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COMMERCIAL
VEHICLES
 QUESTION:
I own a FedEx delivery van and park it in my driveway at night in a gated
community. State and city laws say I can do this. My HOA says their rules trump
city and state law. True or false?
ANSWER: True.
OLD PIPES
Dear Adrian: I am glad you submitted the articles on
appliance flooding. It's a real problem that effects many condominium
associations and drags on for months after it happens.
I am a building manager for 9 properties in
Chicago and I have a lot of experience with this situation. In my case, most of
the buildings I manage are "vintage" meaning
they have old galvanized pipes (average 35 years before needing replacement)
that are 80-100 years old. These buildings were never intended to have washing
machines, garbage disposals, or dishwashers hooked up to their plumbing.
For example if you have a washing machine, a
designated drain pipe is supposed to be run from the washer to the ground. Many
people get their "handyman" to hook up their washer to drain down the same pipe
their kitchen sink drains down. The unit owners on the floors right below often
get the soapy suds in their kitchen sink when the neighbors above are
doing their laundry. Having all the kitchen lines cleaned out by a licensed
plumber annually or bi-annually helps keep the pipes clearer, however this is
not the drain a washing machine is supposed to be hooked up to.
Some of my vintage buildings have banned the use
of garbage disposals, dish washers, and washing machines. The problems that have crept in over the years
have been with condominium conversions in buildings that used to be rental
buildings. The new owners coming in grew up in single family homes in the
suburbs where all the conveniences mentioned were part of everyday living. When
the apartments get rehabbed, the new conveniences are installed without any
consideration that the appliances are being hooked up to very old plumbing.
Before the eventual flood takes place, before
the insurance claims begin, condominium boards need to take
preventative steps to write and enforce Rules & Regulations about what homeowners are allowed to have in the first place. Inviting a knowledgeable
licensed plumbing contractor to a meeting to inform boards about what their
building's pipes can handle has been educational and helpful in making rules
that are necessary to avoid future plumbing floods. -Marcia Grubb, Grubb Property
Management, Inc.
COMMENT:
Well said.
WASHING
MACHINE
FINES AND
LEGAL ACTION
QUESTION: I read with interest the last
two Davis-Stirling newsletters about washing machine overflow. What if a
homeowner installed a washing machine without a building permit or HOA approval?
Our condo was built in 1954. Our Board would like to prohibit use of the
illegally installed washing machine but the owner will not comply.
ANSWER:
After a
hearing, the
board can levy
daily fines against the owner until he removes the
clothes washer. If he
continues to ignore the association, you can go into court to have it removed.
It is only a matter of time before the washing machine causes a flood. If the board does
nothing and neighbors are damaged by a flood from the washer, the association
could be sued for knowingly
allowing the violation to continue.
Very truly yours,
Adrian Adams, Esq.
Adams Kessler PLC |
