IS TENANT RESPONSIBLE FOR STOPBOX REPAIR - Landlord Forum thread 359498

IS TENANT RESPONSIBLE FOR STOPBOX REPAIR by Ellie on July 15, 2019 @19:08

I received a letter from water company sayong we need to repair stopbox but the tenant who lives there has not paid in the past bills on time water bill.
Is he responsible for the damage in the stopbox because water company turn off services many times.
Thank you

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Re: IS TENANT RESPONSIBLE FOR STOPBOX REPAIR by Garry on July 16, 2019 @17:36	[ Reply ]

NO! Your city code probably says the OWNER of a property is responsibly for the stop box, and any water lines from it, going into the property itself. The stop boxes are meant to be good for 100 years, and maybe hundreds of on/off cycles. Why this one is bad, who knows. But your tenant did nothing to the stop box to make it go bad. STUFF happens, and someone has to pay for it. By code, that means YOU. If you would try to take the T to court to make them pay the bill, good luck, as I would only give you a 1% chance of winning.

Re: IS TENANT RESPONSIBLE FOR STOPBOX REPAIR by lpadave on July 16, 2019 @20:21	[ Reply ]

I am unfamiliar with the term 'stop box' but I am assuming it is the valve in the street or at the property line which is before the meter and turns off the water without needing to enter the premises. In most jurisdictions the water company is responsible for everything upline of AND INCLUDING that valve and the property owner is responsible for all piping downstream, EXCLUDING THE WATER USAGE METER, WHICH IS THE PROPERTY OF THE WATER COMPANY. Any sub meters are the property of the property owner. I would take the position that the street valve is the water companys problem. And Garry is right in that those valves are supposed to last forever,....unless your tenant fooled with it and damaged it,.....which will then be a conversation.

Re: IS TENANT RESPONSIBLE FOR STOPBOX REPAIR by lpadave on July 16, 2019 @20:21	[ Reply ]

I am unfamiliar with the term 'stop box' but I am assuming it is the valve in the street or at the property line which is before the meter and turns off the water without needing to enter the premises. In most jurisdictions the water company is responsible for everything upline of AND INCLUDING that valve and the property owner is responsible for all piping downstream, EXCLUDING THE WATER USAGE METER, WHICH IS THE PROPERTY OF THE WATER COMPANY. Any sub meters are the property of the property owner. I would take the position that the street valve is the water companys problem. And Garry is right in that those valves are supposed to last forever,....unless your tenant fooled with it and damaged it,.....which will then be a conversation.

Re: IS TENANT RESPONSIBLE FOR STOPBOX REPAIR