Ask yourself this. If you were living there, would the outcome be any different? If the blockage was 80 feet down (I am guessing 80 feet from the toilet, not 80 feet deep), how long had the clog been there. It may have started years ago. When did the tenant move in? Where did this water come from, only the house, or from the City sewer system? If from the house, maybe you have a claim. If from outside, it's yours. If this is a multi-faily property it's yours too. It could have been a clog started years ago, and not (initially) related to a tenants actions. File a claim with your own insurance, if you do not have enough money to cover it. If they have renters insurance, that may help, but the claim may be denied too. I find it a stretch that a Judge would award you, the rich landlord, money, but who knows. A leaking sink, maybe, a sewage backup, doubt it.
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