apartment woes...

[VJ]

We have those in Slovenia and they are pretty much everywhere in buildings built post WW2.

I have only seen those in some hotels, but never saw them in Belgium or Poland.

After finishing renovations, I thought of such a drain for the room where my washing machine is, but it was too late.

So this is why I was wondering how can neighbour be "guilty" of flooding. Even if you open all taps, emergency drain should suck it up. and bathroom floor should be couple of cm lower than other rooms with barrier near bathroom door. So unless emergency drain is clogged, flood cannot happen.

No... so without such an emergency drain, the water just tries to find a way... If the problem is not caused by the main plumbing (before the meter for incoming pipes, the central drain pipe for drain pipes, it is not the building administrator's fault. Any other cause (leaking washing machine, open tap, bad plumbing in the apartment) becomes the neighbour's responsibility. Problem is that it can cause quite a bit of damage for the downstairs neighbours.
The previous owner of my apartment flooded 5 other apartments when her water pipe burst (they were renovated in the whole building, but she did not allow access to the apartment to change her pipes).

[VJ]

And it happened again... I was about to step in the shower, when the ceiling started leaking...
My girlfriend ran up, with cloths, to help clean the neighbours bathroom floor (and to find out how it happens).

The cause is discovered: if the neighbour doesn't close one tap properly, the water drips onto the edge of the sink, runs along the tap to the back and on the floor... The solution is simply to put a different, slightly longer, tap, so that even when it is not closed properly it just leaks into the drain.

We called her son, and to my surprise he answered the phone. He was very understanding, and said that he remembers the situation of the tap and that it indeed may be the cause. He will have the tap replaced. After the previous discussions (and us sending the insurance company after him), I did not think he would even bother to answer the phone - before he had my number blocked. I guess the fact that he had an insurance expert's report putting the blame with his mother, perhaps combined with the fact that the insurance requested damages from him, made him realize we are not making it up.

Luckily this time we were home and luckily we had not done the renovations yet. So at least we have hope that it will be fixed: the problem is identified and it is quite an easy fix. So we have to hope he will do it. But from his tone, I suspect that the insurance thing was what was needed for him to spring into action.

[UtwigMU]

Post this story on FML

[VJ]

Our doorman confirmed that her son come the same day...

At the moment, we are quite busy at work, but we plan to fix the damages late January / early February. I'm fed up with the stains on the ceiling and the crooked doorframe.
I'm also fed up with putting old sheets and towels as safety on the bathroomfloor, in case she floods us again (water might go to the renovated parquet floors in the bedroom or livingroom, and/or our downstairs neighbour)... But I fear I'll have to endure those a bit more. I should look for a more elegant looking solution...

[Umfriend]

Words, words, words. Show some pics already!

[Greebe]

A BIG maonry bit/hammerdrill up into her floor. Run pipe to your drain and seal. Or just use the hole and pipe in acetylene, fosgene, you get the picture