Legal Advice on a Condo

[Chris Schoonhoven]

Should I seek legal? Or am I at fault?

A condo that I own and rent out had mold appear on the bathroom mirror, and after removing, we noticed a lot of mold on the backside of the mirror. And, after asking the owner of the unit below me, it turns out there was serious damage on her flooring. 

The culprit was a leak coming from a pipe in the crawl space below that other owners unit.  Since then, we fixed the pipe and had a mold specialist come to inspect. He said this leak has been going on for quite some time and that led to the moisture build up. 

Here's where it gets sticky. The management company for the association is saying that they are not paying for anything as, in their by-laws, there is a 14 day window when an issue like this one arises. So, we have to go through our insurance. I've filed a claim with my insurance but I need to get this fixed to keep my tenant happy. So, I'm going to lay the money out and hope there isn't an issue with my insurance company.

I can't believe the association is not helping me out here. I was the one who reported the incident, when I live on the second floor. I've owned this unit for over a decade and never had a problem. I pay my dues on time in full every month. And they are basically telling me tough cookies.

I want to speak with a lawyer regarding this to see about having them help in the payment here. Am I in the wrong? Should I first threaten the management company by saying I will be talking to a lawyer to see if they will help here? 

I'm frustrated and would appreciate any comments. Thanks