'I spent 5 hours clearing water': East Coast resident on neighbour's plants obstructing pipes, flooding her unit
An East Coast resident recently woke up to find that her fourth-floor apartment was flooded.
The cause? Her neighbour's overgrown plants, whose roots have encroached on her unit's pipe.
The resident, Liana, told Lianhe Zaobao that the flood occurred after a bout of heavy rain on Nov 30 where water from her balcony flowed into her home, all the way to the walkway outside her unit.
Upon further observation, she realised that the water from the balcony wasn't just from the rain but from the drainage hole as her pipes were blocked by her neighbour's tree roots.
This neighbour lives in the unit below hers.
To ensure her cat's safety, the 45-year-old consultant said she installed a windproof curtain on her balcony, in the hopes of preventing excess water from seeping into her unit.
She said that she's afraid her cat may get electrocuted if the water goes into the electrical appliances in her home.
"I spent about four to five hours clearing the water in my house that day. Since that incident, I always rush home when it rains, because I need to clear the water," she told Zaobao.
In a Facebook post dated last Thursday, Liana also expressed her helplessness at the situation.
She wrote: "I can't sleep and I'm worried at any given time my cat and I will be electrocuted," she lamented. "I don't know what to do anymore."
As a result of the flooding, several parts of Liana's home have been damaged. Her washing machine on the balcony is spoilt, and her bed board is mouldy.
She now sleeps on her sofa bed.
On Dec 14, plumbers went to Liana's home and pulled out a two-metre-long tree root from the pipe with the use of a machine — a lengthy procedure that took three hours.
Unfortunately, Liana isn't the only one that had to deal with her neighbour's overgrown plants.
Her neighbours on the second floor also previously experienced some leakage two years ago and had to install pipes to drain the water away.
Neighbour unresponsive
When Zaobao visited Liana's apartment, they noticed that her neighbour's trees were protruding out of the balcony. Some of the plant's roots could also be seen at the bottom of the balcony.
In her Facebook post, Liana posted that she has tried to reach out to her neighbour several times but did not receive any word from them.
When reporters tried to knock on their door, they also received no response.
Another resident on the third floor complained that the tenant in that unit would pour things into his drain pipe at about 11pm every night.
In response to Zaobao's queries, Knight Frank, the real estate company that manages the apartments said that the blockage of Liana's drainpipe was likely caused by the resident living on the third floor.
The company said they have tried to contact the resident to request access into the unit to investigate, but was refused thrice.
Overgrown plants trimmed by town council
Just last month, a plant enthusiast in Jurong West had his garden forcefully trimmed by the town council, reported Shin Min Daily News.
The man, Jiang, had been growing plants in his home for over three decades, and even created a self-watering system for his 'forest'.
Two workers were spotted dangling outside the elderly man's unit to remove the overgrown 'forest' — the last resort after Jiang allegedly ignored the town council's advice to remove his plants.
Although he was upset that his plants were removed, Jiang took comfort in the fact that the plants still had their roots.
"If [the authorities] want to trim them again, then so be it. But they can't enter my home," he told Shin Min then.
ALSO READ: Green corridor: Neighbour says Pasir Ris flat owner causing fire hazard with her potted plants
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