Condo neighbor may have installed an illegal shut off valve to control my shower

[LALADY90046]

I purchased a condo a couple years ago directly above an extremely controlling, bullying neighbor. This neighbor tries to tell people when they're allowed to take a shower (only after 10am once they're awake) and before 10pm so as not to disturb with the sound of a shower. Sometimes I have to work early and need to shower quickly at 7:30am - there has been a few times where I'm mid-soap in my hair, and the water completely stops. I called a plumber out to replace my faucets & they seemed to be working fine again. Then a month later the same thing happens. We call out a plumbing company to the building. They find nothing wrong with the plumbing pipes at the building. A few more crazy incidents happen and I contact the previous owner, 2 owners before me, and they tell me point blank, that the neighbor downstairs has a shut off valve installed in their unit which controls the water to my shower, and they're able to shut it off whenever they want. Is this even possible? This would definitely explain how the water mysteriously shuts off when I'm mid shower, soap in hair, and it's before 10am in the morning. How would I be able to verify this for sure? I looked up Inspection Cameras & I'm wondering if I drop a camera down through the wall, behind my shower, if I'd be able to see if this shut off valve exists? (And if it does, I should call an inspector, or the police? Because that certainly can't be legal)

 

[Jeff Handy]

You should call your condo board or association for advice.
If they won’t investigate, I would call the police.
You can have them interview the former owner, who told you of the secret shutoff valve.

It is very possible that there really is a shutoff valve, since the water supply pipes run through multiple units.

If the condo board and the police don’t bring any relief, you can start running the shower every day at 6:00 am, which is certainly your right, and again at midnight, also your right, and at random times during the night.
You will not be in the shower, just running the water there.
This will probably make your neighbor go postal, and he/she will probably complain to the condo board, which will strengthen your case to go inside their unit to look for hidden shutoff valves.

Then if illegal valves are found, they can be evicted or fined, or prosecuted.

My condo board does have suggestions, not hard rules, about certain noisy activities like running the dishwasher or doing laundry or playing loud music or tv.
But these are just courtesy suggestions, to be discussed among neighbors.

 

[havasu]

My condo board does have suggestions, not hard rules, about certain noisy activities like running the dishwasher or doing laundry or playing loud music or tv.
But these are just courtesy suggestions, to be discussed among neighbors.

This is exactly why I would NEVER purchase anything controlled by a bunch of CC&R's, which are made up by a bunch of "nobody's" who for once in their live have full control over someone else!

 

[Riickk]

Downstairs owner can HEAR you taking a shower?
Guessing property has wood floors, not concrete.
Is there no sound insulation between units?
No? Then when water is cut off, don't play this: LINK

 

[LALADY90046]

You should call your condo board or association for advice.
If they won’t investigate, I would call the police.
You can have them interview the former owner, who told you of the secret shutoff valve.

It is very possible that there really is a shutoff valve, since the water supply pipes run through multiple units.

If the condo board and the police don’t bring any relief, you can start running the shower every day at 6:00 am, which is certainly your right, and again at midnight, also your right, and at random times during the night.
You will not be in the shower, just running the water there.
This will probably make your neighbor go postal, and he/she will probably complain to the condo board, which will strengthen your case to go inside their unit to look for hidden shutoff valves.

Then if illegal valves are found, they can be evicted or fined, or prosecuted.

My condo board does have suggestions, not hard rules, about certain noisy activities like running the dishwasher or doing laundry or playing loud music or tv.
But these are just courtesy suggestions, to be discussed among neighbors.

Thanks Jeff. I'm a very courteous and quiet neighbor. Sometimes working 12 hours shifts as a health care worker doesn't permit one to choose a later time for a shower. The neighbor in question is a chronic complainer about anything and everything anyone else does. The HOA recently had to have CCTV installed because of random "vandalism" to other residents doors and vehicles. My unit above is exactly the same layout as the one below. My shower faucet is against a wall that has a refrigerator on the other side. The previous owner said the owner downstairs had a shut off valve to my shower installed hidden behind their refrigerator. I ordered an inspection camera and I'm hoping that I can make a small hole behind my refrigerator, drop the inspection camera down the wall and be able to see if there is indeed a shut off valve connected to my shower, and THEN call the police if there is. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to see the shut off valve from the interior of the wall or if it could only be viewed from the interior of their unit. It would be difficult to have a forced inspection right now during Covid. But If I'm able to see it and verify for sure then you bet it's a huge violation. I wanted to get a better picture on what to look for exactly. I may call in a city inspector if I can get one to come out.

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

And you bought this condo knowing from the prior owner, of this shutoff valve?

Or, the prior owner didn’t tell you until after the fact?

If the former I don’t know what to say...I’d never consider in a million years moving, much less buying a place knowing I will have a bad neighbor.

If the latter, failure to disclose is real estate fraud. Contact both buyers and sellers agent, inform them of this, and threaten legal action. Nobody wants to lose their license over this and they will work with you...

But, yes, you need to contact the condo board and don’t let them off the hook on this. either there is or there is not a shut off valve. if there is something needs to be done about it if there isn’t there’s a plumbing problem and it needs to be fixed either way it’s the condo boards responsibility.

if all else fails pull one of two nuclear options. first is find where the shut off valve to the building is— One morning when you have an early and long shift turn off the water to his unit or the building, and remove the handle on the valve. The second option will be find his electric meter and the shut off for that and turn it off right before you leave.

That should get their attention that you mean business and that he needs to mind his own and get a life...

 

[sawguy]

The wall floorplate would prevent you from dropping a camera into his space. Also wall insulation if present.

 

[sarg]

The "huge violation" could be a misdemeanor at best ..... perhaps criminal mischief.
In your situation .... if I had a lawyer friend with an attitude ..... I would ponder a civil lawsuit for monetary damages with multiple litigants such as the bully ... the HOA ... prior owners that sold the unit.
Documentation of instances & proof would be critical.
The police will see it as two whining neighbors that can't get along which is an everyday occurrence for them in the "Anthills".

 

[frodo]

Notify the condo board
obtain a set of the original Blue prints,
look in the "P" section of the print, and you will see the route the piping was installed
contact a plumber and tell him that you suspect some type of blockage n your piping
Have a member of the board and the plumber do an inspection of the units piping below you
If they find hole cut in the wall or a framed access door
Take the person to court, sue them for the cost of removing the valve and attorney/court costs

OR
Kick the door in. ransack the house and find the valve

 

[pasadena_commut]

They find nothing wrong with the plumbing pipes at the building. A few more crazy incidents happen and I contact the previous owner, 2 owners before me, and they tell me point blank, that the neighbor downstairs has a shut off valve installed in their unit which controls the water to my shower, and they're able to shut it off whenever they want. Is this even possible?

I'm not quite clear on this, when the shower is off, does other water work in the condo?

Where is your water heater?

Where is the main shutoff valve for your water?

My reading of your first post is that only your shower cuts off, and it would be on both sides or you would still be able to get hot or cold out of it. That would be, in a word, bizarre. If that is actually the case it would suggest there is not one but two shut off valves, cut into your lines to the shower. If on the other hand the events you describe are "all the water goes out in my condo" and the water heater is in your space, then your downstairs neighbor would only have to have put a shut off in your one line.

But is that even necessary?

Would it be consistent with what you are seeing if your neighbor just went out and turned off your water at the main shutoff?

 

[SHEPLMBR]

Is there an update on this?

 

[PerplexedPlumber]

You've been given some good advice about following through with the condo board and about the disclosure responsibility. But I'll add a bit:
Put a small notebook in your pocket and record every date and time that you take a shower and every date and time that this issue occurs. Vary your shower time by 15-20 minutes. After you have several instances *recorded*, contact your condo board again and provide a copy of your notes. If there is shared plumbing, they should be able to require that a plumber inspect the plumbing in the lower apartment as well as in yours, and possibly at the time of day that the issue is occurring. While this alone may encourage different behavior from your neighbor, it may also reveal the cause of the issue. If the cause is determined to be a shutoff valve, you clearly have a sound basis for reclaiming at least the cost to inspect and resolve, and a police report could be important. IF this issue is confirmed, please keep in mind that a person who would behave in this way may not be a sound person to live near. Do you have a doorbell camera, especially for the times when you are gone?

Next tip: run a gallon of warm water before you shower and place it nearby so you can at least rinse if it happens again.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Good idea with the extra water!

 

[Twowaxhack]

I might would have a flood. That’s all I’m saying.