The balcony on a typhoon day is like a missile launch pad
You may have never thought that the pots of succulents on the balcony that you take good care of, the stainless steel clothes hangers hanging on the railings, or even the plastic laundry basket that has been used for several years may become "missiles" in strong winds above level 10. The gust speed of a typhoon can exceed 40 meters per second or even higher. This speed is enough to blow a three-kilogram pottery pot off the tenth floor balcony and smash to the ground at a speed of nearly 100 kilometers per hour.
Don’t think, “My potted plant is too heavy to blow away.” Physically, the force exerted by wind on an object is directly proportional to the windward area of the object. A wide-mouthed fern pot may have a windward area of 20 to 30 centimeters square, and the force it will bear under the action of a sudden strong gust of wind is far beyond your imagination. Not to mention those thin plastic boards, clothespins, cardboard boxes, and Styrofoam boxes, which look like they have wings in strong winds.
Legally, you cannot escape liability for compensation
Many people think that typhoons are natural disasters and they should not be held responsible if things are blown away and hit people. But in fact, Taiwan’s law does not look at it this way.
According to Article 191 of the Civil Code, if the "installation or maintenance" of a building or other work is defective, causing damage to the rights of others, the owner of the work shall be liable for compensation. The potted plants and sundries on the balcony belong to your "work". If you did not secure or store them properly before the typhoon came, the court is likely to find that you were deficient in "storage".
In addition, Article 16 of the "Apartment Building Management Regulations" also stipulates that residents are not allowed to pile up debris or set up facilities that hinder public safety on exterior walls, rooftop platforms, fireproof alleys, etc. If there are illegal iron frames and flower stands hanging on your balcony, you will not be able to shirk the legal responsibility for these things falling and injuring people.
In practice, the amount of compensation awarded by the court depends on the degree of injury. Minor injuries may cost tens of thousands of dollars in medical expenses and emotional comfort. If serious injuries or death result, the compensation amount can reach millions of dollars. You may even face criminal liability for negligent injury or wrongful death.
Balcony storage checklist before typhoon
After the typhoon warning is issued, before the wind and rain intensify, spend thirty minutes tidying up the balcony:
| Item Type | Processing method |
|---|---|
| Potted flowers and plants | All small potted plants have been moved indoors. Move the large potted plants to the lowest corner of the wall, place them on a wind-proof surface, and secure them with ropes |
| Clothes drying rack/clothes rail | Collect clothes and hangers, and the detachable clothes rail can be removed and stored indoors. Fixed clothes rail confirms screw locking |
| Awning/canvas | The retractable awning is foldable and fixed. Remove all the canvas, otherwise it will be like a sail |
| Plastic chair/folding table | Move them all indoors, or stack them in a corner and hold them down with heavy objects |
| Hanging objects on railings | Remove all items on flower stands, slipper stands, and hooks and put them away |
| Trash can/recycle bin | Move indoors. Empty plastic buckets are easily blown away by strong wind |
You should also pay attention to the public areas of the community management committee
In addition to your own balcony, public areas in the community are also high-risk sources of flying objects. Things that the Management Committee or the Director-General should do before a typhoon include:
- Inspect the rooftop platform and fix or remove tables, chairs, flower pots, barbecue grills and other items in public areas
- Check whether the advertising signs and light boxes on the exterior of the building are secure
- Confirm whether the scaffolding, fences and safety nets under construction are reinforced and fixed
- If there is any uncertainty, you can call the 1999 citizen hotline to report it to the Municipal Works Bureau for assistance in inspection
Can I apply for insurance compensation for damage caused by flying objects?
If your car or house is damaged by objects flying from other people's homes, you can first apply for compensation through the "Typhoon and Flood Insurance" rider of your residential fire insurance (provided you have this rider). If the car was smashed, check whether your car insurance covers "actual disaster damage".
On the other hand, you can also seek compensation from the owner of the item that caused the damage. If you can prove that the potted plant or sign flew out of a specific household (such as surveillance footage or neighbor testimony), you have a legal basis to claim damages from the other party.
Conclusion: Keeping your own things is the best form of friendship and good neighborliness
On a typhoon day, items from the balcony are blown away, and those injured may be neighbors downstairs, pedestrians passing by, or cars parked on the roadside. The consequences will come back to you. Spending thirty minutes to put things away on the balcony not only protects others, but also protects yourself from getting involved in compensation disputes. Simple, free, but important.
Decoration and renovation contract specifications and project budget risk prevention (2025-2026 practice)
Residential interior decoration and water and electricity renovation involve huge financial and professional technical requirements, and are also one of the areas with the highest incidence of consumer disputes. According to the "Regulations on Interior Decoration of Buildings" announced by the Ministry of the Interior's Land Management Bureau and the "Interior Decoration Contract Template" of the Consumer Protection Agency of the Executive Yuan, when signing any decoration or water and electricity project contract, homeowners must adhere to the principles of "item detailing (pointing of work and materials)" and "staged acceptance payment", strictly reject vague estimates that "complete the whole room project in one go", and eliminate common disputes from the source of malicious additional payments after the start of construction.
In terms of budget preparation, industry standards recommend that the overall water and electricity project be disassembled into: foundation removal and stone removal, water supply and drainage pipes and outlet piping, electrical box and circuit configuration, switch and socket panel installation, mud backfilling and waterproofing, and general acceptance of the installation of electricity and water for all room equipment. It is recommended that the contract payment adopt a healthy payment ratio of 10% signing deposit, 30% completion of water and electricity pipeline slotting and piping, 30% completion of wood and cement structure, 20% completion of equipment installation, and retaining 10% of the final acceptance payment. The final payment will be allocated after confirming that the water and electricity functions are operating correctly.
Key points of pit prevention inspection during project construction and acceptance
- On-site stakeout to confirm positioning:Before the construction of water and electricity works, the homeowner should check the height of the switch sockets, the height of the air-conditioning drain holes and the drainage slope one by one to avoid the dilemma of finding that the sockets are blocked by the cabinet after the woodwork or system cabinets are brought in.
- Pipeline archiving, photography and storage: Before the water and electricity piping is completed and the pipes are sealed, it is necessary to take high-resolution photos and laser ranging marks of the ceiling, wall and ground pipeline directions of the whole house and archive them as a key basis for avoiding hidden water and electricity pipes when drilling holes in the wall to install paintings and hanging cabinets in the future.
- Inspection of brand specifications of incoming materials: Confirm that incoming wires (such as Pacific, Walsin Lihua), circuit breakers (such as Shihlin Electric, Panasonic) and water pipes (Nanya PVC, SUS304 stainless steel) have CNS markings and factory inspection certificates to prevent inferior sub-brand materials from being mixed.
