64-year-old retiree Mr Tan has been living with a leaking toilet ceiling problem for the past 5 years.
About a year ago, the problem worsened – the toilet roof leak damaged his cabinets and constantly causes his instant water heater to trip the power supply.
Also, he has to lay out containers to collect water leaking from an overhead pipe.
Mr Tan made a complaint with the HDB and officers gave him the standard advice – the solution is for him and his neighbour living upstairs to share the cost of fixing the leak, with each person paying 50 percent of the cost.
Mr Tan said he was willing to do that and arranged with his neighbour to engage a contractor.
In June this year, the contractor recommended that the neighbour change the pipes and toilet bowl of his house, and some patchwork be done on Mr Tan’s ceiling.
However, the neighbour refused, saying that the repair works it will cause disruption to his 2 children who are schooling.
The neighbour also said that nowadays there are ways to patch the leak without the need for him to change his toilet bowl and pipes.
The matter has since reached a deadlock, and that has left Mr Tan frustrated.
He has complained that there’s nothing else he can do if the neighbour refuses to cooperate, but is still left with the frustrating problems caused by his leaking roof.
