Condo Association Management Blog

I would first call the Board of Health. 

Stop waiting and do what the OP said, call the Board of Health.

1st--did you purchase from a reputable Realtor? If so, phone them and they can possible get with the management or management company to help you get resolution. Then look at the documents you were given to see if water is a part of the common expenses of the Association and provided to all residents that pay dues. If so, then place in writing your concerns or visit the management office personally. Another idea is to see if there is a maintenance engineer or person on property and stop them and ask them to look at the valve with you. After documenting all action taken, another choice could be to phone a plumber yourself, have them give you a professional diagnosis of the issue and again, depending on that diagnosis, go back to the management company if you feel it is something that should be the financial responsibility of the Association. In any event, you should take the inititive to get exact facts about what is preventing you from accessing a water supply (45 days....how are you living in or preparing this condo for occupancy without running water). There are many questions that come to mind...unfortunately, I think you have to do more homework yourself before any of us can give you more direction or input. Good luck and keep on researching until you find out all of the facts.

Call a plumber. Perhaps your neighbors will contribute to the cost so that you finally bathe for after 45 days. It is your place...who should pay, regardless?

Definitely contact your neighbors and ask if there's a BOARD you can contact in the building as well! When you were going through closing, did you not have an INSPECTION? Were you there during inspection? Was water running then? 45 days without water and you have no answer about this issue? This is just too bizarre... I don't think you're giving all the facts here, but it definitely sounds like you should contact ANY and ALL people around you about this.

First of all, who is resp. for paying the water bills? If it's the assn then they have a resp. to check this out. If the prop mgmt co is unresponsive then try to contact a board member, or better yet, show up at a board meeting and state your complaint. However, if you are resp for paying the water bills then you need to contact the city/co ASAP and find out what the problem is. 
 
I cannot imagine you have been w/o water for 45 days!!!

Let me get this straight. Your home inspector didnt pick up on this? 
 
You have been suckered and probably deserve what you get. 
 
Buyer be ware.

I can add little to what has been said above--all very good advice. 
 
EXCEPT: Whether the Property Manager is responsible or not surely they should be assisting you in getting your water turned on. "It's not my job" shows a lack of caring about the property that disqualifies them from Property Management.  
After you get adjusted to your new home start work on getting rid of the Property Manager. >>>>>>>>  
Or, perhaps you have left something out of your description of the problem.

The first question as perhaps aluded to above, that needs to be answered is - Have you looked at the governing documents to see who is responcible for this? Although you indicated that the type of ownership, the water utility may not be included as a common element since it services only your unit. Since all other units have no problem, I suspect this may be the case. 
 
 
 
It's unfortunate that the management company is unable to assist you in sorting this out. 
 
 
 
The next question that needs to be answered is the cause of the service disruption. Perhaps there is an outstanding balance, and the town or water company turned off the water from the "pit". Likewise, the previous owner may have requested that the water be taken out of his/her name as they no longer owned it. It woule then be your obligation to establish a new account. If so, the response from the manager may be correct, and you woule need to contact the water company. If on the other hand, ther service is "on", and the problem is mechanical, you may need to call your own plumber (as previously noted).

I would love to hear the board's side of the story. I'll bet they would tell us "the rest of the story".

Sometimes you just have to take the bull by the horns. Call a plumber and/or the water company and get the valve fixed and the water turned on. Figure out who's responsible for the cost later. You are losing money every day that you can't use your unit. That is intolerable. you aren't going to get anywhere with a standoff. You're the one who's going to suffer, not the management company. You seem to be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

I never heard of such a thing in my life. The city should be providing the water. If no one will; just file a complaint.

There is usually a water shut-off valve at the hot-water heater. It might be that your water supply has been shut off there. If that is not the case, write a letter to the management company (with a copy to the Board President)and mail it by certified mail, return receipt requested. If you want action you need to put it in writing and mail it to each party via certified mail. I know that it costs a few dollars to do that but it is well worth it. Management companies know that if they fail to respond to a certified letter, you have the evidence you need to hold them accountable.

If you still have no water go to the city and let them know. It is the city that provides the water and picks up the trash. The city gets paid out of the condo fees that the owners pay. My husband and I bought our condo in 92 and it had running water.I have been managing all these years and have never had a problem of this nature. If all other suggestions have been tried and failed get an attorney. Something is amiss.

Some of the condo fees should be going toward the water and trash. No one should move in to a condo they purchased to no running water and then be ignored when they complain.Something is amiss and I would get an attorney if this problem is not resolved.

There are so many comments on this, which should be a simple problem solved overnight. Go back to the property manager. Go to your broker. Call the seller. Start raising h--l. And most important to this forum, get back to us with follow up information.  
 
Brenda

First and foremost...I can't believe anyone is blaming the PM. Responsibility for utilities serving only the unit, are the responsibility of the unit being served. 
 
Since no one else is affected, it is probably a problem within the unit or somethign shut off within the unit. 
 
Either case, it is not the property manager's responsiblity to solve the problem. 
 
PM's solve Association issues, not those in the individual units -- at least as far as condos and HOA's go. 
 
If it were an apt rental community that would be a different story. 
 
If this guy can't manage to find a shut off valve to his unit, call a plumber who can help. Why have you waited 45 days?

This is strange. When you walked the unit before making an offer, or had your inspection before closing did you have water? Is your Association responsible for providing water? What do your CCR's say? No matter who is responsible, you need to call a plumber out to look at the issue.

I don;t think that Joyce gets it. Of cours, it is most likely not the direct responsibility of the PM; though it might be--but the PM might assist a newcomer with this problem. 
As was said above: saying "It's no my job," shows a lack of concern for the Members; and no PM should be working for an Association who has that customer-dis-service attitude.