Well, they do say that she kept on paying her rent, so she probably also paid residence tax (or maybe she didn't have to, since she didn't live there) as well as utilities, which probably just never got upgraded. Maybe they were just turned off, if she cancelled her contracts after leaving Paris. The landlord paid ownership tax.
I'm not sure why the pipes or windows should have broken during this time.
Pipes freeze, solder cracks, valves deteriorate. And then there's rust. Adjoining apartments may have plumbing issues or leaks too, and at some point the plumber or landlord will need to get into the flat. This happens in new condos all of the time; why would a pre-war Paris apartment be any different?
Windows: War, wind, birds, vandals, thieves, kids, 1968, rotting sills and frames, dried out putty, etc.
It's an entertaining story, but certain elements are unlikely, the information presented has not been fact-checked, and other details are missing. And someone profited greatly from such a story being released.
Until more facts are presented, I'm going to remain skeptical.
The pipes bit is actually the thing that seems most improbable to me. Pipes break when the water in them freezes, which occurs when it gets cold and the water isn't flowing.
It's an apartment building; she shared 5 of her 6 walls with occupied residences.
Unoccupied cottage in the woods? Pipes will freeze. Unoccupied apartment sharing 5/6 walls? Plenty of heat from neighbors, pipes do not necessarily freeze.
Yep. When I lived in a condo surrounded on 5/6 sides by other units, I never turned my heat on. Ever. My gas bill was about $8/month, as I recall, $5.00 of which was the service charge for generating the bill. I assume the other $3.00 was what it cost to keep the pilot light burning.
Pipes freezing in an apartment in Paris? That is what sounds highly improbable.
And about the windows, well she probably shut the windows when she left (not sure how it's called in English actually? closing the wooden things that cover the windows).
Accidents do happen, but an unoccupied apartment that has not had a water problem or a broken window in 70 years? I don't see a problem, especially in such a non-hostile environment.
I'm not sure why the pipes or windows should have broken during this time.