My gas leak - the HOA's repair.

[cornchips]

A leak in the main line to my unit - located hundreds of yards from my unit. Repair responsibilties section says that HOA pays. However, there is an attachment titled "unit boundries" which says I pay. The attachment is NOT referenced in the repair section. Which has precedence?

I spoke with the board president -- asking him when the repairs were being made. It is winter and I have no heat. He stated that the management company advised him that the repair was my responsibiltiy. I asked him to cite the matter. He couldn't. So I called the management co and asked them to cite it. Turns out they didn't read our docs - just gave advice based on their "experience". 4 days now with no answer - and no heat.

[Paddy Reagan]

Unless the gas supply line inside your unit is leaking, it is not your responsibility to pay for repairs. If the leak is between the meter and your unit it is the responsibility of the association. If it's before it reaches the meter or the meter itself, even if it's on the condo property, the gas utility should be contacted.

Unless the attachment you're speaking of is an amendment to the Declaration of Condominium, approved by at least a majority of owners and properly filed with the county clerk, it doesn't carry any weight in such a dispute.

There's another issue at work here besides payment for repairs. Local building codes require that residential units must be heated in cold weather. If you can't get the board or the manager to act, file a complaint.

[cornchips]

I went ahead and sealed it myself. No one returned calls on Friday and the only quote I got was $1,500.

The Declaration has a Repair section that limits owner's responsibilty to where the gas line comes through the lathe and plaster.

The attachment is titled Unit Boundries and it's original. It states that feed lines or supply lines that serve a single unit are part of that unit -- no matter what the physical location may be.

The Repair section makes NO reference to this attachment.
(Although other unrelated sections do.)

I've got about 10 bones to pick with this new board -- and this one just didn't rate high enough in the end. I was a board member for 5 years and made the mistake of sitting out a year. No one on the sitting board understands the system or the docs. That's not really rare -- except these guys haven't even read them.

Stay tuned for more...

[cornchips]

Originally Posted by cornchips

The attachment is titled Unit Boundries and it's original. It states that feed lines or supply lines that serve a single unit are part of that unit -- no matter what the physical location may be.

Just reading my reply and wanted to add that the word repair DOES NOT appear anywhere in this attachment.

[LindaP777]

Originally Posted by Paddy Reagan

Unless the gas supply line inside your unit is leaking, it is not your responsibility to pay for repairs.

While I think you are probably right, yu couldn't possibly know that unless you read the condo docs.

Cornchips - gas can be very tricky. Did you seal it correctly??? Have you had experience with gas? I'd be afraid of blowing up the whole building (it happens).

[cornchips]

I went down to basement with a bottle of soapy water and a tube of epoxy. It was a pinpoint leak at one of the joints and I could clearly see it making bubbles.

30 minutes after a generous helping of epoxy was applied the bubbles were no more.

I'll check it again in a few days.

I'm preparing a request for reimbursement letter - figure I've got nothing to lose.

And the Attachments to the Declaration are actually Exhibits. Guess that makes ONE thing that artists and attorneys have in common.

[cornchips]

I've had to muster some gratitude as the HOA paid over 2k to repair/replace the leaking gas pipe.

Here's the kicker...

My gas service was out for 2 weeks total. My repair was undone and my service was disconnected 2 days after completion. No one from the management company or the HOA has spoken to me about the leak.

The gas company gave me the backstory when they took the lock off the meter.

My letter to the BOD never got past the 2nd draft - unseasonably warm this month.

I'd thank someone but I can't applaud the two week wait for Natural Gas service combined with the complete failure to comunicate.

Can't wait to read the non-existant meeting minutes on this one.