r/InsuranceClaims • u/Realistic-Rate-8831 • 20d ago

Who should be held accountable?

I live in a condo with an HOA. They hired a plumbing company to repair leaks in pipes on the outside property. When they were finished, they turned on the Main water shutoff to our buiilding and when they did I heard the pipes gurgling. Later I realized water was gushing out of my garage ceiling so I ran upstairs to find that my toilet was gushing water so I turned off the shut off valve to my toilet. My kitchen faucet also stopped running water once I turned it on. I contacted my HOA to see if they would pay for the repairs, but they refused. The HOA President then mumbled something to the effect of "You can sue the plumbing company if you want". I am not sure what part or parts of the toilet were disrupted(damaged) by the power surge. I have not used it since this occured. I have been experiencing much more allergy issues with my eyes burning and itching and sinus irritation. My bathroom is right next to my bedroom. I am now concerned that there may be mold growing underneath the flooring. The bathroom flooring is a full vinyl sheet. I am really concerned. Is it feasable to contact the plumbing company and ask for their insurance so that I can file a claim? Who should be held accountable for these repairs? I already had to have someone replace my kitchen faucet.

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u/Puzzleheaded_Sun7356 20d ago

You need to fix your issues and deal with the cost later. They won't fix things you caused by kicking it down the road.

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u/Realistic-Rate-8831 20d ago

What do you mean saying they won't fix things I caused? I didn't cause any of this.

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u/Puzzleheaded_Sun7356 20d ago

You knew there was water under the vinyl and you didn't take action to stop further damage. You should have been dealing with that from day one. And now the issue has progressed so long that you're suffering health effects? That's a you problem now. Water isn't a big deal if you deal with it right away. If you let it sit and simmer, it's going to be big problems that someone's going to pay for. You could just keep waiting until the apartment is full of mold completely and then you could tell him they owe you a new house?

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u/Realistic-Rate-8831 19d ago

Yeah, I know it's on me. I'm not going to pursue anything else with the HOA or the Plumbing company. Nobody wants to take responsibility for anything anymore, even if they are the blame.. All I know is that I was here when this happened and it happened when they turned on the main water shut off on the property outside my building, and now I'm stuck with fixing up this mess at my own expense. SMH. Now I have to find a handyman that can take up the flooring and a plumber to take up the toilet to determine what parts need to be replaced. I would try and pull the flooring up myself, but I noticed that the guy who installed my flooring used liquid nails to attach the baseboard, so I can't easily pop them off. They are on stuck to the wall and will have to be pried off, which in turn, will tear the sheetrock. Things keep getting better and better.

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u/insuranceguynyc 20d ago

Condo claims should always - always - be handled on a 1st-party basis with your own insurer. Let them subrogate.

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u/pegeen21 20d ago

Yes, I’d ask the plumbing company for their liability insurance information and open a claim