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leaks, rocks and hard places, deaf boards.. HELP!

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gsusser

Junior Member
What is the name of your state?NJ

Over the past two years, my unit has had several leaks and water issues. The Board has historically been unresponsive and uncommunicative. The leak that brought me to this forum (and driven me out of my mind) has been going on for two years. [I live on the top floor of a 4 story building. My unit is a duplex and the leak is in the downstairs bedroom and the abutting building hallway and only occurs when there’s a substantial rain.]

The Association has made several attempts to address the problem. However, I consider these attempts half-measures and the proper professionals have not been contacted. The Board is cheap; it’s not like we don’t have the money. Maintenance men are the ones typically contacted. Needless to say, the half-measures have proved a waste of money and the leak remains. The leak is above my bed and night table. It has caused damage to the bed, warped my wood floor and destroyed some items on my night table (telephone, clocks, etc.) However, the worst part is waking up in the middle of the night to water dripping on my face.

The reason that it has gone on for two years, and continues unresolved is the Board is extremely slow to react. Over the past three months, I have written four letters to the manager with a copy to the Board President. I even sent a letter to all the Board owners to make sure they were aware of the problems. Nothing in response. Phone messages go unreturned. There are no open meetings for me to confront anyone. [that is another issue which I am pursuing.]

I don’t have the money to lay out to hire the proper person(s), i.e., a roofing company or engineer, to remedy the problem, much less a lawyer. And I assume I can’t take the Association to court without knowing how much it will cost to fix the problem. Hence, the rock and hard place analogy. Help!

thanks, glenn
 


HomeGuru

Senior Member
gsusser said:
What is the name of your state?NJ

Over the past two years, my unit has had several leaks and water issues. The Board has historically been unresponsive and uncommunicative. The leak that brought me to this forum (and driven me out of my mind) has been going on for two years. [I live on the top floor of a 4 story building. My unit is a duplex and the leak is in the downstairs bedroom and the abutting building hallway and only occurs when there’s a substantial rain.]

The Association has made several attempts to address the problem. However, I consider these attempts half-measures and the proper professionals have not been contacted. The Board is cheap; it’s not like we don’t have the money. Maintenance men are the ones typically contacted. Needless to say, the half-measures have proved a waste of money and the leak remains. The leak is above my bed and night table. It has caused damage to the bed, warped my wood floor and destroyed some items on my night table (telephone, clocks, etc.) However, the worst part is waking up in the middle of the night to water dripping on my face.

The reason that it has gone on for two years, and continues unresolved is the Board is extremely slow to react. Over the past three months, I have written four letters to the manager with a copy to the Board President. I even sent a letter to all the Board owners to make sure they were aware of the problems. Nothing in response. Phone messages go unreturned. There are no open meetings for me to confront anyone. [that is another issue which I am pursuing.]

I don’t have the money to lay out to hire the proper person(s), i.e., a roofing company or engineer, to remedy the problem, much less a lawyer. And I assume I can’t take the Association to court without knowing how much it will cost to fix the problem. Hence, the rock and hard place analogy. Help!

thanks, glenn

**A: hire an attorney and sue the HOA. Something you should have done 2 years ago.
 

gsusser

Junior Member
Wow, great advice! Thank you thank you.

FWIW said:
It will cost some money. If you win, maybe the judge will order the HOA to pay for your lawyer. IF you win. If you lose, the judge can and probably will order you to pay the HOA's laywers. HOA laywers like lawsuits ... for this very reason.

HOA's just add another layer of mostly unaccountable government to one's life. Avoid them if possible ... but that is moot now.

The other thing you can do is make a website (ie. http://www.myhoa.com). If they do not already have the domain name registered, register it quick. It's only $10. Outline your problem there. Lay out only the facts as you know them to be. Include the responses from your HOA. (you don't want to get hit with libel or slander).

I've seen this very tactic work wonders. Publically having a crappy HOA taken to task on the Internet has the potential to drive home prices in that building down as prospective buyers web-search their potential home ... and guess what comes up on Google or via direct URL calling? This is opposite of what the HOA wants. They are acting in an anonymous way right now. Make that not be the case.

Be creative. Court is not the only way to get action. It is the preferred action by HOA lawyers (who get paid whether they win or lose), but not always necessary to the shrewd homeowner.

Remember, avoid slander. Stick to the facts. Post pictures and correspondence. No name calling, etc.
 
S

Stan Goldberg

Guest
gsusser said:
Wow, great advice! Thank you thank you.

You shouldn't have said that.

It is against the terms of service of the board to provide advice which does not meet 2 of the following 3 criterea:

1) Completely Unhelpful
2) Sarcastic
3) Personally Insulting


Since the post you quoted did not meet any of these standards, all posts by FWIW have been wiped out.

If someone happens to mess up and give advice that you might find helpful, please, do not call attention to it.

You are here ONLY to be insulted by HomeGuru and You_Are_Guilty who desperately need to feel important, and they can only accomplish this by insulting people on the Internet.

Denying them this one area of control over their lives this is completely unfair.

Please do not forget this, or I will see to it that you are banned.
 

You Are Guilty

Senior Member
Stan Goldberg said:
You shouldn't have said that.

It is against the terms of service of the board to provide advice which does not meet 2 of the following 3 criterea:

1) Completely Unhelpful
2) Sarcastic
3) Personally Insulting


Since the post you quoted did not meet any of these standards, all posts by FWIW have been wiped out.

If someone happens to mess up and give advice that you might find helpful, please, do not call attention to it.

You are here ONLY to be insulted by HomeGuru and You_Are_Guilty who desperately need to feel important, and they can only accomplish this by insulting people on the Internet.

Denying them this one area of control over their lives this is completely unfair.

Please do not forget this, or I will see to it that you are banned.

hahahahahahahahaha

I think it's time you get over yourself, loverboy.
 
S

Stan Goldberg

Guest
You Are Guilty said:
hahahahahahahahaha

I think it's time you get over yourself, loverboy.

Exhibit A

A perfect example of a reply which falls within the acceptable response guidelines.

You should expect ONLY these types of replies.
 
S

Stan Goldberg

Guest
--PARIDISE-- said:
I see he is back under another screen name. Kind of sad if you think about it.

Sad that moderators are so insecure that they ban anyone who responds to posts with anything less than an insult?

Or who ban people who finish fights that the mods start?

I wholeheartedly agree.

It's impossible to police the Internet.

But, I bet they try.
 

HomeGuru

Senior Member
Stan Goldberg said:
Sad that moderators are so insecure that they ban anyone who responds to posts with anything less than an insult?

Or who ban people who finish fights that the mods start?

I wholeheartedly agree.

It's impossible to police the Internet.

But, I bet they try.


**A: hahaha, make my day again FWIW.
 
S

Stan Goldberg

Guest
HomeGuru said:
**A: hahaha, make my day again FWIW.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how scared do you think I am?

Your last attempt was 100% ineffective. As will be the next one, and the one after that.

Go ahead ... make your own day.

But all you are going to do is prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you are powerless over the forums, and those who post to it.

Maybe it would be better to at least preserve the plausible illusion of power, than to allow me prove that you don't have it. If you don't ban nicks, I can't prove it, and you maintain some control.

That way, at least there would stil be SOME people on the board that you can bully and threaten. Better to have some people to intimidate than none.

But if every threat is thwarted, you will lose that leverage.

Decisions, decisions ....
 

HomeGuru

Senior Member
Stan Goldberg said:
On a scale of 1 to 10, how scared do you think I am?

Your last attempt was 100% ineffective. As will be the next one, and the one after that.

Go ahead ... make your own day.

But all you are going to do is prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you are powerless over the forums, and those who post to it.

Maybe it would be better to at least preserve the plausible illusion of power, than to allow me prove that you don't have it. If you don't ban nicks, I can't prove it, and you maintain some control.

That way, at least there would stil be SOME people on the board that you can bully and threaten. Better to have some people to intimidate than none.

But if every threat is thwarted, you will lose that leverage.

Decisions, decisions ....


**A: are you finished idiot?
 
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