Lawsuit over B.C. condo owner's overflowed toilet highlights danger of flushing floss
A legal dispute between neighbours at a B.C. condo building that began with an overflowed toilet highlights one of several reasons people should never flush dental floss.
The case was decided this week in the province's small claims tribunal, which ordered condo owner Robin McLean to pay $1,270 for water damage caused to his downstairs neighbour Xiangfei Kong's home.
McLean's toilet overflowed on July 20, 2020, spilling water that ultimately left Kong with a hefty bill for ceiling repairs.
A plumber later found a blockage eight feet deep in McLean's drain made up of floss and toilet paper, according to an invoice presented to the Civil Resolution Tribunal.
The condo owner argued the blockage must have started before he purchased the unit about 18 months prior, and that he had no way of knowing it was there.
Part of his argument was that his son, who "only has six teeth and has never used dental floss," was living in the unit at the time, according to the tribunal's decision.
Tribunal member Leah Volkers was not convinced.
Volker noted that McLean's son wasn't a party in the dispute and that the father didn't provide any details about the living arrangements, including whether he lived in the condo as well.
"On balance, and considering the available evidence, I find the most likely scenario is that the blockage occurred as a result of dental floss being flushed down the toilet by either Mr. McLean or his son," she wrote.
While no one submitted expert evidence on the danger of flushing floss, the tribunal determined that was "ordinary knowledge," and that doing so "falls below the standard of care of a reasonable toilet user."
Beyond causing run-of-the-mill toilet clogs, officials warn that floss can consolidate with other materials and contribute to serious issues with municipal sewer systems.
It's one of several items listed as "unflushable" on the website for Metro Vancouver, which spends more than $100,000 a year de-clogging regional pump stations.
Most floss is also made of nylon coated in wax, and is said to take decades to decompose while presenting a possible hazard to fish and other animals because of its tear-proof design.
Volkers found McLean liable for negligence, and ordered him to pay the cost of Kong's ceiling repair along with $4.83 in pre-judgment interest on the bill.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
Attempt to have murder charge quashed against alleged serial killer dismissed by judge
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.