R.F. from Fairfield County, Connecticut writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
I report a damage of electrical wires inside the walls that cut the electricity of two outlets in my unit, the Board refused to send someone to check or fix the problem. What I can do about it?
Mister Condo replies:
R.F., I am sorry that you are having electrical wire damage. That is a serious issue and may even cause a fire if the damage is severe enough. You say the Board refused to send someone to check or fix the problem. Is that because they don’t believe it is their problem or are they just being unresponsive? If they own the wires, they need to take your request seriously and remedy the situation. If you own the wires, that is a different story. Figuring out who owns the wires can be a bit tricky because they are not always owned in common, similar to plumbing. The general rule is if it is inside your dwelling, you own it. So, if these wires are running between tow outlets inside your unit, you may be responsible. Either way, get an electrician out right away to tell you exactly what is wrong and how much it the repair will cost. Take that information to your Board and ask who is responsible for the cost of the repair. If they say it is you and you don’t agree, you will have to decide if you want to sue the Board for the repair. Depending on the cost, that may not be feasible. Whatever the decision, you really need to get that damaged wiring repaired. All the best!
I agree with Mr. condo – the priority is getting an electrician to your place. The electrician should determine the problem and if proven the problem is wires in the walls you should still have this fixed immediately. The outlets are your responsibility and anything in the walls should be the HOA depending upon your documents. I’ve lived in condos since 1989 and have been on the board of these condos in CT and FL. I am speaking from my experience. Safety is #1. Who pays or reimbursement is #2.
P.s. I’m not a condo lawyer but u should be able to work this out w/o spending money on a lawyer.
We have similar issue here in Florida. Two units share dryer vents and a/c drains. The board included in the budget a line item expense for cleaning and made excuses on cleaning them and then spent the money on lights we never voted for. Our docs are very clear. Shared items in the walls and floors of units are a common expense. The property manager and board refuses to clean them. That creates a big problem.