:fume: :fume: This is me right now…
The other day, my roof drain became clogged because of debris that was flushed down it when I was cleaning up. So, the building manger tells me that I have to pay 3500 nt for the unclogging. I pay 1100nt a month in ‘guard’ fees. When I asked him why aren’t my building fee going toward that, I get the ‘pie say’ crap and now he’s passed it on to the guard to harass me about paying it.
Who’s right in this situation?
Thanks
You are.
Feel better?
[quote=“The Gumper”]You are.
Feel better?[/quote]
Thanks but this isn’t about feeling better/right, it’s about who truly is the ‘responsible’ party in this matter…
[quote=“Namahottie”]The other day, my roof drain became clogged because of debris that was flushed down it when I was cleaning up.
Who’s right in this situation?
Thanks[/quote]
I think we should also determine the nature of said “debris”. Was it your debris? Nature’s? The Landlord’s? Smokers from above?
Ask yourself this: If you were the owner, what side of the coin would you favour?
I think its time you talked to your landlord about the state of HIS property. I’d say its too early to be warning him about how you’re going to sue him for water damage to your stuff, but…
If it’s blocked by stuff you flushed down it, I don’t see how that should be the landlord’s responsibility. If it’s not from something you did, on the other hand, the landlord’s being a prick and shirking his responsibilities.
Oops! Didn’t notice the part where you say you did the blocking yourself. That would seem to make it your responsibility, no?
Remember, Taiwan toilets are not even supposed to have toilet paper flushed down them. (Not that I don’t always ignore that particular rule.) So, from his point of view, there’s no cause for you to flush anything other than bodily wastes down the comode. (sp?)
You can ask him to furnish you with a copy of the receipt for the repairs, but I don’t think 3500NT is will be much inflated.
Try this. Go to local Welcome and get Magic Amah Drain Cleaner. It says it in English on the front of a white plastic bottle. A couple of good doses of this should work through leaves and other stuff that gets in the drain. I have used this often to keep balcony and bathroom drains clog free.
Cost under 200 NT.
If that doesn’t work, then you gotta do some running around and tell the guards you have it handled. Go to a xue dian hang (water, electricity place) and tell the laoban to come look at the problem.
I personally hate dealing with these building managers, too ?#@* nosy, take you for an arm and a leg and smile through it.
From past experience, I deal with the owner of the apartment especially if located nearby.
Hope that helps.
Thanks, I guess as sandman points out, it’s my responsiblity because I was cleaning the balcony with water and pushed the debris down the drain, as I thought i could do. I just find 3500 a lot of money to pay for a builiding pipe to be snaked,as the manager told me what happened.
Ah, where’s my karma when I need it? :help: :help:
i have used drano to eat through some pretty nasty clogs in the terlit.
Should have it in welcome. don’t breath it in though…whuff
THanks jdsmith, but it’s not a house pipe. But it was the outside drain pipe along the building…And they had it snaked…I just think 3500 is a lot…
nama -
2 months agp I purchased a very basic drain snake for < $NT100 at a local harware shop.
Pretty easy to use and works well.
You might consider trying this before the $3500
OOps… should have scrolled all the way down…sorry.
But watch out what kind of chemical your using, there are pipes made of metal and those made of plastic. You might damage the drain even more if you use the wrong one…
buy one of those snakes. A cheap one is around 500nt(I’m guessing) for one of those coilup jobs. Then you have it for next time. Try B&Q or similar.
Make sure when you are doing any plumbing jobs, you show plenty of ass crack. It always works for me.
They snaked it already, yes? Just ask for the receipt, pay it and calm down.
Next time anything like this happens, ask them for a price estimation before they do the work and get another one yourself.
It sounds like you are responsible namahottie but 3500 for a snake job sounds way too high. I bet the manger paid 500 or did it himself.
yeah I agree. 3500 might be ok for a certain type of snake job, but sounds pricey for the type to which you refer.
Yes, NT$3,500 is way too high for such a job. An ordinary plumber wouldn’t be able to charge anywhere near that much even for a whole day’s work, and it’s hard to imagine how clearing a pipe in the circumstances you’ve described would take more than an hour or two for a professional.
It’s pretty evident that the building manager is trying to fleece you, the odious skunk. Certainly, you should demand the plumber’s receipt, and though I’m sure it won’t be any problem for him to connive with the plumber to produce a receipt for the job charged at the amount he’s asking for, you could always get a Taiwanese friend to call around a few plumbers (including the one who purportedly did the job) asking quotes for doing such a job, and maybe even take it up with the Consumer Protection Association.
a guy recently quoted us $3000 to clear out a clogged sink. i nearly flipped. we phoned the guy who is a friend of the neighbor … 5 minutes and $200 NT.
call someone else - don’t use their guy.