A condo owner in Hawai'i took to Reddit to discuss a major issue they'd run into with their local HOA after a serious issue in their building left them facing a massive repair bill. 

Posting in the r/HOA subreddit, they explained that their association was trying to stick them with the bill after pipes burst in their building. 

They explained that the plumbing to their air conditioning unit had been leaking behind their walls, soaking their drywall and ruining both it and the flooring beneath. When they went to the HOA, they were essentially told that because the AC unit wasn't from when the building was built, the HOA was unlikely to cover it. 

They say they were told to go through their homeowner's insurance, and the HOA might agree to pay part of the deductible. 

"The pipes were 100% the buildings fault, they are within the walls so that makes it their responsibility," they said. "So what they are basically telling me is, yes the leak was completely our fault due to old insulation of pipes, but sorry for all the damage that's on ME to get fixed."

HOAs are a frequent cause of stress around the country. While they're ostensibly there to make sure that property values stay high and help with repairs that may impact the entire community, their rigid rules and regulations often leave homeowners infuriated. 

They've fined homeowners for letting towels dry on their porch after Labor Day festivities, made unilateral landscaping decisions without consulting the homeowner, and have even tried to prevent things like solar panel installation.

However, it's possible in many cases to work with HOAs to improve your community and change bylaws, rather than turning things into a prolonged fight, improving everyone's lives without conflict. 

Unfortunately for this condo owner, commenters seemed to think that the HOA might be in the right in this instance. 

"In condos, generally (read the governing documents) no matter who is responsible for the damage, repairs by the HOA generally only go walls in, this would be drywall and subfloor, etc. Paint, wallpaper, etc. are your responsibility," one said. 

Do you have plans to significantly renovate your home? Yes — this year 👍 Yes — within a few years ⏱️ Not at the moment 👎 I don't own a home 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

They continued on, writing, "This is why you have insurance. Now, if the insurance company thinks the HOA is responsible, they will fight it. … if you can prove the HOA was NEGLIGENT and that their negligence either caused the leak itself or the damage, than you have a different claim, not of the leak damage, but damage caused by negligence." 

They further explained that if the HOA was aware of the pipe issue but hadn't done the necessary repairs or made an effort to start the process, then it would be negligence. 

"I actually let them know I thought there was a leak and they came out and checked it and said it was fine… so 3 days later I email them again saying it's getting worse and THEN they finally figure out there actually is a leak," the poster replied. "Insurance will hear about that and they can do with it as they please. … I don't think I'm cut out for condo living because this has been a nightmare since we moved in."

"Usually your responsibility is walls in," said another commenter. "Your insurance should cover this. The HOA will fix the wall itself."

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