Water Ingress Issues

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thelma65
Posts: 11
Joined: 09 Dec 2010 01:30

Water Ingress Issues

Post by thelma65 »

Hi There - my first post here so hi to everyone!

I purchased 2 apartments off plan about 6 years ago now - they are in a block in a private gated village.
I have 2, 1 bedroom apartments
I have had a problem almost since handover where the 1 apartment leaks badly through a bedroom ceiling everytime we have heavy rain.

There are lots of issues i have with the comlex / build (hassapis) but ill try to keep this breif-

Last year at great expense to the owners the comittee agreed to pay for a british builder to reseal all of the roofs on the blocks as this was thought to be the main problem. Guess what - as soon as we have a decent downfall the leak strikes agian in my bedroom!
Leading in me again losing rental business and also at great cost to me having to move guests out of my apartment that were staying in the room at the time.

Basically the problems are not solved as the chap above me in the penthgouse also has issues with water ingress .
I have taken it upon myself to get another builder to look to see if he can get to the bottom of the problem
not conclusive yet - but it may be the drain/soakaway pipe that the builders embedd into the concrete that runs above my bedroom
the thought is that this pipe was never sealed properly or has degraded after the initial build.
this would cost possibly hundreds if not thousands to sort the issue - but i feel as though this is a comitte issue and property issue from hassapis
This is already costing me lots of my own money.
The question i have at this moment is where can i go to get help as i just keep getting passed from pillar to post and the problem has been bad over the last 3 winters - causing me great stress being thousands of miles away.

I believe the building has a 10 yr guarantee from hassapis - but they just pass the buck all of the time
i have tried cliaming on the buildings insurance but they say it is a build uissue and will not cover the repairs or damage (alpha bank useless)
can i go back to the commitee and get the comitee to pay for this out of the community fees (that have doubled in the last 2 years)
and i pay for 2 lots!!!
Im doubtful they will accept this so im actually refusing to pay my communal fees at the moment as i think it is unfair that i cannot rent my apartment during the winter due to this issue

Does anyone know where i can go from here for help?
Am in doing the right thing - ?>
Im at my wits end and almost ready just to throw the keys back at hassapis and let them deal with it and never pay another bean to alpha bank mortgage

please help me do the right thing and get the right advice
Nigel Howarth
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Posts: 2911
Joined: 24 Oct 2007 14:38
Location: Erimi, Limassol, Cyprus
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Re: Water Ingress Issues

Post by Nigel Howarth »

Hello thelma65 and welcome to the forum.

Firstly - the developers insurance: most new buildings come with a one-year warrantee against 'routine' defects and you will need to check your sales contract to see what it says. But if the problem results from a 'structural' fault, then the developer is liable (providing you can provide the evidence to prove your case). You can read an article on structural and routine defects at http://www.news.cyprus-property-buyers. ... s/id=00101

If this problem only manifests itself when it rains heavily, it does point towards a problem with the surface water drains. You should get the problem properly investigated by a construction engineer to find out what precisely is causing it and then take appropriate action - either claiming on your own insurance of through the management committee, whatever is appropriate.

If it is turns out to be the responsibility of the management committee, then they can make a claim on your behalf - hopefully the policy will include cover for storm or flood. If the committee doesn't have storm or flood cover, then you can consider suing them for the cost of the damage/repairs.

You should not stop paying your management fees as you may lose any rights you may have to make a claim or possible sue them.

But you need to get the problem inspected professionally by a civil engineer who will be able to determine (a) whether it has been caused by a structural problem (b) how best to resolve it. Then you can decide how best to proceed.

Regards,
Nigel Howarth
Independent information & advice for Cyprus property buyers
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