I will never buy another condo... I need your advice please

[Tulips]

I bought a condo (previously owned) in 1994. Buying a previously owned condo was my first mistake. I should have bought a new one or a house. It has become a money pit. I have replaced just about everything in there. A couple years ago the owner below said there was water dripping down from my condo into the bathroom and I ended up having to replace the some pipes and water faucet in the tub and shower head and it was quite costly. I should have sold my condo then. The condo owner below rehabbed the condo and sold it. Now there is a new owner below. He isn't currently living there. He called me and said there is water coming from my condo and said it damaged his dry wall and carpet. In my utility room ceiling it looks like there are bit water spots from the condo above. I feel like I just want to sell my condo and get the H-ll out. I feel like a fool that I spent so much money improving things. Should I try to get this dispute resolved, then after resolving then sell ?
I won't be able to sell it until I resolve this issue with the condo owner below, right ? :(

[Teacher Terry]

I have owned condos in the past and if the problem is in the pipes then it is the association's problem and not yours.

[Tulips]

Ok, thank you for your reply Teacher Terry:thankyou:. How do I find out the source of the water dripping down to the condo below? I don't know if its the dishwasher, the air conditioning or the wash machine. There are some fairly fresh water stains on the ceiling of my utility room.

[Teacher Terry]

We called the management company and they called their plumber to investigate. If you are not the highest condo it could be coming from the unit above you too.

[Alan]

I have owned condos in the past and if the problem is in the pipes then it is the association's problem and not yours.
That may or may not be true. In many instances it is common to assign ownership to everything on your side of the meter to you. If the various owners all share one meter, it is also common to assign ownership to the individual branches off the main line. It pays to read the fine print.


If you are not the highest condo it could be coming from the unit above you too. True enough! Water has no respect for artificial boundaries.

[Sloeginfizz]

Also buying new construction is no guarantee that everything will be hunky dory. We've all heard of people who bought new houses that ended up having terrible problems due to the quality of construction- lemons from the get go. And plumbing problems and water damage happen in single family houses too. Or you could rent and then it would the landlords problem, not yours, but then they don't make it a priority to fix, so you have water damage in your bathroom until your lease runs out and you decide you have to move because your landlord is awful.

i guess I'm just saying that every place you could live has potential downsides and problems.