# Mumbai man wins Rs 3.96 lakh after 14-year terrace leakage battle 2026-08-10T23:44:32+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A senior citizen from a housing society in Andheri (East), Mumbai, has won Rs 3.96 lakh in compensation for a terrace water leakage that plagued his top-floor flats for 14 years. Mr Shah owned two adjoining apartments (nos. 603 and 604) in the building. In 2006, the society collected Rs 33.58 lakh from 28 flats for major structural repairs, including terrace waterproofing with a 10-year guarantee. Shah paid Rs 1.52 lakh and spent an additional Rs 2.66 lakh on his own repairs, totalling Rs 4.18 lakh. After the contractor finished waterproofing in May 2007, Shah reported heavy leakage damage to his ceilings, fittings, and furniture. He repeatedly wrote to the society between 2009 and 2011 but got no resolution. The Maharashtra Co-operative Appellate Court ruled on July 4, 2026, that the society failed to fix the defect under its bye-laws. The court noted Shah produced documentary evidence of complaints, while the society did not challenge his evidence in cross-examination. ## Coverage - economictimes.indiatimes.com Tags: consumer rights, housing society, legal battle, Maharashtra court, senior citizen, terrace leakage Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/mumbai-man-wins-rs-3-96-lakh-after-14-year-terrace-leakage-battle/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/mumbai-man-wins-rs-3-96-lakh-after-14-year-terrace-leakage-battle/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.