J Ray Baker Co

First, the tenant details a loss of hot water which occurred in November This was due to an emergency hot water leak under the slab (slab leak) which could not have been predictedOn the same day that the leak was reported to me, I arranged for a handyman to turn off hot water as an emergency
procedureThis left all tenants without hot water, but was unavoidable because the water was surfacing in two unitsOn the same day, I arranged with a leak detection service, Cable, Pipe and Leak Detection (CPL) to perform leak detection at their earliest availabilityI also checked with two other companies to determine whether they had any earlier availability, but both companies were booked for at least a weekCPL was able to perform their leak detection within two daysThe very next day after leak detection, *** *** and Repairs, a reputable plumbing company, jackhammered through the slab, exposed the broken pipe, repaired it, and replaced the concreteAlthough the leak was unplanned and could not have been anticipated, we worked diligently and were able to correct the problem within a few days and made sure all tenants had hot water within a few days and before Thanksgiving arrived.Second, the tenant had an intermittent leak into her bathroom shower ceiling area in December 2017.When she reported the leak, arranged for the repair in a timely mannerWithin a few days, the leak had been repaired, but the hole in the ceiling was left open to be sure that there was no additional leakI arranged for a handyman to contact the tenant to arrange for a repair to her ceilingWhen I followed up with the handyman, I was told that the tenant had not returned voice mail or textsI then followed up with the tenant and she informed me that she had changed her phone number, after which I asked the handyman to contact her and arrange for the repairOf course, a change of phone number is outside of my control as a property manager since the tenant did not inform me as such.By this time, we were in mid-January, and I suddenly received a report that there were hot spots on some tenants' floors, suggesting that there was another slab leakI immediately investigated and was able to confirm that there was a slab leak in a different location than the previous slab leakUnfortunately, this meant that we had to turn off the hot water on an emergency basis againI did try to turn the hot water back on for a few hours, but the water started surfacing in another unit, so we were not able to keep the hot water onAt that point, I contacted the tenant and determined that her ceiling still had not been repaired, and arranged for that repair which was completed over the course of two days.This second slab leak turned out to be much more difficult and problematic than the initial oneFirst, the leak detection company, CPL, was not available for four daysI did contact the other companies I had previously contacted in November, and they did not have any earli day after locating the leak, work beganUnfortunately, the leak was located in the footing of the building between two different unitsThe concrete footing was very thick and had been hardened over the many years after the building was constructed, which slowed the workThe plumbers had to jackhammer through two different units' floors up to four feet deepUncovering the leak took three fullonstant and the plumbers and our company were diligent in our efforts to perform the repair as quickly as possibleAt the beginning of each day, I hoped and expected that the repairwould be successful by the end of that day, but each day the work was arduous and plagued with bad luck - from the location of the leak itself, to the difficult materials that surrounded the pipe, to the difficulty in reaching around the pipe to correctly solder itAll of these eventualities were outside of my or anybody else's controlFinally, the leak was repaired, concrete was replaced, and all tenants were restored their hot water.Last, the tenant would like to be released from her leaseHer lease ends on February 28, 2018, so this is a moot pointShe is free to vacate or stay in the unit if she choosesIf she chooses to vacate, we will handle her security deposit in a professional and fair mannerIt is always my intent to return as much of the security deposit to all tenants as possibleIn fact, my work is much easier when the unit is left in good, clean condition and I am able to return 100% of the security deposit.INOant chooses to remain in the unit and continue renting it, I am hopeful that we can move forward with a good relationshipI can understand that these series of incidents resulted in a lot of frustration for everybodyI am very sympathetic to all of the tenants who had to endure the loss of hot water for so longHowever, I could not have anticipated all of the difficulties and delays that the repair entailed, and I did work diligently each day from the beginning of the problem to the end to bring hotwater back to all units.Sincerely,John ABaker JRay Baker Co