I live in an apartment complex in a duplex style unit - no units above, only 2 units side-by-side. I have a toilet leaking from the bottom when flushed. Maintenance says they found cat litter when they tried to snake it, and they are now slowing trying to get all of the muddy and hard cat litter out. They are calling a plumber to come in and get it out. Now there may be people out there who would do something as irresponsible as flushing cat litter down the toilet, but I am not one of them. I have 2 sons and they didn't do it either. I am told that because of the way the whole plumbing and sewer systems are set up in apartments, it's possible this could have come from my neighbor. Is that possible? Right now I am being overruled by all management and being held responsible for carpet cleaning and the plumber. And I couldn't get a sample of the cat litter from the toilet to have tested to compare to the brand I use.

If your neighbor has cats as you do, its certainly possible. But the damages are in YOUR apartment, and unusual enough for the costs to be passed to you. Proving its NOT you is daunting. What if your neighbor uses the same brand as you do?

Maintenance says they found cat litter when they tried to snake it

I don't see how that is possible. Cat litter is some combination of sand and clay and is granular. Sewer snake would break it up and it would then wash away. Being granular the snake would not pull anything back.

I am not there to see what is happening but if they are pulling back something muddy and hard it is probably clay. Which means you have a broken or crushed sewer pipe.

. I am told that because of the way the whole plumbing and sewer systems are set up in apartments, it's possible this could have come from my neighbor. Is that possible?


Anything's possible, However, I've plumbed hundreds of duplex style units and they all have a separate drainage system with its own clean out, That's code.
Have we asked just who has cats? Bottom line! Unless you can
Prove that your drainage is commingled You bear the expense. Good luck, Tom