The Sorry Story of a Cannabis Farm

A question about : The Sorry Story of a Cannabis Farm

I live on the second floor of a block of nine flats. Earlier this year my downstairs neighbour got caught out with a cannabis farm. We had suspected this was going on due to the obvious smell,but despite another neighbour reporting it, the police did nothing. What I didn't know was that my flat had been leaking into his. I didn't know there was a problem and for obvious reasons he didn't want to say as he didn't want to let anyone in his flat. Judging by the damage by the time I was made aware of the leak by the owner of the flat (after the man had disappeared in the middle of the night), the leak had been going on for months. The ceiling had caved in and the whole flat was mouldy. The leak has now been fixed and the flat downstairs repaired - on the main insurance I think (I'm a tenant).

I never really thought much of it (apart from it being a bit bizarre!) - until I got my water bill. I'm on a meter and UU have just sent me a bill for Ј2,009. Plus, they want to up my payments to Ј97.50 a month - and that doesn't include anything toward the Ј2,009. I simply can't stretch to a monthly payment that large and I'm at a loss as to what to do. When I told them what had happened, it felt like they thought I was making it up! Does anyone have any advice? Although I'm assuming this is a one-off kind of situation!!

Best answers:

• Welcome to the forum.
  IMO this should be covered by the insurance for the downstairs flat.
  However I would firstly speak to the UU(water company) as it is their normal policy to grant a one-off leak allowance; and this seems an appropriate case.
  If no satisfaction there, speak to the Consumer Council for Water.
• Tell the water company you think he purposefully caused a leak to water his indoor garden .
• Thanks for the welcome Cardew. I read about that last night actually - and the Water Council - so I will definitely follow up with both of those ideas.
  And Globalds, it wouldn't surprise me if he was. I didn't get a share of the produce though!! Selfish ...... ;-)