A VIETNAM veteran was left stranded with an $8,000 bill after his Homeowner’s Association allegedly refused to pay for damage to his sewer line.
The three-time combat vet had a hole in his bathroom floor after a tree, maintained by the HOA, had broken a sewer line in the ground, he says.
The man said the sewer line was broken for 3 months[/caption]
Now, a concrete hole sits in his bathroom[/caption]
Larry McClellan said that even though he survived the devastating chemical Agent Orange, the smell of the sewer line was worse.
“It is not safe for human beings, or anything else,” McClellan, a Las Vegas resident, said.
“If you had a canary in here, the canary probably would’ve dropped dead.”
A tree in his front yard has caused havoc on his life after its roots allegedly broke the sewer line, causing a horrifying smell to waft through his home for months.
“Describe one of your worst nightmares…it just came true for you,” he told 8News Now.
“I mean, an open sewer in a dwelling you live in. Not exactly my favorite thing to even think about.”
Property management company Taylor Management had told the resident that a landscaper would come check out the issue.
“We have contacted the HOA and Taylor Management numerous times, more times than I’ve got fingers and toes,” McClellan told the outlet.
The tree is trimmed by the HOA, but they have claimed that the plant is in a common area. He said he has never maintained it, and that it doesn’t belong to him.
“They have to discuss it endlessly and take no action to repair other than having the gardener look at the shrubbery to try and figure out which shrub did it.”
“Like he’s got X-ray vision. Let me think: no.”
After months of no solution, McClellan took matters into his own hands and hired a plumber to fix the issue.
The bill totaled $8,000 to finally fix the break.
“As far as this, Taylor Management is concerned, they have done nothing whatsoever to help us,” he said.
HOA crackdowns in the US
States across the country are working to restrict the power of HOAs.
- In Minnesota, lawmakers introduced a bill that would require HOA boards to create a schedule of fines and fees and distribute it to homeowners; ensure homeowners can contest an HOA fine; provide reasonable time to correct rule violations; and outlaw the practice of charging homeowners for asking questions.
- In Arizona, lawmakers are cracking down on HOA budgets. Under a newly proposed law, HOA boards would have strict guidelines for how they approve expenses.
- In Florida, a bill was passed that restricts the amount of control HOAs have over tenants’ property. It also stops HOAs from fining homeowners for leaving trash cans out and holiday lights up.
- In Atlanta, bipartisan bills were introduced to reign in overly aggressive HOAs to protect homeowners.
- In California, a new bill requires HOA elections to be monitored and the board to comply with certain homeowner requests.
- In Colorado, new HOA rules require greater transparency between HOA board members and tenants.
- And the Federal Fair Housing Act sets housing standards for all homeowners, tenants, and landlords.
“As a three-time combat veteran, it just makes me furious. When I was overseas, nobody treated me like this.”
The hole in his bathroom floor is now sealed with concrete.
The HOA has claimed that it was not their responsibility to fix the broken sewer line.
“I’m old, I have a lot of Agent Orange problems, I’m at the hospital a couple times a week,” McClellan said.
“I don’t need this aggravation. Please. Do. Your. Job.”
The management company had told him to bring up the issue at HOA meetings.
The US Sun attempted to reach out to Taylor Management for comment.
“I don’t have words to really express how I feel about them without resorting to stuff that I’m not supposed to say in polite company,” he told 8News Now.
“But they have treated us worse than rabid dogs.”
He claims that it’s still a health hazard[/caption]
