Hallandale, FL asked in Real Estate Law for Florida

Q: Scenario for a $10,000+ water damage problem in a condominium. Who is responsible?

Jill (pseudonym) suddenly finds the condo water was shut off. She leaves her apartment, and returns to find her bathroom floor flooded. Upset that the faucet was accidentally left on, she mops up thoroughly.

Six days later she gets a text from resident below saying there is extreme water damage in his bathroom that started the day the water was turned off, then grew worse three days later. He blames Jill.

Jill wonders if apartment, but three days later her toilet (seal?) was damaged, too, but showed no visible signs.

Jill wants to know if she is totally responsible for fixing Bob's bathroom or is the condo management partially responsible by neglecting to alert residents?

Related Topics:
1 Lawyer Answer

A: Unfortunately, Jill should be responsible for repairing Bob's bathroom damage. If there is a question regarding the extent of the damage caused by the leakage and the mitigation that Bob should have done (is there?), the damage can be reduced.

As far as the app is concerned, Jill may not have a valid claim either because a prudent resident has a duty to keep the faucet turned off when not used. The app is a friendly reminder but is not required.

1 user found this answer helpful

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.