Sunny summer days are followed by long autumn rains. Together with which come problems that make us nervous and run around in search of the coordinates of those who will save us. It will save us from weeping ceilings, drops and streams pouring on our heads from above. If the roof is leaking - where do the residents of the upper floors go for help? What to do if the substituted buckets and basins no longer save, and the flows are becoming more global?
Why does it flow
At least half of the residents of apartments experienced the troubles associated with flooding. Neighbors living above you periodically flood. And one can only sympathize with the citizens living on the upper floors.
Because, with the advent of the rainy season, they have a very hard time. The fact is that the roof located above the upper floor tends to periodically leak.
It flows for two main reasons - a violation of the sealing of the coating or its destruction. According to the rules, roof repairs should take place during the dry season, that is, in the summer.
But utilities, as always, rely on chance, and on the fact that this time there will be no damage. And they happen, moreover, with frightening frequency and periodicity. So what should residents flooded from above, affected by unforeseen circumstances, do?
What to do first
When flooding your apartment, the ceiling is the first thing to deteriorate. Ugly stains on it and falling drops will seem attractive to few people.
Each tenant is primarily concerned with the question: if the roof is leaking - where to go first and what to do about it? Therefore, substituting a container under the stream, pick up the phone.
Dial the number of your housing and communal services, where the dispatcher will accept your application. Next, you should wait for the appearance of a plumber who likes to introduce himself as a mechanic.
The locksmith, who is also a plumber, will try to assure you that the leak is not serious, and will clog spontaneously when the precipitation stops. Only the most ignorant believe in such versions, because a leak, without outside interference, is not capable of liquidating itself.
Undoubtedly, cosmetic or major repairs of the roof will be required here. But what should the owner of an apartment that has already been damaged by water, due to an accident on a leaky roof, or flooding from above, do?
Find out the coordinates of your housing and communal services, and write a statement addressed to his boss. The fact is that the plumber who came to your call, he is also a locksmith, most likely only states the fact of a leak, but is unlikely to eliminate it.
Moreover, if the roof is leaking, it is necessary not only to repair it, but also to eliminate the consequences of its damage. Therefore, the application is written in two copies, one of which is left in your housing and communal services, and the other is left by its initiator.
Note! The application is given to the public utility worker, and his signature is required on both copies. He is obliged to endorse the fact that the application from you is accepted by him. This is necessary so that, in case of loss or failure to submit the original application to higher authorities, you have the opportunity to prove your case.
Next, you should wait for a commission from members of the housing and communal services and the house committee to your apartment. Several people will come who will record and endorse not only the fact of the leak, but also the trouble caused to the apartment and the owner.
Anyone who knows where to turn if the roof is leaking, first of all persistently worries the public utilities, and only then those who are above them.
Because the public utilities may, upon arrival, begin to assure you that everything is not so problematic, and the troubles can be corrected by making fresh repairs in the apartment.
If this situation suits you, follow their advice, make repairs at your own expense and wait for the next troubles. And they, most likely, will come in the form of regular roof leaks and damaged ceilings.
Therefore, after an unsuccessful visit by your service representatives, or if they do not appear at all, you should write a complaint to the head of the housing and communal services department of your district or city.
It is also written in two copies. After such a measure, as a rule, the matter moves forward.
Now, if the roof is leaking in the apartment, and you have suffered damage of any nature, a commission should come to you upon application. The commission usually consists of several employees of your utility.
It is desirable that when it appears, neighbors drop in on you, as independent experts and as witnesses. The commission is obliged to draw up an act on the nature of the damage to the premises and its causes. Note that the cost of the damage caused is not indicated in the act.
This item is indicated in the defective list, drawn up later on the basis of the roof leak report and the fact of damage and material losses due to the situation. Specifically, the act indicates only the nature of the accident that occurred on the roof, as well as the features and details of the troubles that followed.
Small but important details
In an unpleasant situation, when your apartment is flooded from the roof, you should not just ask for help. It is necessary to take into account some details that can be of great help in this situation.
The first of these can be attributed to your attentiveness in taking into account everything that has suffered. A camera or video camera will come to your aid in this case.
Advice! Photograph or film all damaged property, as well as stains and drips on the ceiling and walls. Be sure to set the shooting date and time function on the camera. Shoot preferably in the presence of commission members, and let them endorse the photos or videos.In the event of litigation, these materials can be very useful to you.
Saved receipts for the purchase of furniture and equipment can also benefit you. Since the true value of the purchase is indicated there, you can claim damages for damage to it.
The commission that came to you is obliged to draw up an act that will indicate the nature of the leak, the cause, the possible perpetrators and the amount of damage to the apartment and property. The document must be signed by those who compiled it, one copy remains with you. There, the date, time of flooding, as well as the last name, first name and signature of the person who compiled it must be indicated without fail.
If nothing has changed after the arrival of the experts, the roof has not been restored, repairs have not been made in your apartment, write a statement in two copies to your management company addressed to its boss. Often, utility services, after drawing up an act, are in no hurry to correct not only the results of the accident, but also its cause.
Getting the roof repaired can often be quite troublesome. But to bring the matter to its logical conclusion is in your own interests. Otherwise, damage to the roofing will give you problems time after time, with every rain or snow.
Often an application to the management company is enough to satisfy your requirements. The only thing you need to do is follow all the rules for preparing an application and submitting it. One copy of this document signed by the recipient must remain with you. When submitting an application, have your passport and its photocopies on hand, as well as copies of a document confirming your legal right to a particular housing, that is, an order.
Going to court
If the apartment was flooded from the roof, and your applications to the management company of the house, as well as to the city's housing and communal services department, did not work, you should go to court.
In this case, it is necessary to collect all the documents relevant to the case. An act drawn up by experts of the commission or independent experts, a copy of the application to the housing and communal services, photo and video materials, a document on the assessment of material damage.
An application is written to the court, which indicates the reason for the appeal, the time that has passed since the flood, as well as the detailed coordinates of your housing sector with the names of those who are inactive.
Before going to court, once again try to convince your utility companies to eliminate the results of the leak without lengthy proceedings.
Motivate this also by the fact that during and after the trial the company will incur additional material losses. Of course, litigation drags on for a long time, and takes not only time, but also nerves.
Therefore, try as much as possible to resolve the issue peacefully. Often this is enough, but if you show perseverance and patience. Leaving the case halfway, you not only do not defend your rights, but also give the utility services a reason not to respond to your future requests.
A roof that is not repaired on time will leak more and more every time it rains. Therefore, it is in your interests to get it repaired as soon as possible, as well as to restore your damaged repairs and furniture.
Knowing your rights and how to act, you will definitely achieve your goal with a little patience and perseverance in this process.
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