All Forum Posts by: Sean Reischel

For those still here - we finally got a resolution from the water company - a 75% reduction in the total bill. After 2.5 months, it was still an "unexplained leak", and they agreed to a major bill reduction. Although the goal was to remove the entire leak charge, we'll take what we can get!

This is a 4-unit building. Bakery on the main floor, three 2-bed 1-bath apts on the top floors. Spoke with the bakery owners (who we trust) and they didn't mention anything about massive water usage. 

We have no hoses on the exterior. 

7,000 gallons per day = 5 gallons/min, for 30+ days. I'm not sure what type of toilet flap or other issue could have caused that. It also resolved itself magically on July 22, without anybody on my team doing anything or noticing a leak

Again, place has been fully occupied for the duration of this issue. I don't know why a tenant would run the water from a faucet on full blast for 30 straight days, 24/7.

 Hey Nathan!

The water company has come out, inspected the meter, and investigated for signs of previous leaks. So far, they have found no evidence of leaks. My handymen and PM team also has found no evidence of leaks. All tenants have said there are no noticeable leaks in their apartments. 

I am calling the water department now to continue discussing. It must be a faulty meter, based on the sheer magnitude of water consumed. I cannot imagine how we were consuming 7,000 gallons/day, without anybody ever noticing, and no evidence of any leak. 

Thanks for everyone's advice. I'll post in here once this is fully resolved.

Hey all!

My water bill was $4,500 last month, compared with the typical $90/mo. 

The water meter detected a leak of about 7,000 gallons/day for over a month, before magically "fixing itself".

Has anyone experienced this before? Is this likely a meter issue? Was one of my tenants running a faucet (about 5 gallons/min) for an entire month? Do I have a leak that magically fixed itself?

Any wisdom would be appreciated.

Thanks to such a great community!

@Brandon Slater

I have a great GC as well. Send me a message and I can send you his contact info if you’re interested.

@Artem Shum I am a real estate agent and house-hacker in the Sugarhouse area in Salt Lake City.

Would love to connect whenever you are free!

All,

I knocked on the next door neighbor's front door, and she said the lady is still alive, but on hospice. So, I'm going to write a letter to the home expressing my interest in purchasing. We will see what happens.

Thank you all for your help and guidance.

Sean

@Steve Morris Thank you. I just contacted my friend at Title. We'll see how long it takes her to respond.

@Ibrahim Hughes Thanks for all the guidance. The deed was transferred into a trust with the person's name on it. I believe her husband passed away in 2017, and she then transferred the property from her name to the trust. I have reason to believe she passed away too. The property is in a pretty bad condition and trash has accumulated on the front porch. Unsure if there are any violations, but it is not a pretty site.

@Chase Cannon, I went to the local courthouse, and they apparently don't hold any trust documentation. It's in a revocable trust, so I'm assuming they're trying to keep everything private. I think I've hit a dead end, but I'm still trying to find the trust's agent. At the moment, that seems to be my only other lead.

Anyways, thank you for your help,

Sean

Chase,

Incredibly helpful, thank you! 

I'll go to the courthouse (or call if they're not opening their doors) and let you know what happens.