If a neighbor

[Aspergers_Aspie]

If a neighbor upstairs has difficulty walking and therefore she hasn't been able to turn off water causing water to flood into the flat below, in my opinion she should be in a care home

 

[Mary Terry]

I assume your flat was flooded which certainly is a bad thing. However, IMHO, she needs professional evaluation to determine whether she is incapable of caring for herself any longer and should be transferred to a home, or whether a less traumatic intervention such as occasional home care assistance would suffice.

She is a human being after all, and all of us make mistakes. Everyone deserves kindness and understanding. You would want that for yourself.

 

[Statest16]

If there repeatedly flooding the house than that's a problem,that could cost thousands in water damage,plus damage to property in apartment below.
If it happened only once,then maybe don't worry about it.

 

[Judge]

It might be more expedient to find out whether or not your neighbor is eligible for a carer to come to their home through agencies like the Royal Voluntary Service or the British Red Cross.

I suspect it's doubtful that anyone can be legally forced into an assisted living home over a single property damage claim.

help at home from a carer

 

[garnetflower13]

I had two perfectly fit neighbors flood our kitchen and then lie about why it happened. Wife blamed husband for leaving the tap on in the bathroom. Turned out the dishwasher was broken and that is why it overflowed and flooded our kitchen. For some reason they didn't tell the landlord.

An interesting side note; later on, we moved to this upstairs apartment and the same thing nearly happened! I was running the dishwasher, and it started overflowing. I caught it in time and found that some prior tenant had tried to wash one of those disposable plastic lids found on carry out food, in the dishwasher. the lid had melted and was blocking the place where water should drain out.

 

[Misery]

Just a thought...

But it might be a good idea to be sure that your neighbor having walking issues is the actual cause of the problem in the first place.

After all, pipes dont magically leak simply because they detect someone with a bad leg nearby. They DO, however, spring screwball leaks for all sorts of other, more sensible reasons that are plumbing-related.

My point is: if you're getting water damage, just going under the frankly very bizarre assumption that it's because your neighbor cant walk right doesnt make a whole lot of sense. Or... any sense, to be honest. Jumping to conclusions is *never*, and I mean *NEVER* a good or smart move.

Call a professional. As in, someone who can assess water damage and seek out the REAL cause (no, dont try to do it yourself. CALL A PROFESSIONAL). Rather than just going off of some goofball assumption simply because "neighbor is old" or whatever.

 

[Bolletje]

I disagree, there are dozens of possible steps to take before doing something drastic like moving someone into a care home.

 

[Au Naturel]

The question in my mind is, What was causing the water to overflow? Bathtubs and kitchen sinks are supposed to have overflow drains to prevent just that sorth of thing. Kitchen drains and showers don't have a stopper and should not be able to overflow either. Even if she forgot to turn the water off, it sounds to me like there's a plumbing problem to be addressed first.

A disability where you can turn the water on but not off sounds pretty unique.

 

[Starfire]

I don’t think that’s reasonable grounds for putting someone in a care home and depriving them of their liberty and independence.

Equally, you have every right not to be flooded and to enjoy your home without being subjected to major incidents or inconvenience caused by a neighbour.

However, there are a number of cheap, effective devices such as this which could be used to stop a bath or sink ever overflowing again -

Magiplug - Sink Overflow Plug

Perhaps you could get something like this and gift it to your neighbour at Christmas?

As far as dishwashers or washing machines etc a fault could cause a flood to occur for anyone at any age from teen onwards, and I doubt you think everyone who owns a faulty white good should be put in an institution due to mechanical failure. It makes more sense to have the machine repaired or replaced.

It’s unfortunately one of many downsides of having to live beneath someone else, noise being another factor. Don’t forget if the neighbour leaves for a care home you might end up with crack heads or alcoholics or people blasting loud music at all hours above instead. A flood may seem tame by comparison, sometimes it’s better the devil you know.