Neighbor repaired roof now mine is leaking

Dark Rabbit

Hi,
My neighbour and I share live in mid terrace houses which join including extensions. Recently his extension roof began to leak but he had new felt laid and his issue was fixed. However, having never had a leak on my side now I have a leak too. The guy who did the work said the felt that was used constructing the houses 10 years ago is of very poor quality and laid across multiple units instead of doing each house individually.
Basically he said that now my felt dips because he had to cut it in order to fix the issue on my neighbours side. He also gave me a quote for €1200 he will fix. This guy has not yet been able to provide me with his company registration number. I asked for this when I couldn't find any trace of his company on the Internet despite him having 6 vans on the road working for him.
Now I can easily have another roofer come and fix for me but I want to know should I pay for this or is the liability with my neighbour? I had no leak until this roof work was done.

Gumbo

When was the last time the felt was re-laid?

This could turn into a costly civil/legal issue that you may well spend more than €1200 trying to resolve.

If your flat roof hasn't been re-laid within 10 years your home insurance may not pay out over this. I realised this after my father in law had a leak after a bad a storm but the roof was lay 13 years before hand and Axa said they wont pay.

Diemos

Wait.....He cut your felt?

Get an independent professional to see if this guy has caused the damage.

Calahonda52

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2009/act/27/enacted/en/print#part8-chap3

Your neighbour had no business giving his contractor access to do that work without invoking the above.

You cannot stop giving access, but you are obliged to be consulted.

You now need to get a works order to repair the roof and bill your neighbour and the contractor you spoke to.
He may well change his cell number if you show your hand so I would get him out for a look and get the van reg number first.
Play the long game while you get the necessary info on him.

Charlie19

kceire wrote: »

When was the last time the felt was re-laid?

This could turn into a costly civil/legal issue that you may well spend more than €1200 trying to resolve.

If your flat roof hasn't been re-laid within 10 years your home insurance may not pay out over this. I realised this after my father in law had a leak after a bad a storm but the roof was lay 13 years before hand and Axa said they wont pay.

I'd say it's more likely to be the felt underneath a tiled roof. Old felt is prone to sagging close to the fascia board.

Metric Tensor

The only problem here is that if the cost of repairs is in the low thousands - it's going to the OP a lot more in real terms (time, stress, fees, outlay, recovery) to pursue the cost than to get it repaired.

It's definitely not fair but to pursue any sort of legal route will only end up with certain parties bank accounts being supplemented!

Calahonda52

Metric Tensor wrote: »

The only problem here is that if the cost of repairs is in the low thousands - it's going to the OP a lot more in real terms (time, stress, fees, outlay, recovery) to pursue the cost than to get it repaired.

It's definitely not fair but to pursue any sort of legal route will only end up with certain parties bank accounts being supplemented!

Agreed, however the link I posted , the normal legal fees are about 2.5k which are recoverable under the Act.
The OP must also decide if he wants to take on the neighbour, hence my focus on the contractor, who has told him what he did.
I suspect he was paid cash so.... so OP needs to join the dots re leverage.

Metric Tensor

I don't think I'd join any dots that let that chancer up on my roof though!

I'd suck it up and get my own (assuming the price would be roughly what's quoted above).

Of course I would probably then proceed to bitch and moan about it for months! I might lose more than my relationship with my neighbours!!!

Rabbo

Do the smart thing and get a reputable roofer to replace your roof.

It sounds like it's due a replacement anyway, why spend hundreds/thousands on engineers/solicitors and all the stress that entails. Ideally, both roofs should have been done together and costs split.

Make your neighbour aware that they've forced you to carry out replacement of your roof but I'd leave it at that. It's probably not worth falling out with neighbours over it

Calahonda52

Rabbo wrote: »

Do the smart thing and get a reputable roofer to replace your roof.

It sounds like it's due a replacement anyway, why spend hundreds/thousands on engineers/solicitors and all the stress that entails. Ideally, both roofs should have been done together and costs split.

Make your neighbour aware that they've forced you to carry out replacement of your roof but I'd leave it at that. It's probably not worth falling out with neighbours over it

This is all very well until the neighbour says your guy fXXXed up my roof, so the works order route will sort this.

Have you spoken to your neighbor?

Generally if its a mid-terrace house no contractor in his right mind will do works on one roof and not speak to the others, simply put you cant really go at a continued roof structure in one place and not have defects appear in others,