In one of the nine-story buildings in Imanta, residents witnessed part of a balcony collapsing during strong gusts of wind, and its debris fell right onto a flower bed, reports the Degpunktā program (TV3).
The balcony is one of those parts of a multi-apartment building that are classified as common property, clarifies TV3. Now residents need to agree on repairs to prevent a similar situation from happening again, but not everyone is willing to pay for a part of the property that does not actually belong to them.
The blue concrete wall of the balcony of the fourth-floor apartment collapsed early in the morning when strong winds were raging outside. Fortunately, there were no people nearby at that moment — only one window pane in the third-floor apartment was broken, and some residents of the building were frightened by the loud noise.
"My son said it was terrible. It felt like a war was starting," said a resident of the building.
Local residents say that the apartment whose balcony was destroyed by the wind is currently unoccupied. Some of those surveyed are confident in the strength of their balconies, while others feel anxious, believing that a similar situation could occur with stronger winds:
"I have two balconies — I’m scared to go out on one, but I go out on the other to dry laundry. There is no safety. I won’t grow flowers anymore. No one has guarantees."
The area where the concrete debris fell is now cordoned off, and for some time people will not be able to tend to the flower beds or walk their pets. The incident has made residents think about their own safety near the building.
"Now we have to think about whether it’s safe to leave the car. On the other side of the building, women are just weeding the flowers," says Edgar.
A visual inspection of the other balconies shows that they are not in the best condition. Residents have already come to terms with the fact that another balcony may collapse in the near future. To carry out repairs, the consent of all residents of the nine-story building is necessary, as well as personal financial contributions.
However, those who do not have balconies in their apartments are unlikely to want to participate and pay for the repairs: "Huge money, I don’t know how much — about 70 thousand, probably. It’s practically impossible to come to an agreement in a nine-story building."
The management company "Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks," which services the building at 124 Kurzemes Avenue, explained that the need for balcony repairs had already been identified earlier. However, since the balconies are common property, residents initially decided to direct funds from the reserve fund to other repair work. Currently, the management company has helped eliminate the damage, and a decision will be made regarding further work, including the restoration of the balconies.
