ComplaintsforPrism Realty Inc

• Initial Complaint

  10/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Our basement showed a small wet spot around the sewer drain, indicating that an outside pipe may be blocked. This occurred on 10/27/2024. The emergency line of Prisim Realty was called immediately. We were told that someone would be out to fix the problem as soon as possible that same day.The next morning we woke up and our entire basement was flooded. We called Prisim Realty and were told that they were short on staff (among a bunch of other excuses) the day before and nobody actually addressed the issue. Now we have to pay to get the basement repaired and cleaned. They are refusing to take responsibility for this disaster. If they had sent someone out or notified us that they could not do so, we would have called a plumber ourselves. They finally got someone to come out and investigate the problem around noon on 10/28/2024. They concluded that one of the main pipes have to be replaced. They told us to not clean our basement yet as there is a good chance that it may flood again. When we asked for an estimate on how long this would take to resolve, they could not give an answer. There is literally sewer water in my basement. Prisim Realty does not care at all that their actions caused this preventable disaster. Now they want my pregnant wife and I to just be okay to live in these extremely unsanitary conditions and breathe in toxic fumes. Additionally, our condo is connected to five other condos that share the same pipe. They were all supposed to get notified of the problem in order to minize the use of water and warn them of the possibility of their basements flooding as well. We talked to one of our neighbors and they told us they did not receive anything. Prisim Realty has been a nightmare to deal with. They are extremely defensive about the situation and will say and do anything in order to escape accountablilty. The way we have been treated by them is truly disgusting. When this is resolved, we expect a full refund of all expenses.

  

  Business response

  10/30/2024

  Mr. *********** am so sorry this has happened. Your wife called our emergency service Sunday morning, October 27, 2024.  **** was the person handling emergencies for the weekend.  He had spoken to your wife,and she said the basement drain was not backing up but was concerned.  She said she has had problems in the past.  He told her that he would let the office know on Monday, and he did. We had no further communication from you or your wife on the status of the issue, or any changes that had taken place, until Monday morning.  Your wife also called the office at 10am on Monday and informed us that the basement was now backing up.  We alerted the plumber that had been working nearby,and they put that job on hold and came over to handle your unit.
  I personally spoke to your wife on Monday at your unit and she told me she was having trouble getting someone to clean up the basement.  I gave her the name of a company to use, told her to refer to Prism and they would help her out.  No one from Prism told you or your wife not to clean up your basement.  We do not notify neighbors in these situations, although affected persons are encouraged to do so to minimize water use and the effect to their unit.
  The plumber did inform me that there was an issue with the service vent for that line, although this was not the cause of the problem.  The line is currently open.  We will have the service vent repaired and inspected.
  The service vent repair has been contracted to another plumbing company that specializes in these types of repairs.  The repairs should hopefully be completed by the end of the week, provided they can get the permits and the utility markings for the repair.
  ****, the Property Manager for the community, spoke to your wife and told her she could submit any costs that you incurred to the associations board for review and possible reimbursement.
  Again, we are all sorry this has happened.  Hopefully, all repairs can be completed here shortly.

  Customer response

  11/03/2024

  Complaint: 22485472
  
  I have reviewed the business' response and am rejecting it because:

  
  We called the emergency line around 9:00 am on October 27, 2024 requesting immediate help. We communicated there was sewer water in the basement and that it was not enough to cause damage yet.We asked for someone to come out and address the problem before it got worse.
  The person from Prism Realty assured us that someone would be out the same day to address the issue. We even went as far as asking if we needed to call back, follow up, stay home, etc.Again, we were told by Prism Realty that the problem would be resolved as soon as possible that same day and we did not have to do anything else.
  
  We have no reason to be untruthful about this. We called the emergency line for an emergency. Sewer water in the basement is an emergency. They decided not to do anything about it after promising us they would. This is absolutely a combination of incompetence and negligence. Prism Realty knowingly put our health and the health of our unborn child at risk. Additionally, they have caused us thousands of dollars worth of damage. If Prism Realty had not promised us they would have someone out the same day to fix it, we would have hired someone ourselves to prevent a major flood, risk to our health, and damage to our property. Again, this is absolutely negligence and incompetence.
  
  Monday morning (10/28/2024) we were shocked to find out that our basement was flooded with sewer water. We immediately called Prism Realty to inquire about the emergency service request the day before. They investigated it and told us the technician who handled the emergency call on Sunday marked our request as non-emergent. Again, this person (****) promised us that someone would address the problem as soon as possible on Sunday. However, **** apparently just marked it as non-emergent and did nothing about it. We cant say this enough, this is absolutely negligence and incompetence. We cant imagine how someone can mark sewer water in the basement as non-emergent.
  
  A plumber finally came out to assess the situation on Monday around 11:40 am. The plumber concluded that there was a break in the pipe and that there was barely any flow. He told us that another flood is imminent unless the pipe is immediately replaced. The plumber recommended that all the units attached to us be made aware of the situation in order to minimize the use of water and toilet paper and to also prepare them for a flood if it gets worse. He stated that he would inform *** from Prism Realty of the situation in order to take the appropriate next steps and inform the neighbors.
  
  Prism Realty did not give us any update after this. We followed up with them after 3 hours. They told us about a bunch of protocols they had to follow and could not give us a timeline for a resolution. We also asked if they informed the neighbors of the situation as recommended by the plumber. We were told that they would talk to the office to send out notices via email. We checked with the neighbors later that day and the next day to see if they were notified, and they were not. Again, more negligence and incompetence from Prism Realty. They were told by the plumber that more flooding was imminent for us and the neighbors, and they did nothing about it. They did not care that another family or two could face health risks,property damage, and loss of valuable items. Once again, Prism Realty was informed of an emergency and they chose to do nothing about it.
  
  It is very clear that Prism Realty has made multiple critical mistakes in the handling of this situation. They could have prevented all of this. Instead, they chose to neglect their duties and responsibilities. They put our health at risk and damaged our property.They are refusing to take responsibility for their mistakes. They are twisting the truth just to escape accountability. They are absolutely to blame for all of this. Now they are asking us to jump through more hoops to see if the *** will consider reimbursement for their mistakes, which is unacceptable.
  We have attached an estimate just for the cleaning of the basement, which is about $6,000. This is only an estimate for the cleaning. After its cleaned then it needs to be rebuilt which may cost about $6,000 more. To be very clear, we are not going to spend about $12,000 and see if we will possibly be reimbursed by the *** at a later time.Prism Realty is responsible for causing all this damage. We fully expect that they will be held accountable and take responsibility for their actions.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  San & **** *****

  

  Business response

  11/13/2024

  
  I am sure this has been a trying situation for you and your family.  Prism has handled this in an appropriate and expeditious manner.  Your sewer line has been repaired, cabled, and a camera inspection confirmed that the line is clear and clean.  At this time, we do not see any additional problems with this line. 
  We will continue to perform regular maintenance on the line as needed.  However, this is no guarantee that it will not back up in the future.  You live in an older multifamily building and not all owners may use the sanitary system as designed.  Furthermore, the older pipes are susceptible to root growth and settlement, which causes issues.  
  I am sure you are aware that basements are prone to water issues.These areas should be used with this in mind. You should also have insurance for these events. The invoice you sent is a considerable amount and should be submitted to your insurance company as soon as possible.  I do not feel there is anything further that Prism needs to do in this matter.

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