An acupuncture and health centre is suing the owner of a condominium and a plumbing company for what it claims is damage caused by the installation of a hot water heater.
Plaintiffs include Yong Liu, who did business as the Healthway Clinic, and J&J Healing Centre Ltd., which bought the clinic soon after the August 21, 2010, flood. They are suing both Matthew McAdam, who owns a condominium above the health clinic, Prima Plumbing Ltd., which installed the hot water heater, and the person who installed the hot water heater, known as John Doe.
"While installing the hot water heater, the defendant Doe negligently used a propane torch, causing the strata unit's fire sprinkler system to discharge water and flood the strata unit and the Healthway Clinic located below," the plaintiffs allege in their August 20 notice of civil claim.
The plaintiffs allege that the plumber failed to keep the propane torch's flame a reasonable distance from fire sprinkler heads. Nor did the plumber, they allege, inspect the torch prior to use nor light the propane torch in a proper manner.
The flood allegedly caused damage to:
- laminate floors in the health clinic;
- the clinic's interior walls;
- equipment; and
- stock.
The plaintiffs then suffered an economic loss resulting from an alleged 37-day closure of Healthway Clinic.
The plaintiffs did not tally the cost of the damages but they want to be compensated for all economic losses.
A statement of defence had not been filed by press time.
None of the allegations has been proven in court.
