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Problems with negligent owner of upstairs property
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Joasis


Posts: 5
Joined: Aug 2014
Post: #1
15-08-2014 09:23 PM



Hello,

I am glad to find this forum - so useful and so many great topics!
I thought I would ask for a bit of advice (not that se23 related, but hope someone can help) in a dispute I am having with an owner of flat above mine.
We bought a leasehold groundfloor flat in two flats house 2 years ago. The freeholder is also an owner of the flat upstairs which they let to private tenants.
Since moving in, we had very little contact with them, mainly because they live somewhere else and DID NOT want to provide us with their actual address saying we can send correspondence, if needed be, to their flat above ours and they collect post regularly.
Sounded weird. Since that time they also never bothered to come down and speak to us as new leaseholders or inform us how they will manage the property as the freeholders.
We started having issues 18months ago when we had a leak from their flat into our kitchen. Small leak, which was continuing for months until we started to get wet patches and mould. It was impossible to contact them, but finally came and we managed to get upstairs and locate the problem (their 'engineer' did not find anything). Apparently was fixed. There was already quite an unpleasant conversation with an attempt to blame the damaged walls on condensation etc.
A year later we had bigger leak and this time, again after silent few months of water trickling down the walls, the damage is extensive.
We tried getting them to come and speak to us about it, but no reply.
Got a claim through house insurance, but these people were supposed to pay back our £500 excess as they have neglected the leak for months since our report to them.
8 months fast forward (still no show, no answer to calls) we had another leak=flood into our storage room this time. It is based underneath their staircase leading to the flat. The stairs are all cracked and have holes so water comes through easily down. Many reports of small leak then a big flood and attempts to get them to fix the stairs...Finally a response saying they CANNOT find anyone to fix the stairs and if we know someone then we should get them to fix and they will pay money back.
Of course I said no as I do not believe a word of this woman.
The main issue here is that she does not care, but the storage room contains our electrical fuse box, electrical meter, washing machine and gas boiler, and our shoes etc. Everything was soaked and fortunately I was home during last downpour and secured what I could with plastic sheet and buckets. The top light stopped working.
I was so frustrated but did not know what to do next.
Hence my reach to you for your help.
Are there any authorities that can help with this?
Is there anyone that can force them somehow to act on this given it poses a danger to our safety?
They do not fulfill their freeholders duties either...

It is our first property so we have very little experience in such matters and I feel helpless here.

Additional info:
Freeholder is actually that woman's grandfather who is old and probably not in the country. His daughter came with the granddaughter once (after first leak) and said that granddaughter is now managing the flat upstairs, but gave only first names and phone numbers.
I cannot trace them.

Sorry for long post - was not sure how to best describe this so it gives you a whole picture.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

PS> called environmental health at Lewisham- no answer, left a message, but not sure what they can do.

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Problems with negligent owner of upstairs property - Joasis - 15-08-2014 09:23 PM