PA: Bought a "Flipped" house and now having plumbing issues.....

[Jordan B.]

Hello,

I purchased a home about 4 weeks ago that I planned to live in for a little while and then rent when I am ready to upgrade.

The other night I was taking a shower and someone else was running the sink. There was a backup that cause the water to drain slower than usual and the toilet started gurgling and water started accumulating in the shower tub as well. Next thing I know I have water raining in the living room below the bathroom.

Once the plumbers arrived and before they started to try and snake out the clog they asked to open the access panel for the plumbing. What they found was all new plumbing and an PVC drain tube that had a rubber fitting on it connecting a 4 inch gap that was not properly connected. This poor plumbing work cause the water to not stay in the tub and to leak out causing the water damage to the ceiling.

I was surprised to see all the new plumbing in the bathroom because the sellers disclosure stated it was only cosmetic upgrades to the house and no permits were issued for any of the work. I also confirmed with our borough that a permit would be needed for all the work that was done (this was over the phone. they do not know my address or situation).

Now I am very concerned that all this work was not inspected and I could have issues down the road. I literally cant sleep thinking about this.

Can anyone help guide me to the appropriate steps in this situation? Should I contact the company who bought and flipped the house? Am I SOL??

This is what the plumber found when he removed the access panel. He strongly urged me to take pictures of everything.

[img]http://i66.tinypic.com/2preg44.jpg[/IMG]

when the rubber coupling was removed, this was the large gap between the pipes

[img]http://i64.tinypic.com/o8bhqc.jpg[/IMG]

 

[img]http://i64.tinypic.com/1zo7q12.jpg[/IMG]

Had I known the plumbing was all redone and electrical work was performed without a permit, I would not have bought this house.

What would you do in this situation???