BELEAGURED BOARD, P.2

A strange odor permeated the lower regions of the six-story property. Upon investigation, the board discovered that the smell was coming from a leak of waste products from the building next door into its property. The leak had started on Monday, and on Tuesday, the board talked to its neighbor's manager, and he assured them he would take care of it. By Friday, with the smell continuing and the waste possibly eroding the co-op building's foundation, the board again contacted the manager. He had, he said, put the job out for multiple bids and had gotten no takers.

Multiple bids? Hadn't he ever heard the term "emergency" – or the phrase, "hang the cost"?

He was clueless. The board got tough. In a letter, the president made no bones about where the directors stood: "The situation needs to be corrected today. If you do not do so, we will hire a plumber and bill it back to your building. We also have an engineer coming to look at the damage, and we will bill your building for his services, as well, and also bill your building for any repairs to our foundation that need to be made. This is an emergency, not a time to wait for multiple bids. It is your responsibility because the leak is coming from your property."

The manager replied tersely: "Send in your plumber." The board hired Roto-Rooter, who came in and fixed the problem within 24 hours. (As their motto summed it up, "Away go troubles down the drain.")

The overarching moral of these stories: if you've got a problem, don't dither. Deal with it. It's your home.

Illustration by Liza Donnelly

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