The culprits of the accident are not always neighbors. Sometimes it is a management company that has not completed preventive maintenance on time. This is especially true for heating and water supply.
The neighbors poured. What if they refuse to pay the damage?
In this case, you must go to court. There you will need a receipt of a postal order or a claim with the refusal of neighbors to compensate for damage after flooding the housing. You need to make copies from both documents.
Prior to the court ruling, the apartment should not be put in order. Neighbors can begin to dispute the amount that is assigned in the form of compensation. In such cases, the court appoints an additional examination to clarify the amount of monetary compensation to the victim. All costs and legal costs will be paid by the defendant.
If there is no obvious leak
It happens that the residents below complain that the neighbors flooded the apartment. What should they do if there is no obvious leakage on the ceiling and it is dry? In this case, the cause of the "flood" may be sewage or a common house system, which is located between floors of high-rise buildings. And the accident most likely occurred at the junction.
If neighbors are constantly pouring in, what should I do? Examine the apartment and determine the location of the leak. If the ceilings are dry everywhere, then the neighbors are not liable for property damage, and compensation must be paid by the management company. But she pleads guilty reluctantly, and a peaceful settlement of such a conflict is rare. In any case, it is necessary to order an independent examination. The service is paid, but then the guilty party will reimburse the money.
Permanent "floods" from above
Again the neighbors flooded ... What to do, if the situation repeats repeatedly? In this case, you can immediately contact the management company, and subsequently - in court. With all the acts on hand, a complaint is written about the regular violation by the neighbors of the rules for using the premises. If neighbors are constantly pouring in, what should I do? Go to court. He will not only help compensate for the losses, but will also issue a warning to the culprits. If this happens again, then they will be fined a large amount.
If you flooded the neighbors below
First of all, it is necessary to find and neutralize the leak, even if for this you have to completely shut off the water in the entrance. This is done by an emergency company, which you need to immediately call if it is impossible to independently shut off the taps in the apartment.
It is better not to touch communal utilities on your own, as if they are damaged, you will have to pay compensation. Therefore, it is wiser to wait for the emergency brigade. To avoid a short circuit, immediately turn off the electricity in the apartment. To do this, simply lower the switch.
How to record damage caused to neighbors
If you flooded the neighbors below, what to do in this case? The apartment must be inspected personally and immediately to assess the degree of damage. The ideal option is to shoot everything on the camera or take pictures on the camera. Often, affected residents try to exaggerate the damage caused, so proof will be required when setting the amount of compensation.
If you are not allowed into the flooded apartment, then this may mean that they will try to demand more money from you than it may require the elimination of damage to property. Therefore, it is better to call the management company or independent experts on your own and go to the neighbors already with them. If you are not allowed to enter the apartment again, then in court you can safely dispute the amount that victims will require in the form of compensation. Since there are witnesses that the neighbors did not want to let the commission assessing the damage.
Expertise
If you flooded the neighbors below, what should I do? First, draw up an act in which all damage and the amount of damage will be indicated. The culprit is better to be present in person at the same time to make sure that the document is drawn up correctly and the amount of damage caused by water. At the same time, the nature of the latter is best recorded on video or photo, as already noted.
Compensation Procedure
Private transfer of money for causing damage must be done with at least one witness, and it is better if there are two of them. However, they should not be residents of a flooded apartment. Be sure to take a receipt, which indicates that the damage to property has been compensated, and the victims no longer have claims. If it was not possible to settle everything peacefully, then the matter will have to be decided in court, where all copies of acts and photographs about the amount of damage will be required.
How to recover damages
How to compensate for damage without trial? The easiest way is to pay with money by simply transferring the right amount to your neighbors. At the same time, it is imperative to take a receipt, which will indicate that the victims have no more complaints. The second is to make repairs in a flooded apartment on your own. In this case, all construction materials and work are paid independently, and no monetary compensation is transferred to the neighbors. The third way - you can pay for the repair (on the provided checks), if the victims did it themselves.
Of course, this situation is not pleasant and very annoying. However, it would be wiser not to come into conflict with opponents - it will be more expensive. Litigation not only takes a lot of time and money, but also spoils your nerves. There are no hopeless situations; people can always agree among themselves and not necessarily make concessions. It is simply enough for the guilty party to admit their responsibility for what happened and to compensate for the damage. And the victim - to meet and not demand more than what is supposed to. After a month, the situation will be forgotten. And the neighbors will remain friends. But conflicts, feuds and disputes will last a long time and will not lead to anything good.