Ava
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Post by Ava on Jan 30, 2011 12:48:04 GMT -5
Sorry if this sounds desperate. I am kind of desperate. I used to post on the old boards with the name Northeast Princess. As you can see, I live in the Northeast. This area has been swamped with snowstorms since Christmas. My condo is a row house. There is a gutter on the roof right above my unit. There's one every four units. You can see ice in the roof. This gutter freezed and I have water inside my home. I arrived from work Friday afternoon to find water leaking in through the roof right above the window sill. Besides that, there's water damage in the walls, and the moment you approach the window, the carpet in the floor pools around your feet. The carpet is soaked with water. Of course, I immediately called the emergency number for the company that administers these units. I also visited the condo association president, and she told me to call the emergency number, which I had already done. That was the only advice she could give me. That was Friday. The person in charge of emergencies told me there were so many units they administer that have an emergency like mine, that they would have to put me on the list. I explained that the longer I had to wait the worse the damage. He told me nothing he could do about that. And not to worry, the insurance would cover all the damage. Fast forward to Sunday, nobody has shown up yet, and the damage is getting bigger. Right now, it is necessary to change the carpet, open the walls, etc. Even though my unit is receiving all the damage, the gutter serves several apartments, not just mine. I've spent my weekend crying and carrying towels from where the leak is to the bathroom, rinsing them, then reapplying. My neighbors go on with their lives as usual. I am desperate. It took me two years of working two full-time jobs to get the money for a down-payment and closing costs. This is my first home. If the insurance doesn't cover the damage, there's no way I can pay for this. The repairs, I am sure, will cost thousands. You may think the emergency person already told me not to worry. But it's not that easy. This is an emergency and nobody has come to deal with it 48 hours after I called them. Also, how can he be so sure insurance will cover this? Not to mention I will probably have to move while they fixed floors, roofs, windows, and walls. I don't know where to turn, what to do. Last summer there was a water leakage in my unit because of the gutter. The company that administers the condos took care of the damage around my window. But that was nothing compared to the damage I have now. Besides, I don't want that gutter to freeze or get full of tree leaves and leak into my unit every few months. I want this over. What can I do? Where do I stand from a legal standpoint? What are my resources? Thank you for reading. Please send good vibes my way.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2011 12:52:06 GMT -5
Sending good vibes. Now you send good vibes and start imagining the best instead of the worst. The best is your insurance will cover the damage and you will get a bunch of nice upgrades out of the deal. And then you will contact a lawyer and be able to sue the administrators for now repairing the problem you made them aware of last summer.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2011 12:52:41 GMT -5
Ooops, the best is the administrators insurance will cover it and it won't affect your rates.
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❤ mollymouser ❤
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Post by ❤ mollymouser ❤ on Jan 30, 2011 13:04:19 GMT -5
Sending good vibes.
Move everything that may be damaged by this water/leak out of that room and someplace safe and dry (if you haven't already done so. Watch for water in the carpet wicking its way up into an upholstered couch. If necessary, consider cutting the carpet of the room (near a doorway?) and setting up a barrier of towels to prevent water getting into other rooms.
Call YOUR insurance agent and ask for advice and assistance ... which doesn't necessarily mean making a formal claim. See what suggestions or advice they can offer.
Keep calling the "emergency person" and, if necessary, ask to speak to a supervisor. Be a squeaky wheel.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Jan 30, 2011 13:15:48 GMT -5
Sending good vibes. Move everything that may be damaged by this water/leak out of that room and someplace safe and dry (if you haven't already done so. Watch for water in the carpet wicking its way up into an upholstered couch. If necessary, consider cutting the carpet of the room (near a doorway?) and setting up a barrier of towels to prevent water getting into other rooms. Call YOUR insurance agent and ask for advice and assistance ... which doesn't necessarily mean making a formal claim. See what suggestions or advice they can offer. Keep calling the "emergency person" and, if necessary, ask to speak to a supervisor. Be a squeaky wheel. What you have I believe are called ice dams. Contact your insurance company and ask them if you must use your condo management's emergency services. If you you don't have to, look in the Yellow Pages for similar services or ask your insurance company to recommend someone. Let the insurance company fight it out with the condo management and their negligence.
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The J
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Post by The J on Jan 30, 2011 13:22:59 GMT -5
I'd keep calling. Ask to speak to higher ups. Ask your association president to call the management company. Get the contact number for the contract administrator at the management company and call them directly.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Jan 30, 2011 13:31:46 GMT -5
Have your insurance company also call the management company.
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Jan 30, 2011 13:37:31 GMT -5
"Last summer there was a water leakage in my unit because of the gutter. The company that administers the condos took care of the damage around my window. But that was nothing compared to the damage I have now. Besides, I don't want that gutter to freeze or get full of tree leaves and leak into my unit every few months. I want this over."
Do document everything. Since this is a recurring issue you should be able to get the insurance to pay for it. Do your best to take it one step at a time and envision the area water free in between your cleanups.
I hope it is resolved for you or at least fixed early this week.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Jan 30, 2011 13:59:57 GMT -5
Not legal advice, but ice-dam advice:
Are towels your only option for catching the water? What about buckets, dishpans, baking pans, bowls, etc? Depending upon where in my eaves the leak is (I have several right now) I am using everything from dishpans to disposable foil pans to low profile pyrex pie plates. These catch the drips and keep the water from spreading on flat surfaces.
Take pictures. If you don't have a camera, go out and buy a disposable DIGITAL camera. You'll need the documentation.
Invite the association president over to see the damage so far. Be insistent. Make sure he/she comes, and if they don't, document it (can you email him or her?).
As someone else said, move as much as you can out of the way. If you have big pieces of furniture (couches, tv stands, etc.), see if you can raise them somehow (place legs on top of wooden blocks, pots, pans, whatever you got.
There is an epidemic of ice dams here in the Northeast, but that doesn't mean you can't get help. Follow the other advice and really press your case. Try to document somehow -- email is good for that. I was told by a roofer that they really can't fix the problem until the spring when the snow storms cease and the roof is safe enough to work on. In the meantime, all we can do is catch as much water as possible to prevent the damage from spreading.
Hang in there. You're not alone, but you do need someone to see the damage soon!!!
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Jan 30, 2011 14:02:12 GMT -5
One more idea a la the squeaky wheel -- alert the resident(s) in the unit directly below your leak. Tell them to watch for water leaking down into their unit from yours. Tell them you've tried to get help from the association president and the emergency contact but to no avail. If they care about their unit they'll join you in calling in help.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Jan 30, 2011 14:30:13 GMT -5
I second that you should contact your insurance agent. Your insurance (I think) will cover the walls (drywall) and carpeting, the homeowners association covers the roof and the outside walls.
My DH is an insurance agent and he is free with his cell phone number. If a customer calls him on Sunday he can fire up his lap top and enter the claim. If you don't have his cell and call the office on Sunday, the phone rolls over to the home office and a claim can be filed by the home office on your behalf.
I am not 100% sure your insurance will cover this but I think it will.
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Ava
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Post by Ava on Jan 30, 2011 14:55:37 GMT -5
Thank you for the responses. I just came back. I was talking to the Condo Association President and she told me she's e-mailing, calling the Company that administers these condos. She will come to my home Tuesday night so she can update me with the insurance claim. I don't have individual insurance, we have insurance that is included in our monthly dues. I don't even know which insurance company we have. As for dealing with the water damage, well, fortunately the leak is inside the spare bedroom and I don't have any furniture in there. You can see the water damage in the floor and walls, but the only leak inside the room is above the window sill. That's why pans are not an option. There's not enough room there for buckets. I am putting towels, but the constant leak gets through clean towels in a couple of hours or less. I am sorry if I sound desperate, but this is like a nightmare. I don't have neighbors downstairs, because it's a row house. The units have bedrooms above, so the water leaking down is getting to my downstairs living room. The Association President told me units like mine, that have the gutter above them, were the first affected. Now the damage is spreading to the adjacent units. She also has damage in her walls too. Of course I don't feel happy my neighbors are getting water damage too. But it makes me more confident that since they are now affected by this, everybody is going to be proactive in solving this mess.
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on Jan 30, 2011 14:57:18 GMT -5
Ava, I don't have anything to add to the great advice you've been given - just sending you best wishes, good vibes and say "hang in there. It will get better". (karma)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2011 15:35:07 GMT -5
You need to check that you don't need personal insurance, too, though. Does the condo's insurance cover liability caused by YOUR negligence (accidental negligence, you know) or the contents in case of fire?
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simser
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Post by simser on Jan 30, 2011 16:04:31 GMT -5
We had ice damming once and it was covered by insurance. However, it sucks in the meantime. Cover everything you can with plastic, get everything you want to keep out and put down every thing that can catch water around.
But in the words of my father "start throwing the computer underneath there so you can get a new one."
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DVM gone riding
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Post by DVM gone riding on Jan 30, 2011 16:08:39 GMT -5
Get a wet/dry shop vac. You can suck up tons of that water. If you cut the carpet-I would right at the door jam, Make sure you cut the pad too-pad is cheap just destroy it but the carpet should be cut with a sharp utility knife get a nice straight edge-heavy duty cardboard, long ruler etc. and cut in a clean firm line. then roll carpet and pad back away from the door-it will act like its on dam to prevent damage in other rooms-which insurance might not cover.
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DVM gone riding
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Post by DVM gone riding on Jan 30, 2011 16:10:48 GMT -5
You won't have to move to fix this !! Just thought that might make you feel better. My Dad does full second story additions with the people in their house, this is really not that big a deal-since it isn't your bedroom/kitchen/primary bath.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2011 16:12:43 GMT -5
Hugs.
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doxieluvr
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Post by doxieluvr on Jan 30, 2011 16:21:49 GMT -5
Get a wet/dry shop vac. You can suck up tons of that water. If you cut the carpet-I would right at the door jam, Make sure you cut the pad too-pad is cheap just destroy it but the carpet should be cut with a sharp utility knife get a nice straight edge-heavy duty cardboard, long ruler etc. and cut in a clean firm line. then roll carpet and pad back away from the door-it will act like its on dam to prevent damage in other rooms-which insurance might not cover. I second the shop vac. I would not cut the carpet. Just pull the carpet up from the corner of the room that is getting wet, roll it back, and put some fans on it to dry it. Cut the padding out and dispose of it. Now continue to use the shop vac, and towels to collect the water. Move fans around the room, especially at the wall to dry the walls out the best you can.
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dcmetrocrab
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Post by dcmetrocrab on Jan 30, 2011 18:33:06 GMT -5
Sounds like a nightmare, so sorry you are going through this.
You've received good adivce. Definitely document daily with pics, details notes, get witnesses, the whole kaboodle. The more info, the better your claim will be. Note dates, times, names of people you contacted at the condo board. Definitely call your insurance as a heads up and they can also rattle some cages for you since it is in their best interests to contain the damage as well.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2011 19:29:31 GMT -5
Keep calling. Everyday if you have to, twice if not three times a day! Make a pest out of yourself!
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Jan 30, 2011 19:39:31 GMT -5
Call on your cell phone (if you have one) so there is a record of all your calls.
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naturallyfrugal
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Post by naturallyfrugal on Jan 30, 2011 19:52:14 GMT -5
I want to second what SouthernSusana said about personal liability and contents insurance. I own a condo and while my dues do cover some insurance, I am still responsible for general liability (someone gets hurt) and personal contents (furnishings, appliances, etc...).......
I am sorry you're having to deal with this...it's so frustrating when you can't get a hold of someone who can answer your questions and let you know when repairs can be made....it's the "not knowing" that can be the scariest....
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2011 20:20:36 GMT -5
You want to check the rules and regs for your condo association, but I know where I live, the association is responsible for damages to your unit that occur as a result of their negligence. If your walls and flooring need replacement due to their faulty roof (and slow response time) they should need to foot the bill on the repair.
dvm07 is right - you shouldn't need to move to fix this. Drywall repair, carpet installation and painting are all pretty quick jobs for the pros. Once the roof is fixed, they should be able to straighten you out in no time.
Good luck!
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Artemis Windsong
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Post by Artemis Windsong on Jan 30, 2011 20:50:13 GMT -5
A big hug to you and I'm so sorry even though I have nothing to do with this.
When you get your wet/dry vac, get a toilet plunger, too.
The gutter installation needs to be reviewed and changed if it's incorrect. Whoever repairs the damage needs to consult with a contractor like Lowes who can recommend how to put heat tape in the gutter to keep this from happening again.
Those roofs with high pitch and deep valley are causing problems all over the snow states. My son removed a 3 ft. ice jam from a valley and that didn't solve the problem because of the spray in insulation prevented the original leak from being found. There are 5 guys who work together to shovel 4 ft. of snow off roofs.
I'm also sending best outcome vibes to you.
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Post by jospaced on Jan 31, 2011 8:59:14 GMT -5
ava: Sending some good karma your way. I am in the Northeast also. I don't expect that my condo will come away from all this weather unscathed. One winter I had a similar problem, and the management company told me that everything would be find when the snow and ice melted.
Keep calling them. Make a pest of yourself. It will get resolved; try and stay calm through this.
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The J
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Post by The J on Jan 31, 2011 10:17:57 GMT -5
You can't get a ladder and go out and break the gutter right where its doing that? That's what I would do. Is it to high to reach?? Stopping it shouldn't be that difficult or perhaps the insurance company can get someone to do that till things improve. We used to live up north and took care of things like that ourselves. I too would cut the carpet. A carpet company can tape the seam underneath and fix it and restretch. But first rent a wet/dry vac or buy one and suck out the water, dry as best you can. If you can stop it dry the wall with a heater, but not sitting in the water! If you try to do it yourself, and you damage anything, then you're liable for all the repair costs. The other problem is that the condo's insurance mught argue that you made something worse, and they won't cover all the interior damage.
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simser
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Post by simser on Jan 31, 2011 11:50:24 GMT -5
Oh I forgot to say. A lot of ice damming is caused by the fact that your house is warmer than outside, so the ice melts at the bottom to water, is trapped by the ice on top, and goes into your house. Therefore my parents always found that if you make your attic COLD so it won't melt, you don't get the water. If you have some control over that temperature and it won't make your life miserable you could try that.
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Clever Username
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Post by Clever Username on Feb 1, 2011 11:13:06 GMT -5
Been there, Done that. I was on the top floor of a condo.
The term for what's going on is Ice Dam. Or you might prefer Ice Damn.
With an assiciation, there are two insurance policies. Well... hopefully there are two. There is at least one. This is paid out of your regular association dues. The second one is if you have a personal property policy on your own.
Call your insurance broker, the personal property one. He'll tell you where the line is between the two, I think this varries by state. Mine was "paint in" so the condo policy was responsible for the gutters, roof, structrural and plaster repairs. I was responsible for repainting once it was fixed and anything inside the unit. IIRC, the carpet was mine, but the floor was the condo.... or maybe it was the subfloor.
My leak was near a window, so I had a bizar Rube Goldberg setup that lead the drips from the ceiling out the window. I remember a cookie sheet was involved. This was nice because I needed to empty the bucket every 4 hours before that.
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The J
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Post by The J on Feb 1, 2011 12:00:06 GMT -5
Ava -- any update?
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