Our Neighbor Caught Our Deck on Fire!

EnzoLeya · May 22, 2007

Our neighbor upstairs smokes a lot and instead of putting them out in a container he throws them over the side of his deck down onto ours or to the ground, which is full of leaves. These butts are often still lit, I know this because when I am on the deck I have stepped on them to put them out.

I was laying on the couch this evening at 11pm and watching TV. I was about to go to bed but luckily the Animal Planet had a good show on. I realize that our patio window is really bright and look out to see an enormous FIRE!!! It melted and burned half my rubber made tub full of fabric, for quilting, and got so hot it melted our plastic curtins through the patio window.

Now I have to go talk to the land-lady in the morning and tell her what happened. I picked up two brunt butts that we found on our deck while cleaning up, I'm taking those to her as well.

I really don't know what to do now. It looks like most of it should clean up but parts of the deck are burnt and I'm out of more than $500 worth of fabric. I'm hoping that any money from the deck repairing will come from our neighbors deposite, but I'm not sure that life is that fair

I have one more picture on the second page, and also what is being done about the whole ordeal.

theimp98 · May 22, 2007

ouch, glad you are ok, I would think that the person above you should be paying you for the 500 dollars in fabic.

starryeyedtiger · May 22, 2007

Originally Posted by EnzoLeya

Our neighbor upstairs smokes a lot and instead of putting them out in a container he throws them over the side of his deck down onto ours or to the ground, which is full of leaves. These butts are often still lit, I know this because when I am on the deck I have stepped on them to put them out.

I was laying on the couch this evening at 11pm and watching TV. I was about to go to bed but luckily the Animal Planet had a good show on. I realize that our patio window is really bright and look out to see an enormous FIRE!!! It melted and burned half my rubber made tub full of fabric, for quilting, and got so hot it melted our plastic curtins through the patio window.

Now I have to go talk to the land-lady in the morning and tell her what happened. I picked up two brunt butts that we found on our deck while cleaning up, I'm taking those to her as well.

I really don't know what to do now. It looks like most of it should clean up but parts of the deck are burnt and I'm out of more than $500 worth of fabric. I'm hoping that any money from the deck repairing will come from our neighbors deposite, but I'm not sure that life is that fair

do you have renters insurance? if so that might cover some of the damage. Also you could talk to your neighbor and let him know how much money you lost due to the damage and ask him to reimburse you-if he won't- perhaps you could seek legal help, but i'm sure you'd need proof such as reciepts for the money you spent of the fabric

i'm not sure. i hope your land lord can settle this. I am soo sorry about your deck

it makes me sooooo mad when i see people just flind cig. butts everywhere just expecting them to go out- i don't want to know how many fires have started as a result of stupid things like that.

calico2222 · May 22, 2007

I'm a smoker, and this just makes me mad! I am very anal about making sure a cigarette is put out before disposing of it. I would buy him a nice big ashtray, and include a bill for everything you have lost. I don't know if this will help but I'm it may make you feel good. It would me. Hopefully, you can get some reimbursement back from this guy.

natalie_ca · May 22, 2007

OMG! Thank God you were awake and saw it!!!!!!!!!

Did you call the fire department? You should contact them and tell them what happened and have them speak to the idiot upstairs.

Your apartment complex should have insurance to cover the deck repair, and I would tell the agency about the fabric too. You weren't the cause of the fire so you shouldn't have to pay for the damages that someone in another apartment caused.

adymarie · May 23, 2007

Thank goodness you were awake and saw it! I would call the fire department and let them know what happened. Your neighbour should be charged with endangerment or something. At least get a reprimand. If he doesn't then he will keep on doing the same thing!

bella713 · May 23, 2007

Geez...nice neighbor

, I'm glad no one got hurt

sibohan2005 · May 23, 2007

I would confront your neighbor about it and let them know if one more butt comes over the rail that you are going to call the police on him. He can be fined for causing your fire and if it were dry out he could have caused a forest fire. If you hadn't been there I don't want to think what might have happened, your whole house the furbabies and everything could have been gone along with you if you had been sleeping I would definately make a "Serious" point of this to the land lord and ask him/her what they are going to do about it!

krazy kat2 · May 23, 2007

I wouldn't give hm a chance to do it again. The next time you could be asleep. If he does not pay for the fabric and anything else he destroyed, I would be in small claims or on Judge Judy.

MoochNNoodles · May 23, 2007

That is infuriating! I hope they do not let him get away with that! He's endangering your life and others too! Thank GOD you were awake and saw it! I'd be up someone's hiney untill it's all settled and what not!

My best friend in elementary school lost her home to a fire when we were in the 4th grade. Her father was about 20 years older than her mother. He had been married and had a family before marrying her mother but he lost his wife and son in a house fire. One fire was arson, the other I'm not sure. But I never ever forgot that. I don't play when it comes to my family's security!

carolpetunia · May 23, 2007

I would have been all over this guy the FIRST time a cigarette came down on my patio!

Did the fire department come out? If not, call them today! They need to see what this idiot did and go talk to him about it.

Call the police, too, and tell the management you did so, because they will surely want to file charges against the guy (unless he pays for the repairs and for your losses, apologizes abjectly, and stops smoking). If they don't pursue this, you should!

What kind of a person is it that can casually throw his trash on someone else's deck? That's bad enough -- but a lit cigarette... that's criminal negligence, at the very least!

grrrrrr

No, never mind all that -- just lemme at him...

jenny1124 · May 23, 2007

My apartment complex has been having trouble with smokers lately too. They even sent out a message saying they bought some planters and filled them with sand and people could stop by and get one for free.

They're trying, but there are still cig butts all over

EnzoLeya · May 23, 2007

Our land-lady came over just now to see what the damages were and if we possibly started it. She said that her boss is furious because our building is actaully a no smoking building, and if you smoke you have to go out front where they have a smoking area set up with a bucket of sand. I was so happy to hear that she is furious with him and he is going to pay for the damages. AND he might be kicked out if that's what her boss desides. I'm so relieved to hear that he will not go unpunished.

Here are some pictures I took last night.

This is/was my tub of fabric

You can see in the last picture a little sand pit with bricks around it, that would be our grill, it's on the opposite side of the deck so it was impossible that it was us who caused the fire.

adymarie · May 23, 2007

Wow - based on the damage that could have gotten really bad really fast. You are actually really lucky so little damage was done!

MoochNNoodles · May 23, 2007

I'm glad management there is doing something! That just really makes me mad!

esrgirl · May 23, 2007

I really hope that you called 911- both because he could be in serious legal trouble for this and because this fire could have gotten out of hand very quickly. If you did not call 911 I would worry that you will not be compensated- especially if you don't have renter's insurance (which would cover your fabric). We lived downstairs from some guys who did the exact same thing- in fact one time they spilled beer all over me and Annabelle when we were on the porch. People can be such idiots.

catsrnmom · May 23, 2007

That could have gotten out of control so quickly had you not been up..Thank God no one was hurt...

dumb neighbor!!!! I hope he is kicked out of the building for that, and resposible for payment of repairs.

Our Neighbor Caught Our Deck on Fire!

EnzoLeya

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theimp98

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starryeyedtiger

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calico2222

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natalie_ca

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adymarie

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bella713

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sibohan2005

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krazy kat2

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MoochNNoodles

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carolpetunia

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jenny1124

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EnzoLeya

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adymarie

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MoochNNoodles

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esrgirl

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catsrnmom

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