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Downstairs neighbor punctured my refrigerant line

Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:17 am
Posted by Tigerbait28
Houston
Member since Jul 2021
15 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:17 am
Background: I bought the second floor unit in a condo complex back in Nov 2021 that came with a home warranty. There was an elderly lady living below initially. Not long after her family moved her to a nursing home. The family whom I'd imagine own the unit did some renovations and moved in some renters. Two ladies (not hot) and their two kids.

Somewhere along the way I started having issues with my AC cooling the unit. At first it was about once a quarter and steadily became more frequent and the home warranty company would just send someone out who would refill the freon and charge me $75 for the service fee. No matter how much I argued that there was a leak somewhere the adjusters I spoke with would continue to say that the technician couldn't find a leak so the issue was resolved because the unit would blow cold air again after refilling the refrigerant. Inevitably it would start to run low, freeze up, and ultimately stop blowing cold air. Cycle starts over where I would call them up and go through the whole routine over again. (This post would be 10x longer if I were to try and describe the conversations that I had with each of the 5-6 technicians that were sent out over the course of the year begging them to find, report, and fix the underlying issue.)

In November of 2022 I decided not to renew my home warranty since it was costing me 75 bucks per house call and the issue was not being resolved. A buddy of mine connected me with an HVAC company that was finally willing to find the issue and they confirmed there is a leak in the line set. I asked the neighbors if we could come in to take a look and can see they mounted a TV right where we believe the line is running.

Next step is to run a new line which will likely cost a few thousand dollars. I've got an email out to the HOA president to discuss the possibility of running the line on the exterior of the building which may not be an option according to our HOA management company. Either way I'm thinking it should be the owner of the downstairs responsibility to pay for the damages if in fact they punctured my line with their TV installation.

Curious if anyone has ever had a similar situation or if I have a right to ask for the renters/home owner to pay for the damages? If so, how should I go about it?

TL/DR: Downstairs neighbor potentially punctured my AC refrigerant line. Do I have a right to ask for the renters/home owner to pay for the damages? If so, how should I go about it?







Posted by Langland
Trumplandia
Member since Apr 2014
15382 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:18 am to
Posted by ProjectP2294
South St. Louis city
Member since May 2007
70335 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:20 am to
quote:

Either way I'm thinking it should be the owner of the downstairs responsibility to pay for the damages if in fact they punctured my line with their TV installation.


I agree, but good luck getting any resolution.
Posted by Boudreaux35
BR
Member since Sep 2007
21500 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:21 am to
How old is the AC unit? I always thought that coolant could not be simply refilled without discovery and repair of the source of loss. That coolant is pouring out somewhere and that isn't real good.
Posted by tigeraddict
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2007
11812 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:21 am to
see what the building's covenant agreement stipulates. since you have an HOA they should be some sort of Covenant that outlines what happens with the shared roof, walls, and parking, and who is responsible.

also, if it is indeed a srew fron the antenea installation, the screw is likely semi plugging the hole. if you remove the screws from the antenna, you should get an almost immediate drop of pressure from the refrigeration piping. have the tech reclaim the refrigerant, and then pressure with nitrogen.

if it is a screw hole if can be silver soldered (brazed) closed but you will need to open up the wall
This post was edited on 1/26/23 at 11:25 am
Posted by SantaFe
Baton Rouge
Member since Apr 2019
6581 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:24 am to
If the leak is small enough it could be soldered shut.

Posted by Jack Bauers HnK
Baton Rouge
Member since Jul 2008
5713 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:24 am to
quote:

TL/DR: Downstairs neighbor potentially punctured my AC refrigerant line. Do I have a right to ask for the renters/home owner to pay for the damages? If so, how should I go about it?


This in Louisiana? Condo association should have an insurance policy that may cover those damages. If renters/owner downstairs causes damages, they and their renters policy could be liable too. Gonna be a fun claim because you’ll have to break into their wall to find out whether they actually caused damage or if your line just developed a leak on its own.

Edit: condo policy probably has a significant deductible so you back to a claim against the people who damaged your line, if that’s what happened.
This post was edited on 1/26/23 at 11:43 am
Posted by Displaced
Member since Dec 2011
32712 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:26 am to
Posted by Basura Blanco
Member since Dec 2011
8160 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:34 am to
Two words. Flex Tape

Seriously, in this situation, knowing exactly where the leak is should make it suitable for repair, possibly with just soldering.

EDIT

I really need to not take a phone call in the middle of responding to a post and I would look less like a moron just parroting previous responses.
This post was edited on 1/26/23 at 11:36 am
Posted by TDcline
American Gardens building 11th flor
Member since Aug 2015
9281 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:38 am to
Bang his wife/

Thread

But post pics
Posted by SUB
Member since Jan 2001
Member since Jan 2009
20856 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:40 am to
Edit, nevermind
This post was edited on 1/26/23 at 11:41 am
Posted by Gravitiger
Member since Jun 2011
10424 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:50 am to
Condo ownership sucks. I say this as someone who was an attorney for many condo owners associations.
Posted by td1
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2015
2837 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:53 am to
quote:

If the leak is small enough it could be soldered shut.


They should easily be able to cut it and solder in a coupler.
Posted by Tiger Prawn
Member since Dec 2016
21907 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:57 am to
No, approach the unit owner about making a claim against their HO-6 for liability for damage to property of others….unless they want to pay the damages out of pocket to avoid a claim going against them
Posted by Saskwatch
Member since Feb 2016
16564 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 12:06 pm to
quote:

Bang his wife/


I think they be dykin.

Imagine a three way with two butch broads
Posted by Odysseus32
Member since Dec 2009
7320 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 12:13 pm to
quote:

Next step is to run a new line which will likely cost a few thousand dollars. I've got an email out to the HOA president to discuss the possibility of running the line on the exterior of the building which may not be an option according to our HOA management company. Either way I'm thinking it should be the owner of the downstairs responsibility to pay for the damages if in fact they punctured my line with their TV installation.


I won't get into the specifics, but we bought a house and have had an adjacent issue.

It doesn't matter who is right if you can't prove it in a manner that's going to grant you restitution. If you can't do that, forget it altogether. If you can manage to prove it, take into account attorney's fees, your time, and, most importantly, how you will handle the stress of the neighbor below you.

In our situation the fix is about $4,000. The issue, while we have an idea of what happened, would be almost impossible to prove, and the responsible party would deny deny deny. It would take a ton of time, money, and exhaustion to recoup what would be a few thousand dollars. It isn't worth it on our end.

If you feel slighted to that point you want to do something about, do it. But morally who is right, which is what anyone with an opinion who doesn't have to be involved in the process will harp on, is out the window in these sorts of situations.
This post was edited on 1/26/23 at 12:14 pm
Posted by Gravitiger
Member since Jun 2011
10424 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 12:14 pm to
quote:

They should easily be able to cut it and solder in a coupler.
But it's gonna be a shite show in litigation figuring out who has to pay for what--OP vs neighbor-owner vs neighbor-owner's renter vs COA vs everyone's insurer.

Several contractors and lawyers and one mediator will make bank. Everyone else will be unhappy.

#condolife
This post was edited on 1/26/23 at 12:18 pm
Posted by efrad
Member since Nov 2007
18645 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 12:21 pm to
quote:

Several contractors and lawyers and one mediator will make bank. Everyone else will be unhappy.



Not if it's just cutting a hole in the drywall and soldering in a coupler. That's a minor job that one guy can do in a few hours including repairing the drywall
Posted by Odysseus32
Member since Dec 2009
7320 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 12:21 pm to
quote:

Several contractors and lawyers and one mediator will make bank. Everyone else will be unhappy.


This.

IMO, and I'm not saying a couple grand isn't a lot of money, but if you have a stable career, savings, etc., in the grand scheme what's a few thousand dollars for the sake of your time and stress levels?

If it means that much to you, OP, get to the bottom of it. I mean that. Some people have a much easier time handling issues like this. Some do not. I fall into the latter category.

My opinion (based on the limited info) is to worry less about the specific of this, and more about the fact that you now have renters below you. This might be a one-off, but who knows.
Posted by SuperSaint
Sorting Out OT BS Since '2007'
Member since Sep 2007
140462 posts
Posted on 1/26/23 at 12:22 pm to
Ask if they mind you pull the TV off the wall and cut a small hole in their sheet rock to investigate/fix the line

Patch the hole
Rehang tv
Profit

3 hours tops


Not sure why you're trying to complicate this
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