Condominiums are laced with plumbing systems that on occasion are very problematic. Some drain lines are private property and the rest are referred to as common lines. The issue is liability. Who is responsible for the repair? The individual condo owners pay for private line repairs while common line problems are the responsibility of the Homeowners Association. When the problem is underground, get the camera and locator out of your truck and determine who has to pay for your work before going any further. You'll save a lot of headaches for everyone concerned—including yourself.

I was called out by a condo owner to find out why his unit would periodically flood with raw sewage. Occasionally, this poor soul would enter his bathroom only to find his shower stall overflowing—creating havoc on his carpeting. With every flood, the carpets needed to be pulled and sanitized. It was a constant battle between the owner, the Association and their respective insurance companies. Nobody needs those hassles and inconveniences. The owner's former plumber would always pull the toilet and snake out the sewer. It was always assumed that this condo owner was at fault. The first thing I noticed was that he had another condo above him. I opened a wall inside of his bedroom closet to expose the vent pipe for that same toilet. I slid the camera into the line and BINGO— there it was. Several plastic toys that apparently were flushed down the toilet. My customer lived alone and he didn't have any children. The upstairs unit was the culprit...OUCH!