R.W. from Hartford County, Connecticut writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
I was notified by association that there was a leak in storage room coming from my bathroom tub and a plumber would be coming. Then I received a call from association saying they were backed up so the appointment was rescheduled to a different date. When plumber came he stated that there would be no way I would have known about the leak. Also, I don’t have access to storage room. Association said I would be responsible for charges. I agreed. Now I am being billed for repairs and fines and fee why am I being fined. Please help!
Mister Condo replies:
R.W., I am sorry that you had so much damage caused by a leak you couldn’t control or even know about. I am not sure why you are being fined or what additional fees are being added to the agreed upon bill for repairs. You have the right to inquire about the fees and fines. Also, you have the right to address the Board in person to inquire about the fees and fines. Fees and fines cannot be arbitrarily levied. If it turns out you have violated some rules of the association and there is a fee or fine for that violation, the Board may be within its right to levy the fees and fines. However, there is a process that must be followed. From what you have told me, that process has not been followed. Ask for clarification. My guess is this is a simple misunderstanding and that the Board should rescind the fines and fees. Good luck!
I’m in a similar situation…I had a wood floor installed in my kitchen first floor condo. 2 months after the installation there was a flood in the basement of the Bldg when the heat was turned on. Emergency plumber came and it took the entire day to repair the pipe. They found a carpentry nail in the pipe and are now saying it is from my floor installation. The plumber charge was $1,975 because this happened over the weekend. I reached out to floor company to ask them to file an insurance claim for the damage and they refused. The association paid the plumbers bill but I feel they will eventually expect me to pay. Now I’m in touch with CT Consumer Protection for help. Haven’t heard anything further but would like to know what other steps I can take?