Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I purchased a condo in the Fall of 2013. I found out a few weeks ago the previous owners had a clog in the sewer system which was caused by roots. A company came out in September of 2013 to snake the line. The date on the invoice was around the same time my offer was accepted.
What did they indicate on any disclosure forms? Since they had the sewer line snaked out, they may have thought there no longer was a problem. I've snaked out tree roots from sewer lines and it remedied the problem for many years. It all depends on the particular conditions. However, depending on your particular disclosure form requirements, it may have been needed to be disclosed anyway.
EDIT: It's not clear what are your responsibilities and what are those of the condominium association. Was the line they snaked out actually one which should have been taken care of by the condo association??
What did they indicate on any disclosure forms? Since they had the sewer line snaked out, they may have thought there no longer was a problem. I've snaked out tree roots from sewer lines and it remedied the problem for many years. It all depends on the particular conditions. However, depending on your particular disclosure form requirements, it may have been needed to be disclosed anyway.
EDIT: It's not clear what are your responsibilities and what are those of the condominium association. Was the line they snaked out actually one which should have been taken care of by the condo association??
The bill from the company that snaked the line had something written on it. I remember my neighbor saying the "association" paid for it. The complex is not professionally managed. It's just four of us. Simple.
We pay a condo fee which covers the master insurance policy, landscaping, snow removal, garbage removal, town sewer/water, and the small amount of electricity that goes to lighting the common areas.
Now that you mention it when the company came out to snake the line the first time my neighbor said they did not mention it would be a reoccurring problem. Therefore, I don't think the previous owners thought to mention it since they thought the issue had been resolved. Who knows though since I wasn't living there at the time.
I guess it's not worth getting stressed over. At least we figured out what the problem is. Now time to find someone reputable to fix it.
But it never hurts to have that paperwork just in case...who knows. Others could be asking for it. If it's a joint issue, sometime at some point one of the other 3 or their relatives or someone will say, "hey, did you ever check on things. Did you ever consider getting something from the owner."
REMEMBER, you have to answer to the group and they will likely eventually have questions from all their work associates and Sunday lunch and bridge and golf and gym, whatever, friends. Even when they seem accepting at first, there can be issues along the way. So you'll have the paperwork all laid out. Copies for their inspection. Or just be upfront and present them with everything you find so they feel part of it all.
My daughter's home in Salinas would occasionally need to be snaked out, caused mainly by hair in the drains (she has lots of long hair). Then she rented it out, and the tenants had a sewer back-up. Twice. The first time, the guy who snaked it, didn't even try the clean-out that was right outside and below the kitchen window - very easy to find. The second time it happened, the plumber did the video thing and said the same thing - end of the world, roots in the pipe to the street. Gonna have to call the city and get permits to dig up the road, etc., etc., etc., to the tune of around $6,000.
Guess what? Called another guy who snaked it and no more problem.
I'm just thinking, if this was a serious issue, why didn't it need to be snaked again from last fall until now? Let's say you're talking October to July. That's 9 months of clear sailing.
I'd suggest you guys first just have it snaked out properly and wait and see what happens next.
I'm just thinking this new video thing is a coup for plumbers and backhoe contractors. Just be wary.
The guy who wanted my daughter to pay to rip everything up, also tried to put the fear of God into her about the problem will be epic if it isn't all ripped up and replaced right now. That was nearly 2 years ago now. Everything is flowing just fine.
The occasional backup in a common pipe shouldn't be that uncommon, in my opinion. You can't control what your neighbors are putting down the drain. When I managed an apt building, our biggest problem with pipes backing up were those "flushable" wipes. Sure, you can flush anything down a toilet. But, there's no guarantee it won't clog the pipes lol! We regularly had to snake pipes. Didn't mean the plumbing needed to be replaced.
Last edited by NoMoreSnowForMe; 08-06-2014 at 05:47 PM..
My daughter's home in Salinas would occasionally need to be snaked out, caused mainly by hair in the drains (she has lots of long hair). Then she rented it out, and the tenants had a sewer back-up. Twice. The first time, the guy who snaked it, didn't even try the clean-out that was right outside and below the kitchen window - very easy to find. The second time it happened, the plumber did the video thing and said the same thing - end of the world, roots in the pipe to the street. Gonna have to call the city and get permits to dig up the road, etc., etc., etc., to the tune of around $6,000.
Guess what? Called another guy who snaked it and no more problem.
I'm just thinking, if this was a serious issue, why didn't it need to be snaked again from last fall until now? Let's say you're talking October to July. That's 9 months of clear sailing.
I'd suggest you guys first just have it snaked out properly and wait and see what happens next.
I'm just thinking this new video thing is a coup for plumbers and backhoe contractors. Just be wary.
The guy who wanted my daughter to pay to rip everything up, also tried to put the fear of God into her about the problem will be epic if it isn't all ripped up and replaced right now. That was nearly 2 years ago now. Everything is flowing just fine.
The occasional backup in a common pipe shouldn't be that uncommon, in my opinion. You can't control what your neighbors are putting down the drain. When I managed an apt building, our biggest problem with pipes backing up were those "flushable" wipes. Sure, you can flush anything down a toilet. But, there's no guarantee it won't clog the pipes lol! We regularly had to snake pipes. Didn't mean the plumbing needed to be replaced.
It's hard snaking out this line because they can only go through the 3" main under my toilet. That 3" probably turns into 4" out the foundation and then into a 6" pipe. They can only snake so much from a 3" pipe into a 6" pipe. They have better tools, but only if they were going directly into the 6" pipe. To do this they would have to dig outside to clean the larger pipe. At that point, might as well replace the pipe. Even if it's $6,000, split between four people is only $1,500 per person.
Not bad at all. At it would only need to be done once. Might as well get it done right and never have to worry about it again.
I had property where the main drain needed cleaned out every few years. Its just a fact of life for some properties. I never put it on a disclosure and doubt if anyone ever did. Don't you have a cap on the basement floor? Maybe one of your neighbors do.
Hmmmm, I can't make heads or tails of the photo. But, is your water/sewage flowing now? Do things flush and drain?
Toilet flushes very well. Tub drains fast, all sinks drain well. I don't hear any funny gurgling noises.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
