Facts
Someone deliberately blocked a basin on an upper floor and turned on the tap. Water flooded the claimant's premises below.
Issue
Is an ordinary domestic water supply a 'non-natural' use, and is a stranger's act a defence?
Held
No liability.
Principle
means some special use that brings increased danger to others, not the ordinary use of land. The malicious act of a stranger is a defence.
Why it matters
Defines non-natural use and the stranger defence.
Cited in these chapters
Cite this page
Rickards v Lothian [1913] AC 263 (Lanbuk) <https://www.lanbuk.com/llb/torts/cases/rickards-v-lothian> accessed 31 October 2026
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This summary is a Lanbuk study aid based on the generally known facts and reports of the case. It is not legal advice.