Water leak from roof; inside damage -- WHO IS RESPONSIBLE???

[linster]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? CALIFORNIA



I bought my condo in August of 2004. In October of 2004, we had one big rain storm. My roof/wall began leaking. I had water dripping down the wall like a waterfall (inside my room) and couldn't put a bucket or anything underneath to catch it but did pile towels and whatever else I could to prevent damage to my new carpet. As the storm went on the water got worse and my wall became soft; so soft that I could easily put a hole through it with my finger. Seams began to appear in a square like section (about 1'x1') where it looks like there had been a sheetrock repair made on a section of the wall. They never disclosed that any repairs had been made in this corner of my room due to water damage, even though we asked since we noticed a dark mark on the stucco in this area on the exterior of my condo. I immediately reported the leak and the initial damage to my HOA (back in Oct.), and it isn't until today (Jan. 11, 2005) that the roof will be getting repaired. Since the first rainstorm, we've had a few more storms that have caused even more damage. My carpet, carpet pad and flooring under carpet are now soaked and I've had to pull them up just to air everything out. My wall has gotten worse and the sheetrock has crumbled in some parts (even around an electrical outlet). Some greyish mold has even appeared where the wall is damp (I wipe it clean as often as I can). It also appears that water is coming in from around my window frame (defective framing??). All sheetrock will definitely need to be removed and replaced to prevent mold growth. I'm also assuming that my carpet/carpet pad will need replacing as it has been saturated for too long now.

My HOA has informed me that they will assess the interior of my unit after the roof has gotten repaired to determine what (if anything) they will pay for. I've explained that since they've waited so long to act on my requests, the damage have gotten worse and the costs for repairs are rising.

Since the interior damage was caused by exterior defects/leaks, I'm assuming that my HOA will have to cover costs.

Are there any laws stating that HOA's are required to cover costs like this? Also, what rights do I have as it pertains to lack of disclosure (repairs made in the past two years)?? I want to make sure I don't have to incur any costs due to this problem.

Any feedback would be appreciated... thank you!

[HomeGuru]

Originally Posted by linster

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? CALIFORNIA



I bought my condo in August of 2004. In October of 2004, we had one big rain storm. My roof/wall began leaking. I had water dripping down the wall like a waterfall (inside my room) and couldn't put a bucket or anything underneath to catch it but did pile towels and whatever else I could to prevent damage to my new carpet. As the storm went on the water got worse and my wall became soft; so soft that I could easily put a hole through it with my finger. Seams began to appear in a square like section (about 1'x1') where it looks like there had been a sheetrock repair made on a section of the wall. They never disclosed that any repairs had been made in this corner of my room due to water damage, even though we asked since we noticed a dark mark on the stucco in this area on the exterior of my condo. I immediately reported the leak and the initial damage to my HOA (back in Oct.), and it isn't until today (Jan. 11, 2005) that the roof will be getting repaired. Since the first rainstorm, we've had a few more storms that have caused even more damage. My carpet, carpet pad and flooring under carpet are now soaked and I've had to pull them up just to air everything out. My wall has gotten worse and the sheetrock has crumbled in some parts (even around an electrical outlet). Some greyish mold has even appeared where the wall is damp (I wipe it clean as often as I can). It also appears that water is coming in from around my window frame (defective framing??). All sheetrock will definitely need to be removed and replaced to prevent mold growth. I'm also assuming that my carpet/carpet pad will need replacing as it has been saturated for too long now.

My HOA has informed me that they will assess the interior of my unit after the roof has gotten repaired to determine what (if anything) they will pay for. I've explained that since they've waited so long to act on my requests, the damage have gotten worse and the costs for repairs are rising.

Since the interior damage was caused by exterior defects/leaks, I'm assuming that my HOA will have to cover costs.

Are there any laws stating that HOA's are required to cover costs like this? Also, what rights do I have as it pertains to lack of disclosure (repairs made in the past two years)?? I want to make sure I don't have to incur any costs due to this problem.

Any feedback would be appreciated... thank you!

**A: the HOA is run by a bunch of idiots. Hire your own attorney now.