Ask Me Help Desk - No hot water in my condo

I own a condo. Last week property management posted a notice that our water would be turned off for mantenance. Two of the 5 buildings in our complex have not had hot water since. When I called property management their first response was its my problem because no one else has complained. I have been going to friends houses before work (4AM) to take showers, my 4 year old is taking baths with water boiled on the stove, I cannot do dishes. Property management is now saying that it gets hot if it is on for more than 5 minutes, but this is not true for me or two of my other neighbors that I know of. Is it legal for them to let us go with no hot water for more than a week? Please help!!

Is it that you have no hot water or no water at all?

Having no hot water is manageable, take cold showers, etc…

Having no water at all is a whole other issue.

Can they legally do this?

Well, where do you live?

And it being a condo, it is not an apartment, but rather a bunch of people who own their condos so perhaps the board is not picking up their slack.

After a week I would be yelling my head off at each board member until the problem was fixed or given a satisfactory answer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainForest

Is it that you have no hot water or no water at all?

Having no hot water is manageable, take cold showers, etc…

Having no water at all is a whole other issue.

Can they legally do this?

Well, where do you live?

And it being a condo, it is not an apartment, but rather a bunch of people who own their condos so perhaps the board is not picking up their slack.

After a week I would be yelling my head off at each board member until the problem was fixed or given a satisfactory answer.

Thanks for answering. We do have water but only cold and at times it is a muddy brown color. None of the board memebers live in the buildings that don't have water. For the first two days they told us that we were lying. Screaming at them is also impossible as they will fine us if we contact them and not property management, however property management is not returning calls to us now either.

We are in San Diego. I am completely stuck as we have a boiler room and even if I wanted to I could not hire anyone on my own to come fix it. Being that I own and not rent, I can't just move out but its not sanitary to have no hot water. I just don't know what else to do.

Hello winkie:

They're playing you like a ping pong ball. It's time to reverse the situation.

Write a letter to the management company with a copy sent to the board. Document the affair to date. Then inform the company that if you don't have hot water in 24 hours, that you'll file suit. Hand deliver it to the office and send a copy certified, return receipt requested.

If they don't act, then sue them.

excon

First I would check the laws on condo associations and the bylaws of your condo to make sure of what your rights are. After that, I would have a plumber come in and make sure the problem is not just within your unit as well as confirm the problem. You OWN the condo and can have repairmen come into fix a problem within the unit. Your next step is as excon outlined. Write the letter enclosing a copy of the plumber's assessment.

Thanks everyone for your help. I actully called the city and filed a complaint with them this morning. I do now have hot water (not sure how long it will last but it is the first time in 8 days). Thanks again!!