Chico Septic Service

Review: Several months ago, I had a pipe replacement job completed by the contractor's company. Recently, the toilet area/bathroom became wet under the house, causing fungus in full mushroom and rot in the subflooring and possibly beyond. The flooring had to be cut by a party of the contractor, to facilitate drying of the floor boards. The mold/odor has caused great discomfort in my home, including having to sleep in the shed a few nights, once the flooring was lifted and the rotten floor boards cut mid-rot. This was a second repair attempt by the contractor. Quite a bit of moldy sawdust was found in the HVAC vent in the bathroom, among other places. Attempts at working with the contractor has been unusual. The contractor has been available for contact, and sociable, but seems unable to fix the problem. We have been in contact for over a month without a satisfactory solution. The mold and rot problem continues, though I believe the toilet no longer leaks. The contractor tells me he no longer has time for this issue. I am greatly inconvenienced as well.

Product_Or_Service: plumbing services

Account_Number: [redacted]Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

The house should be returned to whole: including the leak(s) repaired; the rot/mold removed; the damaged subfloor, flooring and if damaged, the coving, baseboards and unexpected areas repaired/replaced; and everything put back in working order, correctly. I believe this will involve hiring licensed contractor(s) to assess the extent of the damage and make appropriate structural repairs, mold removal activities and re-flooring.

Business

Response:

The pipe replacement referred to in the complaint took place in April of 2012. The customer had a

problem with slugish lines and the toilet backing up out onto the floor. The pluming was old cast iron

pipes with build tip inside the lines. The toilet was not leaking at that time but overflowing from

constricted pipes. I sub-contracted a plumber to replace all the old cast iron pipes under the house

with new pipe. The toilet and all new piping were checked after installation and did not leak. Both the

plumber and I warranty our work for 1 year, it has now been 1 l/2 years since the work initially was

done. I was recently contacted, 1 1/2 years after the initial work, about a problem of a leaking toilet

and mold. In an effort to maintain excellent customer service, the plumber and I responded to her

request to look into the matter. The current problem was not due to or related to the initial replacement

of the pipes. The pipes and toilet did not need repair from leaking as that wasn't the problem. The

moisture problem was due to a lack of ventilation and the resulting condensation from an environment

that was contimtally damp. Also, the owner was out of town 4 days every week and the house was

closed up. Mold can grow if the premises are not properly maintained and ventilated. If moisture is

allowed to accumulate it can cause mildew and mold to grow. It is important to regularly allow air to

circulate in the premises. In an effort to make the customer happy, I asked the plumber to do the

following in response to her request: remove the toilet, remove and replace the sub-floor around the

toilet and replace the toilet with ventilation after new linoleum was installed on the bathroom floor. We,

the plumber and I, agreed to do this at no cost to the customer, again, to maintain excellent customer

service. She picked out linoleum of her choice which was higher quality than what was on the floor

already and, again, in an effort to please her, I said OK. The linoleum could not be installed unless the

complete bathroom floor was le- placed first. As the current problem was not related to the initial repair

in 2012 and `the plumber and I were not at fault for the current situation I told her she should get a

contractor to replace the floor and I would give her $300 towards the floor replacement. I felt things

were getting out of hand for something we were not responsible for and she was taking advantage of

my desire to maintain excellent customer service. She said she would check prices and get back to me.

I have not heard from her since and was contacted by the Revdex.com. I made every effort

to come to an agreeable solution with her to maintain good relations, inspite of the fact that I was not at

fault.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because the statements are inaccurate.

Please see attached document.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the email message, sent 1/28, 2014 from [redacted] . Many of

statements in this correspondence, made by [redacted], are inaccurate. l've addressed a number of them in this

response.

I hired Chico Septic Service in April 2012, for replacement of the toilet drainpipe, two sink drains, washing machine

drain, shower drain, and "extras". The toilet had to be lifted and replaced to accomplish this task. I understood he was

a licensed contractor, that the work was within the scope of the business, and that he'd obtained all permits required.

There was no mention of a sub-contractor. There was no written contract, which I found strange. I received a signed

receipt from Chico Septic upon payment of the completed work.

My interest in a plumber in 2012 initiated from an incoming, city sewer project. Although I was hoping to speed up

some sluggish drains through this project, at no time did my toilet overflow to the floor, as it functioned properly for the

near 20-years l've owned and lived in this house, until this issue. Additionally, the room is well ventilated. Upon initial

inspection for the April 2012 job, [redacted] informed me that, due to the age of the house/pipes, most likely the drains were

restricted with build-up, which occurs over time. I chose to have the drainpipes replaced over connection to the sewer,

at this time. The sewer connection is not mandatory. This was a proactive project.

I placed a call to Chico Septic during the winter of 2012-13, regarding a strange, sewage odor from inside the bathroom.

Given the explanation received, I deemed the odor as not important, just irritating. No visible evidence was apparent. I

now believe this was an early sign of the current problem.

I contacted Chico Septic the day I realized there was a problem, December 5, 2013. The Northern CA Contractors State

License Board informed me that a contractor is liable for work completed, for a period of 4-years. No warranty period

was discussed with [redacted] or any other Chico Septic Service representative. [redacted] responded to my claim, setting an

appointment for himself and another representative, Jose, Dec 13. Only Jose arrived. He was paid for a repair attempt.

On December 20, 2013, in another Chico Septic attempt to address the issue, a worker authorized by [redacted], cut through

the wet, moldy underlayment, but left the moldy, wet subfloor in place. A new board was set under the toilet, and the

toilet replaced. No barriers were present. The HVAC vent was left open. Frankly, a mess was created by Chico Septic's

work that day. All the problems under the house now existed in the house. There was no request for payment, and I

didn't offer to pay for this sloppy workmanship.

[redacted] offered to pay for new linoleum, since mine was obviously ruined. I accepted the offer, as a part of the repair. I

had Wood Brothers price the material cost and installation on a pattern, for reference. No linoleum has been ordered.

A final selection has yet to be made by me. I planned to pay any additional cost of materials, due to quality differences.

On December 28, 2013, [redacted] offered me $300 to do away with this claim, which negated any earlier offer. I did not

accept this offer. I believe Chico Septic Service caused the toilet separation from the wax ring, from faulty workmanship

on the April 2012 job. This is supported by the evaluation from contractors contacted for the repair. This is also

supported by findings from the homeowner's insurance claim investigation.

If you need any further information,

Sincerely,