(WSVN) - She created some clever ways to catch all the water pouring from her upstairs neighbor’s shower — into her shower. Why did she have to go to such great lengths? To stop her condo from flooding. It’s tonight’s Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
Natalie might have had the shortest move in South Florida history.
Natalie Savage, showered with problem: “Actually, I used to live right next door.”
Then, she walked into her neighbor’s condo, saw their view and said, “If you ever sell, call me.”
Natalie Savage: “And they let me know before they put it on the market, so I snapped it up.”
Its great, but now…
Natalie Savage: “Now, I’m regretting it because of my neighbor upstairs, who keeps flooding my apartment.”
You have to see it to believe it. Every time her neighbors above take a shower, the water drips into Natalie’s tub.
Patrick Fraser: “Every time they take a shower you get wet?”
Natalie Savage: “Well, I would if I stood underneath the hole that I made in my ceiling to allow for the leaks to fall into my tub.”
Apparently, neither of the two bathrooms above Natalie were built properly and both leak badly.
Natalie Savage: “It happens in the middle of the night, all hours of the day, and I’m always conscious, ‘Oh, my God, is there a leak?'”
Natalie has complained to the owner of the condo for years.
Natalie Savage: “Has a different excuse each time, and he just never fixes anything like in the four years that I’ve been complaining about the leaks.”
Natalie contacted her association. They tried to help but got nowhere, as chunks of the building dropped down and worse.
Natalie Savage: “Actually, that ceiling in that bathroom, that hallway bathroom, has actually already collapsed from the same leak back in 2017.”
Natalie offered to pay to repair the showers. The owner said no, and so she improvised.
Natalie Savage: “I created this beautiful hole in my ceiling, so that I could direct all the water into my tub.”
Her sarcasm is as dripping as the water, but her creativity is eye-catching.
Look at the tape Natalie put under her neighbor’s showers leading to a pipe, so the water flows into this.
Natalie Savage: “And I put it up here, and I funnel the water into my tub.”
One for each shower and a kid’s pool in her closet under another leak.
Ingenious but irritating to be showered in leaks.
Natalie Savage: “I’m a little worried I’m going to go insane from listening to any more leaks for any more years.”
The sound of the bay here. The sound of the water here.
Natalie Savage: “It’s upsetting. I love this place. I love this neighborhood. I love Miami, but I have no words. I’m literally speechless. I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Well, Howard, if this was your condo, and you had this for the last four years, what would you do?
Howard Finkelstein, 7 News Legal Expert: “If your neighbors have a leak, initially they are not responsible for any damage they cause until they become aware of it. Then, they must act quickly, or they have to pay for any further problems that arise. If they refuse, since this is a condominium, you can sue, and many lawyers will take the case without charging you because the person that damaged your property will have to pay both sides’ legal fees when they lose plus the cost of your repairs.”
I spoke to the property manager. She said they repaired the leaks one time, but the owner refused to repay them.
She added they issued violations and $2,000 in fines. He ignored them.
I said, “Why doesn’t the association sue him?”
She said the board doesn’t have the money, and Natalie should do it.
I then talked to the owner of the condo. He said it’s the association’s responsibility to repair the leaks, but he said he would take care of the problem, and he did.
Natalie Savage: “The neighbor upstairs finally fixed the leak.”
The leaks have stopped, and Natalie is pessimistically optimistic her drips are done.
Natalie Savage: “Honestly, it just seems too good to be true. I am still nervous. Anytime I hear raindrops or hear water in any place at all, I am always running to the bathroom to check to see if it’s coming from my ceiling, and it’s not. It’s honestly amazing. I can’t even tell you how good it feels.”
Glad Natalie can finally dry out.
Now, if you have a neighbor that refuses to fix a problem like Natalie’s, the first step is to see if your association can help.
If that fails, try your homeowner’s insurance. They can pay for the repairs, and they go after the owner causing them, and the last option: you take them to court and sue them.
Someone soaking you with problems? Ready to shower them back? Leak the problem to us, so you can bathe in the luxury of a solution.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN
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