Anyone living in a condo & having problems with leaks?

johnny333 · Jul 28, 2014

Romagnum said:
Rich people got rich people problem.

Many private home owners are assholes and make life difficult for each other.

Of cocurse there are HDB assholes too, but proportionately less. Can cham siong.

With the shoddy workmanship that is so common nowadays, apartment dwellers will eventually face all kinds of problems. However if you live on landed you are unlikely to have as many problems.

For apartment dwellers you have to worry about neighbours living above, below, left & right. If you live on landed you have fewer neighbours to deal with. There is usually a fence to keep them away. It's rare to have the problems like those experienced by the Everitt Neighbourhood :biggrin:

For those who think they have bad neighbours, things could be worse if you had neighbours like them http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_441_2005-02-02.html

johnny333 · Jul 28, 2014

ginfreely said:
Hi I have experienced this twice. First as the below unit, which I was advised the cost sharing is 100% borne by top floor unit for condo, while for HDB is 50:50 sharing. Can't remember which ruling it is but the condo manager was involved. The second time was the condo manager said it was my unit leaking and the below units wanted me to pay them. So I called a water proofing specialist to check and he managed to trace the leaking to be due to the below unit's bath tub.

If the condo management insist that I bare 100% of the cost then I am going to "file an application to the Strata Titles Board to settle such disputes as provided in section 103 of the Land Titles (Strata) Act (Chapter 158)" as bro Virus suggested. It will delay the repairs because I don't think it is fair & I wouldn't have anything to lose by escalating to a higher authority.

Anyone know if I should contact a water proofing specilaist?, a plumber?, a contractor?,.....

ginfreely · Jul 28, 2014

johnny333 said:
If the condo management insist that I bare 100% of the cost then I am going to "file an application to the Strata Titles Board to settle such disputes as provided in section 103 of the Land Titles (Strata) Act (Chapter 158)" as bro Virus suggested. It will delay the repairs because I don't think it is fair & I wouldn't have anything to lose by escalating to a higher authority.

Anyone know if I should contact a water proofing specilaist?, a plumber?, a contractor?,.....

I think get water proofing specialist better. That time I called some plumbers and they said very difficult to check, have to tear up everything etc.

Understand the ruling is 100% borne by upstairs for condo, maybe it is URA ruling or something like that.

johnny333 · Jul 28, 2014

ginfreely said:
I think get water proofing specialist better. That time I called some plumbers and they said very difficult to check, have to tear up everything etc.

Understand the ruling is 100% borne by upstairs for condo, maybe it is URA ruling or something like that.

Anyone have a recommendations for a water proofing specialist :confused:

crossroads · Jul 28, 2014

johnny333 said:
Anyone have a recommendations for a water proofing specialist

I dont know of any but my advice is never try to get one from the ' yellow pages ' . They will rip you off good and proper and may not even do a good job.

scroobal · Jul 28, 2014

Johnny

Surprised that your management agents are not more helpful. They would have encountered similar problems as these problems are not uncommon within the same development and would recommend someone who did a similar job. Suggest you make an appointment with the Manager himself.

johnny333 · Jul 28, 2014

ginfreely said:
I think get water proofing specialist better. That time I called some plumbers and they said very difficult to check, have to tear up everything etc.

Understand the ruling is 100% borne by upstairs for condo, maybe it is URA ruling or something like that.

Who told you that you had to pay 100% of the cost :confused:

I find it strange that if you are living in HDB responsiblity is 50/50 while for condos it is 100% if you are the owner of the upper unit.

Looking at the FAQ from the Strata Titles board they are vague in the the distribution of responsibilty:

http://www.redas.com/einformation/pu/handbook/bca/990809.htm

2) Who should pay for repairs to rectify water leakage between 2 units?

Ans : It is the duty of an owner of a unit to keep it in a good condition so as not to cause annoyance to others. When leakage occurs between 2 units, one above and one below, the owners who jointly owned the concrete slab separating the 2 units are responsible for the repairs. The owners should get together to investigate and identify the cause of the leakage and proceed with the necessary repairs. They should also resolve the costs of repairs between themselves. If any dispute in the costs of the repairs should arise, the owner could file an application to the Strata Titles Board to settle such disputes as provided in section 103 of the Land Titles (Strata) Act (Chapter 158).

If the complaint is referred to the Commissioner of Buildings, the Commissioner may serve a Notice directing both owners to carry out the necessary repairs. The Notice is to be strictly complied with and the Buildings and Common Property (Maintenance and Management) Act (Chapter 30) has provision to take recalcitrant owners to tasks.

johnny333 · Jul 28, 2014

crossroads said:
I dont know of any but my advice is never try to get one from the ' yellow pages ' . They will rip you off good and proper and may not even do a good job.

Suspect that there many unscrupulous contractors out there.
That's why I'm asking for recommendations.

johnny333 · Jul 28, 2014

scroobal said:
Johnny

Surprised that your management agents are not more helpful. They would have encountered similar problems as these problems are not uncommon within the same development and would recommend someone who did a similar job. Suggest you make an appointment with the Manager himself.

I was away & only found out about the problems this weekend. That's why I'm trying to find out about my options.

I've learned that the bros out there collectively know plenty & it never hurts to hear their opinions :smile:

ginfreely · Jul 28, 2014

johnny333 said:
Anyone have a recommendations for a water proofing specialist

I called a few from classified. I can pm you.

johnny333 · Jul 28, 2014

ginfreely said:
I called a few from classified. I can pm you.

Please pm me the list. Thanks

If they gave you any quotes I would be interested to know the price range too

ginfreely · Jul 28, 2014

johnny333 said:
Who told you that you had to pay 100% of the cost

I find it strange that if you are living in HDB responsiblity is 50/50 while for condos it is 100% if you are the owner of the upper unit.

Looking at the FAQ from the Strata Titles board they are vague in the the distribution of responsibilty:

http://www.redas.com/einformation/pu/handbook/bca/990809.htm

2) Who should pay for repairs to rectify water leakage between 2 units?

Ans : It is the duty of an owner of a unit to keep it in a good condition so as not to cause annoyance to others. When leakage occurs between 2 units, one above and one below, the owners who jointly owned the concrete slab separating the 2 units are responsible for the repairs. The owners should get together to investigate and identify the cause of the leakage and proceed with the necessary repairs. They should also resolve the costs of repairs between themselves. If any dispute in the costs of the repairs should arise, the owner could file an application to the Strata Titles Board to settle such disputes as provided in section 103 of the Land Titles (Strata) Act (Chapter 158).

If the complaint is referred to the Commissioner of Buildings, the Commissioner may serve a Notice directing both owners to carry out the necessary repairs. The Notice is to be strictly complied with and the Buildings and Common Property (Maintenance and Management) Act (Chapter 30) has provision to take recalcitrant owners to tasks.

I was advised by a friend who had such experience. She gave me the reference too but I forgot which ruling is it already. Anyway the condo manager was so blur and thought it was 50:50 too until I showed her the reference. I thought should be URA ruling, cannot find from google?

johnny333 · Jul 28, 2014

This is actually the 1st place I've ever owned. From what I've learned I would probably do things slightly differently. I would have gotten a water proofing specialist to go through the unit to do preventive water proofing. With todays poor workmanship I think prevention is a necessity. It is an investment.

I would also add structured cabling for internet connectivity.

Should have installed noise deducing curtains as well as heat blocking curtains

I wouldn't have installed all those halogen lights. Never used them at all.
Would have put more holes in the walls to make it easier to replace my aircon system

Maybe the next time.

scroobal · Jul 28, 2014

Bro, whether HDB or private property, the starting point is always 50/50. The liability shifts when the investigation reveals that one of the owners usually the owner above had done some renovation work that contributed to the leak. As Johnny had not done anything, it will will remain 50% unless he failed to maintain his apartment which led to worsening of the leak.

It important that the other party is introduced to the contractor early so that all parties are comfortable with any arrangements.

ginfreely said:
I was advised by a friend who had such experience. She gave me the reference too but I forgot which ruling is it already. Anyway the condo manager was so blur and thought it was 50:50 too until I showed her the reference. I thought should be URA ruling, cannot find from google?

looneytan · Jul 28, 2014

ginfreely said:
So what did you do for your condo and how much did it cost? I also worried when my unit will start leaking and the cost.

it was PU grouting done from unit below, could not recall how much and what cause it as the papers are not with me now, it came with 1 year warranty

Reddog · Jul 28, 2014

johnny333 said:
I'm staying in a condo & recently the neighbours below are complaining of a water leak from above. It seems that the leak is coming from above, i.e. from my unit.
However I haven't done any renovations & I don't see any evidence of leaking problems in my unit

However the management says that I am responsible because the leak is coming from above.

I may have to tear up the floor of my kitchen to see if there is any hidden leaks. I'm obviously unhappy with the situation. If I tear up my perfectly good floor & don't find any leaks then who is going to pay the costs? Even if there is an underlying problem, am I responsible for it since I haven't actively done anything to my unit such as hacking the floors.

Welcome any feedback on where I stand legally in this matter. Any tips on how I can handle the condos management?

Wah! You stay in a condo ah? What a good way to announce... hee hee

Rushwind · Jul 28, 2014

johnny333 said:
Anyone have a recommendations for a water proofing specialist

Maybe you can try NTUC Home Services? From their website, it appears that they offer waterproofing services. This is their website: http://www.income.com.sg/homeservices/index.asp

FAQ about Home Services is here: https://orgnet.income.com.sg/uiGuide/guideDetailsPublic.aspx?gde=4554

I called them for help on my washing machine which stopped working. The guy came by and figured that the door lock mechanism was the problem and changed it for me.

johnny333 · Jul 28, 2014

Reddog said:
Wah! You stay in a condo ah? What a good way to announce... hee hee

A home is your biggest investment & you don't want to sting on one. Wish I could afford a private property home, then I would have fewer problems:(
I have never used the facilities like the pool, fitness equipment,... Just want a hassle free home.

I did take a look at HDB but decided to spend the extra $$$ after hearing about all the hassles about HDB living. There are plenty of things you can't do renovation wise. There is also a limitation to the appliances you are allowed e.g. 12 amps vs 13 amps in condos. All that indoor plumbing is ugly. Then there are also disputes with the neighbours.

Even in condo we sometimes have bureaucratic management that try to control the tenants but as condo dwellers you can usually ignore them & after a year there is usually a new management in charge :smile:

ykhuser · Jul 28, 2014

dont worry.
every unit once or twice is going to experience this once in their lifetime.
my unit below complain of kitchen leak.
we are very cooperating .we went down to confirm and did not denied
within the same day,we call town council and HDB to assist.
HDB agree to co pay halve of the cost.the other halve to be co pay between me and my unit below.
total cost for my unit $250
1)hacking of bathroom floor,toilet floor and sitting toilet bowl.
2)re do of water proofing plus water proof test
3)re flooring of tiles and toilet bowl
4)water proofing final test.
5)pass and live happily ever after

have to bear for 2 days.
day 1:\
hack and house keeping
water proofing to dry overnite
day 2:
tiling and installation toilet bowl.
by midnight, you can bath already as the concete dried out.

if problem not solved, you dont pay the hdb a single cent,that it.for their wrong diagnose

other than leak, you may/maynot experience this later part in your life.

http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?177374-help-advise-needed&highlight=choked+pipe

johnny333 · Jul 28, 2014

ykhuser said:
dont worry...................

People are always talking about the financial aspects of buying property but never about the nitty gritty of home ownership so this problem caught me by surprise.
From all the feedback from the bros I now have a better understanding of where I stand & how to proceed.

Had a friend who suggested investing in properties. I can't imagine myself as a landlord. You are bound to have all kinds of headaches from the tenants.

Anyone living in a condo & having problems with leaks?

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