Plumbing issues

"Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!" (eurylokhos) 10/22/2018 at 21:31 • Filed to: None

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Dear god. This has been a horrible day. My house was built just over a year ago and was not plumbed right. Biggest immediate issue is the end of the main sewer line where the last toilet, sink, and clothes washer join is tilted the wrong way so things just back up.

I had a plumber out to deal with hooking my kitchen back up after a $10k repair from the dishwasher leaking so I decided to just have him fix that pipe. He did, but the big clog in it slid down the line and became lodged just above the drop to the outside.

I didn’t realize this and he is gone so I tested the dishwasher then noticed that none of the toilets would flush. No more details needed but a huge power snake was rented, line opened, huge horrific mess, all the clothes i was wearing have been thrown away.

At least now everything is theoretically fixed. I told my wife that I’m done being a plumber. Yes, I built our first house and plumbed it, yes I know how to fix it. However, life’s too damn short to do this again. If that plumber wanted to go on vacation he wouldn’t go rent an airliner, he’d pay me, and I will pay him when I have a plumbing issue.  We make enough that we can call someone for these kind of issues and I won’t hesitate to do it next time.

Plus, it killed my Z Car generations Blipshift shirt that I got back in 2013 or so. Damnit. I loved that shirt.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! 10/22/2018 at 21:48

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“ My house was built just over a year ago and was not plumbed right.”

Unfortunately, this statement does not shock me. I've seen things. 

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! 10/22/2018 at 21:54

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Doesn’t your insurance cover...all of this?

wafflesnfalafel > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! 10/22/2018 at 21:59

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document and sue the #$@! out of the builder

shop-teacher > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! 10/22/2018 at 22:05

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Shitty day.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > wafflesnfalafel 10/22/2018 at 22:06

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Most new homes have some kind warranty.... Unless of course he signed a contract waiving a warranty?

The Dummy Gummy > wafflesnfalafel 10/22/2018 at 22:19

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this

TheRealBicycleBuck > wafflesnfalafel 10/22/2018 at 22:25

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That’s hard to do in Louisiana. The builders down here create an LLC, buy a large tract, subdivide it, build a bunch of houses, sell all the houses, then dissolve the LLC. There’s no entity left to sue.

wafflesnfalafel > TheRealBicycleBuck 10/22/2018 at 22:29

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$5 bucks there was a general liability insurance policy in place on that entity while the home was constructed - that’s what you want to go after. It’s called a “C onstruction D efect” claim.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > TheRealBicycleBuck 10/22/2018 at 22:34

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Hah! Separate LLC per projects/neighborhoods? No one does that up here! And by no one, I unfortunately mean everyone. I also think it protects them liability wise. Like, you can’t sue all of DR Horton, but maybe “DR Horton of Sequoia Glen Grove,” who’s worth is a pittance. I also think taxes have something to do with it. “Oh, we’re a small mom and pop builder, only 20 homes a year!” says about 27 separate LLCs .

someassemblyrequired > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/22/2018 at 22:34

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People think that buying a new house will save them from having problems.   Far better to buy something a few years old.  

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > someassemblyrequired 10/22/2018 at 22:46

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I n a way some, homes are the opposite of cars. Let the first buyer uncover all the quirks and features, have them fixed, then sell to you years later.

Also lots of faults can’t really be known until after the home is actually used as a home. Like who came in and made sure that the plumber wasn’t incompetent? In this case: no one.

Also keep in mind that many builders take the lowest bidders on subs, or a combo of capacity and price. Note that quality subs will usually lower their prices for large scale projects and guaranteed work. But obviously, a company cannot take too much bottom-change work, else their laborers don’t make squat. And a good laborer won’t work for pennies for long.

I would find out who was the plumbering company contracted by the builder. May be able to go after them. And by after them, I mean politely ask if they will fix their work. New homeowners don’t want to be tied up lawsuits, they just want to relax in their new home. That’s why they BOUGHT a new home! They had expectations of a dwelling with no issues. And for the price, it’s a fair expectation; it just often doesn’t work.

I once talked a guy a guy out of suing a builder, under the condition that the builder take and implement my solution for a problem he was having with a problem caused by a different trade. On Friday morning, I hope to hear that all is well.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/22/2018 at 22:50

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Yeah a LLC is a good way to avoid paying corporation taxes but yet limit your liability to just what assets the company has.  Pretty smart really.  Scummy, sure, but smart, business-wise.  Limited Liabilty Companies are a pretty good way to go.  

someassemblyrequired > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/22/2018 at 23:18

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As my Dad perpetually quips, buying a house is the same as buying a General Motors product - let the first owner sort it out, then enjoy many years of trouble-free ownership.

But yeah, with a house, there’s really no quality control until you get in there for a few months. And typically the new-build construction is usually lowest-bidder stuff, with the really skilled guys doing renos or custom homes.

I’ve had some luck with giving contractors the “what for” after a few months if something goes wrong. Usually they’re happy to fix the problem. Only time I had a real problem was when an older home we bought was rewired to get rid of the knob and tube by the previous owner. On the surface it looked ok, and passed inspection. But all was not well - and by the time I had figured it out, the company had lost their license and gone bankrupt. I spent a few weekends sorting out their errors. Was a shame really because 90% of it was top-flight. But they must have had a couple of guys that just didn’t care and wrecked their entire company.

Lawsuits really are a last resort, unless it is a massive problem . In most cases it’s easier to swallow your pride and point your car in the direction of the nearest Home Depot .

TheRealBicycleBuck > wafflesnfalafel 10/22/2018 at 23:33

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You’d only win that bet if the lawsuit was filed within the time limit after which the LLC was dissolved. It varies by state, but is usually around three years. If you can prove that the LLC members ( the people who formed the LLC - often just a single builder) knowingly did something wrong and convince a court to allow you to “pierce the corporate veil,” then you can sue the members directly, but only for a limited amount.

In Louisiana, you have three years to sue unless all of the assets of the corporation were liquidated when the corporation was dissolved , then you only have two years and are limited to the portion of the asset distributed to the member(s) . If the member(s) didn’t receive any assets, then there’s nothing you can sue for . This can happen if the member(s) are compensated by a high salary and do  not claim the value of any assets during the dissolution of the corporation.

wafflesnfalafel > TheRealBicycleBuck 10/22/2018 at 23:52

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U nless they only had a claims made policy, (which is rare and short sighted ,) the coverage through the primary LLC policy would still be viable regardless if the LLC is still incorporated or not, (I n fact most quality builders and product manufacturers purchase coverage to cover their liability tail even after they dissolve .) Plus there almost certainly would be a wide variety of subcontractors to pull in as well which would likely not have set up separate entities for a single job - which not only increases the size of your pool but can put pressure on the builder/general contractor .

These things happen all the time, (though honestly, a significant percentage of the time the builder avoids legal action simply by fixing the issues with their initial construction - which likely would be the best option here.) The insurance industry is bracing for a significant up tick in construction defect claims in the next decade largely because so much is being thrown up so quickly right now . More unskilled plumbers putting pipes in backwards...

TheRealBicycleBuck > wafflesnfalafel 10/23/2018 at 08:01

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A t some point it becomes an exercise in balancing the cost to pursue compensation and the cost of the paying for the repair out of pocket. Even if insurance is in force, the cost of getting them to complete a claim may exceed the cost of the repair, especially if you have to take them to court to compel them to pay the claim.

I’ve been dealing with auto insurance issues for the last couple of years. I’m going to have to write off some losses because the other person’s insurance company is refusing to pay portions of my claim and it isn’t worth the time and effort to take them to court - exactly what they are banking on. By the way, don’t listen to Shaq. The General sucks as an insurance company.

Quadradeuce > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! 10/23/2018 at 08:35

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In my area, the building market is so hot right now you can't get a competent contractor to walk through your door with less than a 12 month lead time.  So I did all my own plumbing, electrical, windows, doors, and finish work on my addition.  Passed inspection on the first shot. No problems a year later (other than one fidgety window).