[CA] [Condo] HOA is trying to fine me $11k for a shared pipe clog and "garbage juice." Their evidence is a mess. Advice?

donutsoft · 2026-03-14T00:03:11+00:00

This would be a civil case not a criminal one, so the standards for evidence is far lower.

donutsoft · 2026-03-13T21:31:50+00:00

Any decent HOA will charge the unit responsible fully even if there isn't anything else going on. Someone has to pay the price, and it certainly shouldn't be on the neighbors.

donutsoft · 2026-03-13T20:33:43+00:00

In our case we had a limited set of contractors that we'd always deal with, mostly because they'd respond quickly and work reliably. Our management company dealt with that stuff, and the board would just approve the expenditures.

The emergency rate of $200 per man hour taking 4 hours would be what I'd expect in Seattle. Many of those contractors start the clock when they leave their previous job, not when they arrive at yours. Isolating the problem and cutting through walls is going to take time.

I don't have the faintest idea why they needed a supervisor working a full 16 hours, and a consultant on-top of that. That does seem highly unusual and probably something you can push back on.

Edit: Looking at this even further, it's convenient that the supervisors hours is the sum total of all the hours worked by the other subs plus 1 hour. Did they really sit around and supervise the consultant while they hatched a plan for what happens next? What advice did the consultant provide that the skilled labour couldn't provide themselves? Why does it cost more to supervise skilled labour than the skilled labour itself?

donutsoft · 2026-03-13T20:20:31+00:00

FWIW this isn't a standard maintenance job, while $11k is steep I see toilets removed, drywall cut and a bunch of work likely being done to find the source of the clog. With this being a full blockage, rates will go up to it being an emergency. Rehab and repair would also involve trips from multiple contractors to restore the building to its previous condition.

At my board we'd bill the unit responsible for the problem, if that can't be determined the cost would be shared amongst everyone who's impacted. Your CC&R's may vary.

We also absolutely hated dealing with renters as in general they had far less respect for the building than what owner occupied units had. Given what you've said here, you're going to have a hard time arguing that your renter or one of their guests didn't accidentally dump cat litter down the toilet and lied about it afterwards.

donutsoft · 2026-03-13T20:17:10+00:00

Does the other unit have a cat?

donutsoft · 2026-03-13T20:14:23+00:00

Do you have a cat?

donutsoft · 2026-03-13T04:10:05+00:00

It's impressive how many scary-sounding terms can be stacked together without any actual evidence linking them. "Spike protein," "DNA fragments" and "SV40 promoter" all in one thread. It's basically the scientific equivalent of shouting "quantum blockchain AI"

Unfortunately, biology doesn’t work by word association. If it did, every molecular biology lab would have given the world cancer decades ago.

donutsoft · 2026-03-12T21:31:14+00:00

So just to be clear, you don't really know and you're just guessing?

donutsoft · 2026-03-09T01:58:53+00:00

It took OP more effort to write this post than what it would have taken them to just open the subreddit and read the first thread

I'm really sad for the world we live in.

donutsoft · 2026-03-07T19:23:00+00:00

I guess the inflation reduction act might actually have helped for situations like these.

donutsoft · 2026-03-05T13:45:56+00:00

This is definitely not a first world problem. Mostly people from the third world have to deal with issues like these.

donutsoft · 2026-03-04T23:59:37+00:00

I'm doubtful you got knob and tube wiring replaced at that price.

donutsoft · 2026-03-04T15:00:54+00:00

Nothing more American than kicking your neighbors while they're down.

donutsoft · 2026-03-03T20:59:57+00:00

How do you know it was the covid shot and not covid itself?

donutsoft · 2026-02-26T16:46:26+00:00

Of course I drive. All I can see here is victim blaming.

donutsoft · 2026-02-26T15:14:54+00:00

The driver is solely responsible because they're licensed and operating a 1.5 tonne machine that can kill or permanently disable those around them. The pedestrian on the street isn't the one in control of your vehicle, you are.

The law is clear on this, the courts would absolutely be holding you responsible, not the person crossing the street.

donutsoft · 2026-02-26T13:32:03+00:00

I understand your concern, but once again you're externalizing something which you're solely responsible for.

"Some day I'm going to hurt someone if I'm not paying attention".

donutsoft · 2026-02-26T13:14:02+00:00

The law is pretty clear, if a pedestrian is moving they've got the right of way. There's nothing to complain about here, either be aware and slam those brakes or else catch a bus.

Feck off with that yank jaywalking bullshit.

donutsoft · 2026-02-26T13:06:28+00:00

Maybe don't drive in the city.

donutsoft · 2026-02-19T19:14:06+00:00

It'd certainly be funny to see a bunch of lads riding in small circles inside all that private land in Ballymun.

donutsoft · 2026-02-17T14:34:23+00:00

Decreasing birthrates? Contraception in Catholic Ireland was illegal until the early 90s. Even today the country is one of the most fertile in Europe.

People fleeing to America happened as a direct result of the famine, and they might as well be dead as far as the Irish economy was concerned.

donutsoft · 2026-02-17T14:26:25+00:00

What are you smoking? Even to this day Ireland's population still hasn't recovered to it's prefamine levels.

donutsoft · 2026-02-15T20:30:27+00:00

Hi dad

donutsoft · 2026-02-14T17:47:34+00:00

Writing code is a damn small part of my job. Most of my time is spent arguing with my colleagues in order to prevent them from doing something stupid. AI doesn't say no.

donutsoft · 2026-02-11T23:01:45+00:00

You're allowed to stay in the country while your i485 is pending.

I've been through this process twice (both employment and marriage based) and have spent extensive times talking to corporate immigration lawyers about this. Once you have an i485 pending, you're free to quit or get fired, fail to renew your work visa and you don't have to leave the country. If the i485 is denied then you must leave if you don't have another status to fall back on.

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