[Mona03]

I have a crack at the base of my toilet inthe front. The toilet never caused any problems. The toilet flushed just fine.One day my tub started to back up and water started to come from the crack ofthe base not overflowing at all. My husband for some reason ran a snake downthe toilet and nothing seemed to be in the pipes. Water was not overflowingfrom the toilet and not much water was coming from the cracked base. When wewent outside it was another story, there was toilet paper and the works. Justnasty. I called out the city plumbing and It was determined that the plumbingproblem was coming from the outside. They ran a video line which showed that ahuge root was growing up the pipe. Now here is where my situation gets crazy. Iam in a rental house, in which the owner is utilizing a realtor for all therental house needs. They are trying to charge me for a Capri juice packet thatthey say was stuck in the pipe when their plumber replaced the toilet. I wantedthe toilet replaced because of the crack at the base not due to any plumbingissues. I find this to be very untrue, they have pictures which I also have acopy. I just find this to be outrageous due to the fact that my husband ran asnake down the toilet and the city did too. The city in fact determined thatthe problem was not on the inside but the outside. The root growing in thepipe, and I'm talking about from the curb up to the house. Can a juice packetcause so much drama? They are trying to say that when the plumber took the toiletoff the juice packet was right there stuck in the pipe. Is this even possible ifthe snake was inserted twice.

[hkstroud]

When wewent outside it was another story, there was toilet paper and the works.

I assume that mean you opened a clean out and sewage and tissue flowed out. That means that the blockage was after the point of the clean out.

They are trying to charge me for a Capri juice packet thatthey say was stuck in the pipe

Assuming that the Capri juice pack was indeed there, it was obviously not the cause of the back up. If it had been, the toilet would have overflowed and there would have been no sewage in the pipe when you opened it outside.

They ran a video line which showed that ahuge root was growing up the pipe.

I hope you have or can get a copy of that video.

Replacing a damage toilet is the responsibility of the landlord, assuming you did not damage it.

If all you say is true, the root is the cause of the blockage and is the landlords responsibility. Replacing the toilet is the responsibility of the landlord. The juice pack is immaterial.

Decline the charge and advise the landlord that you have a copy of the video. Very generous of the city to provide such service.

The juice pack could have caused a blockage but did not.

[joypulv]

See if there is a tenant rights board where you live.
Or hire a lawyer to write what is called a 'lawyer letter,' the cheapest option. Leave out all extraneous words about drama and just state the facts on half a page of paper. The lawyer will put the landlord on notice in two or three sentences that you will not be paying the bill. Case details not part of it.