Brothers have to pay neighbours R8,700 a year for toilet flushing disturbances
The courts believe that everyone should have a right to rest. What about the right to flush?
Living in an apartment building comes with its pros and cons. Loud noises are expected, of course, but to what extent? A couple who live in a flat in Italy complained that they we not able to get a good night's sleep because of their neighbour's toilet flushing.
All this started after the neighbours, four brothers, installed a new bathroom. A local judge dismissed their claims and that's when they took their case to the court of appeal. It so happens that the bathroom was situated on an adjacent wall.
The outcome from the court wasn't a float-ing decision.
"It amounted to a violation of the couple’s rights, protected not just by the Italian constitution but also by the European convention on human rights (ECHR). The judge ordered the brothers to move the water tank and to pay the couple €500 a year from when it was installed in 2003." (The Guardian)
The brothers didn't stop there, though. They clearly wanted to fight for their rights to flush...
They took the case to the supreme court, where it was revealed that "the sound of flushing coming through the wall exceeded the legal limit by three decibels." (The Guardian)
This was ruled as an infringement on those protected by the constitutional right to health.
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