Water issue, trailer park, before meter

[southern82]

I own a mobile home in Indiana and rent the lot. Three weeks ago, the office shut down, leaving us with no management. It just reopened this past Monday. The weekend before, we woke up on Saturday and found no water was coming into the home. We have had occasional issues with the hot water line and had found, while the office was closed, that none of the electrical worked under our trailer (we tried to install new heat tape). We have used a space heater in lieu of the tape to help thaw the lines while waiting for new management.

I have lived here for two years. Never have we lost all water. We were able to contact a maintenance worker who came out on Sunday and found no water going to meter. Magically, the water was on when I checked later that afternoon (so, no water for over 24 hours). I spoke with the new manager on Monday and asked they look into it.

This morning, we awoke to find no water again. I contacted the manager and the maintenance workers who came out claimed the line leading to the meter was frozen (incidentally, that line has massive amounts of insulation around it which the maintenance worker exposed last weekend while checking it). They also told me there was nothing they could do, and the manager claimed that the new management company will not touch anything in or around the trailer, including the electrical outlets under the trailer. She told me that if we had been able to contact them before the office had closed down, they would have fixed it (?!).

I have had a space heater now directed at the main line they claim is frozen for over an hour, and still no water.

For two years, I have never had a problem. Not even when temps were below zero. The week before this all started, a company had been working on a pipe a couple doors down. I expressed how coincidental this was, and was told that couldn't be what is affecting it and it's simply the pipe that the other maintenance worker had exposed.

Does anyone know what the law is regarding who is responsible for the line before the meter? I also find it highly suspicious that three weeks ago, the electrical was their responsibility, now it's mine. Granted, new management company, but without a new contract or any notice, is that even legal?

 

[drruthless]

I own a mobile home in Indiana and rent the lot. Three weeks ago, the office shut down, leaving us with no management. It just reopened this past Monday. The weekend before, we woke up on Saturday and found no water was coming into the home. We have had occasional issues with the hot water line and had found, while the office was closed, that none of the electrical worked under our trailer (we tried to install new heat tape). We have used a space heater in lieu of the tape to help thaw the lines while waiting for new management.

I have lived here for two years. Never have we lost all water. We were able to contact a maintenance worker who came out on Sunday and found no water going to meter. Magically, the water was on when I checked later that afternoon (so, no water for over 24 hours). I spoke with the new manager on Monday and asked they look into it.

This morning, we awoke to find no water again. I contacted the manager and the maintenance workers who came out claimed the line leading to the meter was frozen (incidentally, that line has massive amounts of insulation around it which the maintenance worker exposed last weekend while checking it). They also told me there was nothing they could do, and the manager claimed that the new management company will not touch anything in or around the trailer, including the electrical outlets under the trailer. She told me that if we had been able to contact them before the office had closed down, they would have fixed it (?!).

I have had a space heater now directed at the main line they claim is frozen for over an hour, and still no water.

For two years, I have never had a problem. Not even when temps were below zero. The week before this all started, a company had been working on a pipe a couple doors down. I expressed how coincidental this was, and was told that couldn't be what is affecting it and it's simply the pipe that the other maintenance worker had exposed.

Does anyone know what the law is regarding who is responsible for the line before the meter? I also find it highly suspicious that three weeks ago, the electrical was their responsibility, now it's mine. Granted, new management company, but without a new contract or any notice, is that even legal?

Things change.
Generally speaking, where there are multiple residence's in a given area such as a trailer park, the local municipality is responsible for maintenance up to the point of access. From there it would be best to consult the local waterworks and see if any arrangements were put in place for maintaining the lines inside the park had been made with the original owners of the trailer park.

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and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that, it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end. ~ unknown

 

[justalayman]

Barring an agreement otherwise, you are responsible for your trailer to the point of connection to the community utilities. There is a single point of attachement for the water. That is where responsibility splits

The power issue; if the receptacles are part of your trailer, you are responsible for them.


Basically put; when you walk up to an empty lot and see what is there, the management is liable for that. If it comes along with your trailer when you park it there; you are responsible for all of that stuff.

 

[FarmerJ]

So your home is not connected to one of them heated heads that has the red light glowing when the power is on to it ? Otherwise you should get back under the house and try to replace the heat tapes again and when you do wrap with that black foam pipe covering and use black tape to close the slit tight , NOW if you do indeed have the heated head thing to connect your home to and its not working then it is your landlords obligation to fix that heated head. if your outlets under the house have failed if you have to use extension cord to plug heat tapes into for now.

 

[FlyingRon]

The meter isn't necessarily the point of access. My old house had that at the disconnect (out by the street) though the meter was in my basement. I had a leak after the great DC earthquake out by the street (but after the demarcation point). The utility told me it was my nickle. I tried to argue that I had no incentive to fix it as I wasn't getting billed for the leak.

 

[southern82]

Last weekend, maintenance worker said pipes were fine, no evidence as to why we had no water. Today, the pipe he exposed last weekend and said was fine, he claims is now frozen. There's been direct heat to that section of pipe for 3 hours now, still no water.

They're standing behind their statement today and will not check further.

The pipe comes up out of the ground a few inches, bends at an "L" and about a foot in, connects with the meter. A few inches from there is the shut off valve and then the lines split off under the trailer. The part in question is right at the bend, before the meter.

So, at what point does responsibility change? I'm pretty sure I would not be allowed to do any work to the pipe before the meter, in case it interferes, correct? Especially since I do not have access to shut that off?

 

[southern82]

So your home is not connected to one of them heated heads that has the red light glowing when the power is on to it ? Otherwise you should get back under the house and try to replace the heat tapes again and when you do wrap with that black foam pipe covering and use black tape to close the slit tight , NOW if you do indeed have the heated head thing to connect your home to and its not working then it is your landlords obligation to fix that heated head. if your outlets under the house have failed if you have to use extension cord to plug heat tapes into for now.

No, we bought that red light one, and that's how we found out the electrical wasn't working. We used the black foam pipe covering, which seemed to do the trick, because we've had no further issues with the hot water lines. However, the main pipe where the meter sits, is covered in heavy insulation, not just the black foam. And by heavy, I mean like 3-4 inches thick. It held up through sub-zero temps. Now, 20 degrees causes it to magically freeze, even when he said it wasn't frozen last weekend?

 

[FarmerJ]

is the meter owned by you city or is it a sub meter that the landlord owns and re bills each home for its use ?

 

[southern82]

is the meter owned by you city or is it a sub meter that the landlord owns and re bills each home for its use ?

Landlord bills each tenant and pays water company.

 

[FarmerJ]

You called it water company but when you make out the check do you make it out to the name of your city? I ask again because if the line your home connect to is owned by the city then they may be able to help get it thawed out , other wise you may have to call a local plumber who does frozen pipe thaws and have the line thawed out.

 

[justalayman]

Given the temperatures in Indiana, in general, I find it very unlikely you would have any frozen pipes. The water doesn't freeze instantly. Any water use disturbs ice formation after which freezing starts all over. Then, for there to be a total blockage it usually requires much colder temps or extended periods of continual sub freezing temps.

I would make sure to warm the meter itself. Due to the mechanical functions of the meter, that is about the only thing I can see that would be more susceptible to shorter durations of sub freezing temperatures.

And then, once you get water back, make sure you allow for a continual flow of water any time you experience sub freezing temperatures. It doesn't take much water movement to prevent freezing.