broken sprinkler head geysers

Hi everyone,

Recently a broken sprinkler head outside shoot up water and caused water damange inside my condominium. When I reported the damage to my HOA board, they did not believe a sprinkler could actually shoot up water high enough to cause damage in my property, so they denied my claim to fix the damage.

I personally know it is possible for broken sprinkler geysers to shoot up quite high, and I found a number of web pages discussing this. However, I didn't find enough web pages that specifically described the height the geyser can reach.

I would appreciate it if people could describe to me their personal experiences with broken sprinkler heads and geysers shooting up so that I may bring more "evidence" to try and convince the HOA board. Specifics on how high the geysers reached would be appreciated.

Thanks, Al

Reply to
achu5678
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They should have forwarded your claim, or you, to their insurance company. HOA's are supposed to carry insurance, separate from your regular homeowner's insurance, that takes care of these issues. A broken pipe in the common area causing damage in your home should certainly be covered, however, I have experienced the same issue your dealing with, and neither the insurance company or the HOA would do anything.

It was only later, after much research and too much time, that I found I could have pressed the issue and been compensated.

Simply invite the board members out to the sprinkler, remove the head, and turn it on. Or you could take pictures of the geyser and show it to the board.

What they believe can or cannot happen is irrelevent. You have the damage, you can easily recreate the problem that caused the damage, and you can supply proof fairly easily.

Don't bother with the idea that you can drag in a stack of posts from a newsgroup and that will somehow convince the board to approve your claim. They'll just roll their eyes.

I've had sprinklers break and the geysers would be anywhere from 2 to 20 feet. It really depends on where the head is in the system, water pressure, how bad the break is, and so on.

Ask the board for the insurance information, then file a claim. If they deny your claim, appeal it. Do some research, study your CC&R's, and keep pushing until you get your money.

Pagan

Reply to
Pagan

I would not try to prove the scientific principle, just the nature and amount of damage. In order to be legally noticed, your state or HOA rules may require notice by certified mail (Florida law states all official biz should be directed by c.m.). Look at your HOA document and be sure you give proper notice; I would not settle for a phone call to a board member. Take pictures? Got receipts for damaged goods? That would be a plus. Be sure to state the date, what happened, and define the nature and extent of damage, repair/replacement costs, etc. It may be simpler to file with your own ins co, but I don't know. If your HOA board refuses, you may have the option of filing a complaint with the agency that administers HOA's; some have mediation boards. If it was a real financial loss, it might be wise to talk to your attorney.

Reply to
Norminn

I had a sprinkler head in my front yard that broke off and the water shot into the air and was over 20 feet high. There were a total of 3 head 0n the zone and the other 2 continued to work while the 3rd one gushered.

Reply to
Dave

Only geyser I have seen was when my car was being towed out of a hole in the parking lot because a sprinkler pipe broke beneath the pavement. The tt driver was being ever so careful with my car that he forgot about the above ground water meter right in front of him. Really awesome! The city fixed that without complaining :o)

Reply to
Norminn

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