Basement flooded... too bad says city...I need help/advice

RoyalHighlander · 14-12-2006, 06:29 AM

My base ment flooded a little while back and the night it happened, was the 2nd time in 2 weeks... The crew finnaly came out to unblock the sewer about 5 hours after we called drainage to report the problem.. (BTW the woman in the office told me it was not possible that sh*t was rising up in my basement and that I must be mistaken..) Anyways... I made a claim as we had quite a bit of stuff there, (all my cold weather work gear clothes boot liners etc apart from my grand sons toys and clothing and so much other stufff that I wont list it all.. Well it took nearly a month for them to deny my claim, stating that yes the sewer blockage was in the citys pipes, and that the pipe was about to collapse and was broken, BUT too bad they arent responsible... WELL THEN WHO IS???? Im working my butt off to stay even, not get ahead, with rent and expenses im just keep the show on the road... MY work gear alone will cost about 900.00 bucks to replace.. (Any one who works outside and wears carharts will know what im talking about.. Anyways what recourse do I have??? I cant aford to have to replace everything we lost out of my pocket because the city says too bad.. there must be somthing I can do?? I need help members.. Thanks

PS I now have tenants insurance, but at the time it was somthing I couldnt afford on top of everything else...

RichardS · 14-12-2006, 07:38 AM

You rent? Your landlord does not have a check valve in the sewer line?

I am not sure as to responsibility, I'll leave that up to the folks that know.

MylesC · 14-12-2006, 08:15 AM

My sister's basement, along with her whole subdivision, had a sewer backup several years ago in Stettler and there was no blame placed on the city.

However, insurance did cover this. Generally water only is an act of God and not covered, but sewage backup is covered. If you were renting, your landlord probably had some kind of insurance in place. Whether or not that included content...dunno.

Rule is here, *always* have content insurance.

RoyalHighlander · 14-12-2006, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MylesC

Rule is here, *always* have content insurance.

We were talking about it but I was working nights and was sleeping during the day at the time..I know I shopuld have had insurance but sometined you need to take care of the immediate expenses and that wasnt on the list of things we had the money to put on....Ill look into the check vcalve thing too

RichardS · 14-12-2006, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoyalHighlander

[Ill look into the check vcalve thing too

Do it...that is the #1 thing that should be installed in any home.

MylesC · 14-12-2006, 12:03 PM

I was waffling on content insurance when I bought my condo, but it's a nice piece of mind.

I think for something like 30k coverage it costs me $20 a month through Meloche Monnex's UofA alumni deal.

onishenko · 14-12-2006, 12:56 PM

you can get better deals then that. We pay about $13 a month without a U of A deal or anything like that.

MylesC · 14-12-2006, 03:34 PM

Eh? I'm probably off on something....and I really don't feel like diggin out my policy from the stack of papers :P

RoyalHighlander · 26-12-2006, 10:07 PM

WQell they denied and I appealled and they denied again even though they admint that it was thier sewer pipe thats broken and needs replacing..????? I dont understand that parrt.. They said they inspected it a few days after the 2nd flood so the did due diligence?? But why didnt they inspect after the 1st flood 2 week earlier when half the complex was flooded as was a complex accross the street?? had they checked then, the 2nd flood would not have happened?? If my neighbour parks his car and with due diligence puts it in park but it rolls into mine he is responcible, so how can the city get out of being at fault???? need less to say it was a pretty Sh**ty Xmas with that bs on our minds plus the loss of gifts that were there waiting to get wrapped... and everything else that we lost... To replace my cold weather work clothes comes to about 900.00 alone..I work outsiude and it aint been fun since then...

RoyalHighlander · 08-01-2007, 06:06 AM

In hind sight, I must have not been thinking when I posted a question about suing the city, getting compensation/money from the city, on a CITY WEB SITE...At first I was curious as to why no one came forward with any constructive advice... DUH ! ! I should have known better...

Dusty Bear · 08-01-2007, 04:29 PM

I don't think that's fair to the participants in this forum, RoyalHighlander. If you read other threads, there's a lot of criticism aimed at the city. You'd have to check with the site administrators, but I believe this forum is quite independent of City Hall.

Rather, you've asked for advice that basically amounts to free legal counsel. One, I don't think any of the respondents are qualified to give that kind of counsel, and two, they probably don't know exactly what you should do.

I don't know what you should do, either. But I'd consider consulting a lawyer if you think it's that important.

ShermanT · 08-01-2007, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoyalHighlander

In hind sight, I must have not been thinking when I posted a question about suing the city, getting compensation/money from the city, on a CITY WEB SITE...At first I was curious as to why no one came forward with any constructive advice... DUH ! ! I should have known better...

I know you are ranting a bit and I totally feel for you. It sucks. Renters insurance really might have been the only recourse to make sure to recover things (as far as I know anyway).

As to the comment about this being a "city website" I can assure you that it is not. I can't say anything else about that other than to echo Dusty Bear and tell you to take a look around C2E and note the many lively discussions over positive and negative things about all organizations.

Anyway, I hope you have better luck with this RoyalHighlander.

RoyalHighlander · 14-01-2007, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ceres

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoyalHighlander

In hind sight, I must have not been thinking when I posted a question about suing the city, getting compensation/money from the city, on a CITY WEB SITE...At first I was curious as to why no one came forward with any constructive advice... DUH ! ! I should have known better...

I know you are ranting a bit and I totally feel for you. It sucks. Renters insurance really might have been the only recourse to make sure to recover things (as far as I know anyway).

As to the comment about this being a "city website" I can assure you that it is not. I can't say anything else about that other than to echo Dusty Bear and tell you to take a look around C2E and note the many lively discussions over positive and negative things about all organizations.

Anyway, I hope you have better luck with this RoyalHighlander.

In no way did I intend to disparage any of the members here if thats how it may look, and I know that no one here are lawyers, but I was hoping that maybe some one else had been through this same scenario and won and could iimpart some insight as to how to go abbout trying towin against city hall.. With out going into too much personel info, renters insurance was not an affordable item at the time as my wifes meds were costing us/me nearly 1200.00 a month out of pocket as we didnt have coverage of any kind for that.. Now we have insurance, and will probably/hopefully never have to make a claim.. I know talking to one neighbour his claim was 11,000.00 for his damages in his basement.. .. We stopped adding up costs after the city denied the 2nd time at around $5,000.00 .. I work outside in the oil/gas sector and my cold weather gear has to be fire proof, and any of you in this line knows what half decent gear costs.. I called my city councellor and he called me about 2 weeks later and heard my story and took my address etc and said he'd get back to me.. Well that was before Xmas and I havent heard from him. I emailed the Mayor Mandel on his web page and never even got a sorry for you answer back from the mayors office either.. Any ways I apologise to the members here if any feel slighted from my comments.. I never intended that any one feel as though I was attacking the membership here...

Dusty Bear · 18-01-2007, 04:32 PM

No worries, RoyalHighlander.

I certainly sympathize with you, but have no idea what to suggest.

A reasonable person would think the city should be liable for your costs, but then governments aren't always run by reasonable people.

14-12-2006, 07:38 AM	#2
RichardS C2E Junkie * Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Edmonton	You rent? Your landlord does not have a check valve in the sewer line? I am not sure as to responsibility, I'll leave that up to the folks that know. __________________ Everywhere I go, I've been slandered, Libeled, I've heard words I've never heard in the Bible - and I am so tired. Simon and Garfunkel "Keep the customer satisfied" Yup, that about sums it up.

14-12-2006, 12:56 PM	#7
onishenko Partially Addicted to C2E Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Edmonton	you can get better deals then that. We pay about $13 a month without a U of A deal or anything like that. __________________ Shameless Urbanophile

26-12-2006, 10:07 PM	#9
RoyalHighlander Partially Addicted to C2E Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: edmonton, Ab.	WQell they denied and I appealled and they denied again even though they admint that it was thier sewer pipe thats broken and needs replacing..????? I dont understand that parrt.. They said they inspected it a few days after the 2nd flood so the did due diligence?? But why didnt they inspect after the 1st flood 2 week earlier when half the complex was flooded as was a complex accross the street?? had they checked then, the 2nd flood would not have happened?? If my neighbour parks his car and with due diligence puts it in park but it rolls into mine he is responcible, so how can the city get out of being at fault???? need less to say it was a pretty Sh**ty Xmas with that bs on our minds plus the loss of gifts that were there waiting to get wrapped... and everything else that we lost... To replace my cold weather work clothes comes to about 900.00 alone..I work outsiude and it aint been fun since then... __________________ Love Your Freedom? Thank a Vet

08-01-2007, 06:06 AM	#10
RoyalHighlander Partially Addicted to C2E Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: edmonton, Ab.	In hind sight, I must have not been thinking when I posted a question about suing the city, getting compensation/money from the city, on a CITY WEB SITE...At first I was curious as to why no one came forward with any constructive advice... DUH ! ! I should have known better... __________________ Love Your Freedom? Thank a Vet

14-12-2006, 06:29 AM	#1
RoyalHighlander Partially Addicted to C2E Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: edmonton, Ab.	Basement flooded... too bad says city...I need help/advice My base ment flooded a little while back and the night it happened, was the 2nd time in 2 weeks... The crew finnaly came out to unblock the sewer about 5 hours after we called drainage to report the problem.. (BTW the woman in the office told me it was not possible that sh*t was rising up in my basement and that I must be mistaken..) Anyways... I made a claim as we had quite a bit of stuff there, (all my cold weather work gear clothes boot liners etc apart from my grand sons toys and clothing and so much other stufff that I wont list it all.. Well it took nearly a month for them to deny my claim, stating that yes the sewer blockage was in the citys pipes, and that the pipe was about to collapse and was broken, BUT too bad they arent responsible... WELL THEN WHO IS???? Im working my butt off to stay even, not get ahead, with rent and expenses im just keep the show on the road... MY work gear alone will cost about 900.00 bucks to replace.. (Any one who works outside and wears carharts will know what im talking about.. Anyways what recourse do I have??? I cant aford to have to replace everything we lost out of my pocket because the city says too bad.. there must be somthing I can do?? I need help members.. Thanks PS I now have tenants insurance, but at the time it was somthing I couldnt afford on top of everything else... __________________ Love Your Freedom? Thank a Vet

14-12-2006, 08:15 AM	#3
MylesC Addicted to C2E Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Los Angeles; Athens	My sister's basement, along with her whole subdivision, had a sewer backup several years ago in Stettler and there was no blame placed on the city. However, insurance did cover this. Generally water only is an act of God and not covered, but sewage backup is covered. If you were renting, your landlord probably had some kind of insurance in place. Whether or not that included content...dunno. Rule is here, always have content insurance.

14-12-2006, 12:03 PM	#6
MylesC Addicted to C2E Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Los Angeles; Athens	I was waffling on content insurance when I bought my condo, but it's a nice piece of mind. I think for something like 30k coverage it costs me $20 a month through Meloche Monnex's UofA alumni deal.

14-12-2006, 03:34 PM	#8
MylesC Addicted to C2E Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Los Angeles; Athens	Eh? I'm probably off on something....and I really don't feel like diggin out my policy from the stack of papers :P

08-01-2007, 04:29 PM	#11
Dusty Bear Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2006	I don't think that's fair to the participants in this forum, RoyalHighlander. If you read other threads, there's a lot of criticism aimed at the city. You'd have to check with the site administrators, but I believe this forum is quite independent of City Hall. Rather, you've asked for advice that basically amounts to free legal counsel. One, I don't think any of the respondents are qualified to give that kind of counsel, and two, they probably don't know exactly what you should do. I don't know what you should do, either. But I'd consider consulting a lawyer if you think it's that important.

18-01-2007, 04:32 PM	#14
Dusty Bear Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2006	No worries, RoyalHighlander. I certainly sympathize with you, but have no idea what to suggest. A reasonable person would think the city should be liable for your costs, but then governments aren't always run by reasonable people.