Damp problems - Everyone denying responsibility..... I don't know what to do.

DaisyMoo

Hi,

I have the leasehold for a ground floor flat and pay a management company service charges every month. The management company is RMG (previously CPM) who are well known for bully boy tactics and have had numerous appearances on watchdog.

Last year there was an external leak which caused pools of water outside my bedroom window and caused visible damage to the exterior of the property. The leak was promptly reported to RMG who contracted someone to investigate. The report concluded that the origin of the leak was unknown but almost certainly coming from some other flat above us. RMG refused to do anything about it, they state they are only responsible for the exterior of the property and any damage caused by leaseholders / tenants is their responsibility and it was up to me to find out who was responsible for the damage.

I knocked on all doors in my block of flats to try to ascertain the source of the leak & surprise surprise, all residents denied all knowledge and responsibility! I also sent a letter to all residents asking them to investigate. Within 2 days, the leak stopped.

Recently I have been diagnosed with serious respiratory problems and found that there is damp in my bedroom affecting the carpet and walls. The affected areas are in the direct vicinity of the earlier exterior leak. Obviously I cannot prove this has been the cause of my illness, but being a medical professional, I am absolutely certain that this situation has and will continue to exacerbate my condition.

I have reported the issue to RMG again and they say that the damp inside my flat is my responsibility and I need to rectify this. My insurance company are unwilling to pay out on a claim for this as they feel RMG have caused the issue through negligence and they state there is no point in resolving the issues on the interior when the exterior has not been fixed.

I have had 16 weeks off work now through illness and I am becoming increasingly frustrated with the management company. I believe they are responsible for fixing the damp issue externally but they disagree.

I'm sorry for the long post but I'm at the end of my tether now and was hoping that someone on here may be able to help.

Thank you x

EliteHeat

You still have damp? did it not clear up when whatever caused the leak was fixed?

My limited understanding is that dry rot causes respiratory problems because of the fungal spores released into the surrounding areas. This doesn't sound like it applies in your case.

Hope you feel better soon.

DaisyMoo

Thanks Elite, getting better slowly.

Yes unfortunately we still have damp which has caused growth on the bedroom wall. The air is cold and the walls and carpet are damp which may not have caused the respiratory problems, but it is certainly not helping with my recovery.
The management company have agreed to send someone round to investigate the exterior but won't commit to a timescale at present.
Think im going to have to get a solicitor involved sooner rather than later.