Water leak in downstairs condo unit, how we deal with HOA about the fix? Any suggestion will be appreciated?
Question:We are first time home owner and we bought one upstairs unit. We are remodeling our kitchen for a week now. Yesterday when contractor hook up the sink, dishwasher and the pipe go to the ice maker and turn on the water switch, then we start to try out the dishwasher. Our neighbor called us and said there is water coming from the roof. He tear off the roof, drill a hole under our floor ... at the end found out the leak came from the cooper pipe running to the ice maker. That pipe was there when we moved in but it's not connected to the refreg, one end connects to the water pipe under the sink and the other end is sealed. When we started the remodel, the contractor turn off the cold and hot water switch under the sink. Any idea why the pipe is broken? We called HOA manager and she is not ok with the report which rooter rooter guy provided, she is calling for her own plumber here. Anybody had similar situation in the past? When deal with HOA, any thing we need to pay attention?
Answers:
You need to read your Declaration or CC&Rs to determine who is responsible for the pipe. Sometimes the documents state that any pipe inside a wall is the Association's responsibility; sometimes the documents say that any pipe that services just one unit is that unit owner's responsibility.
Once you find out whose responsibility it is, then either you or the Association can take care of it, and the damage to the unit below you.
Make sure you have homeowners insurance!
You (and your contractor) are responsible for all the damage and for the cost of fixing the problem.
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