Shared water pipe with neighbour

[ConcernUK]

Hi.
I am the owner of a flat in a converted house that has two other flats: we are all leaseholders or them same freeholder, I am the flat in the middle. We have one water main supply feed that comes into our house which is then split into the 3 flats. I am having my bathroom renovated and the plumber switched off the water supply to my flat: this apparently resulted in the ground flat not having any water either accordingly to the leaseholder. Following inspection of the ground floor from my plumber at my expenses, it resulted that the ground floor flat still had cold water but was the hot water supply that was cut as apparently feeds off my own supply to my flat. The flat upstairs was unaffected. The leaseholder of the ground flat now wants the freeholder to get it rectified at a cost between the 3 flats. Is it not his responsibility and expense only to ensure that his flat feeds from his own water supply rather than using hot water from mine, specifically since he had the flat renovated when he bought it?
Specifically, each time hot water is used downstairs it causes me inconvenience as my water pressures drops considerably and affects my washing machine and boiler.
Thanks

 

[Deleted member 120897]

Sounds like a legal nightmare. As I understand it, 3 flats must have their own stopcock, this is to prevent an argument between neighbours and resulting in anyone being without water, so I would say it’s down to the building owner.

 

[ConcernUK]

Sounds like a legal nightmare. As I understand it, 3 flats must have their own stopcock, this is to prevent an argument between neighbours and resulting in anyone being without water, so I would say it’s down to the building owner.

Hi, thanks for the reply: however they do have cold water consistently just not the hot one when the stopcock is turned on. Would it be a building owner problem if the supply of cold water was also missing?

 

[SJB060685]

I’m struggling to picture this. Are you saying your flat provides hot water for the two flats you mention?

 

[ConcernUK]

I’m struggling to picture this. Are you saying your flat provides hot water for the two flats you mention?

HI, sorry if it was not clear: it looks like my neighbour downstairs is receiving his cold water from his own independent feed, but has plugged his hot water feed off my cold water pipe instead of using his own cold water pipe instead. Therefore when we close the tap feed in my flat to do the works he gets no more hot water but can still run the cold water tap. Thanks

 

[snowhead]

It would seem like either and oversight or mistake when the flats were originally split.
OR an error when the ground floor flat had renovations done.

Generally speaking a Leasholder is repsonsible for all internal pipework fixtures and fittings.

The only time shared costs come in is for things like the roof, foundations and any other common shared areas like paths, driveways parking areas etc.
The common area responsibilities will be mentioned in the Leases.

If the Ground floor occupant can prove it was not their renovation works that caused the issue and it shouldn't be too difficult to see if the source of the Cold water to the Hot cylinder / Combi boiler has been moved then they may have a claim against whoever sold the flat to them.
However I doubt it's worth the cost of attempting that.

Common responsibility stops where the clear split occours, as in the 3 stop taps.

I assume the water supply for the 2 upper flats is routed through the ground floor flat, or do they run through a common area?

 

[ConcernUK]

It would seem like either and oversight or mistake when the flats were originally split.
OR an error when the ground floor flat had renovations done.

Generally speaking a Leasholder is repsonsible for all internal pipework fixtures and fittings.

The only time shared costs come in is for things like the roof, foundations and any other common shared areas like paths, driveways parking areas etc.
The common area responsibilities will be mentioned in the Leases.

If the Ground floor occupant can prove it was not their renovation works that caused the issue and it shouldn't be too difficult to see if the source of the Cold water to the Hot cylinder / Combi boiler has been moved then they may have a claim against whoever sold the flat to them.
However I doubt it's worth the cost of attempting that.

Common responsibility stops where the clear split occours, as in the 3 stop taps.

I assume the water supply for the 2 upper flats is routed through the ground floor flat, or do they run through a common area?

Hi, thank for the reply: it is one main feed from Thames Water to the building, which is then split into three separate cold feeds to the 3 flats

 

[ConcernUK]

Hi, thank for the reply: it is one main feed from Thames Water to the building, which is then split into three separate cold feeds to the 3 flats

Hi, these are terms of my lease
"To pay and contribute one-third of the expense of renewing, repairing, supporting and cleansing and maintaining all party and main walls of the building the joists to which the ceiling of the ground floor are attached, the gutters, sewers, drains, roofs, foundations, passageways, pathways, party structures, chimney stacks, fences easements and the common hall belonging to or which shall belong to the premises or to the building and pipes, wires, cables, cisterns and other items which are used in common with the owner or occupier of the other flats in the building"
As far as I can tell, my water pipe is not something "in common" as as he is feeding off it instead of its own it should be something he needs to address himself or with the freeholder without any other lessee needing to pay towards any cost. Is that correct?

 

[snowhead]

Yes as I'd put earlier, the "Common" re the water pipe, stops at the split from the incoming water supply to 3 separates.

Or to qualify that a bit more, the individual stop tap (and pipework beyond) for each flat belongs to that flat.
The section of pipe from main incoming stop tap to each of the 3 flat stop taps would be Common.

 

[ConcernUK]

Yes as I'd put earlier, the "Common" re the water pipe, stops at the split from the incoming water supply to 3 separates.

Or to qualify that a bit more, the individual stop tap (and pipework beyond) for each flat belongs to that flat.
The section of pipe from main incoming stop tap to each of the 3 flat stop taps would be Common.

Great, thanks - that is what I thought: therefore I am the one who is being inconvenienced as I thought as he feeds off my own supply. Thank you