I rent a house with two other roommates (so three of us total). A while back, our washer started having a drainage issue where water would stay inside at the end of the cycle. I did some plumbing work/snaking to fix it, and while I was working on it one of my roommates (Jess) decided to run a load of laundry. I was not at the house when she did the load.
When I left I had the washer pulled out, unplugged, and the snake on top. I had been updating my roomates on the status of the washer and to not use it. Jess could have messaged me, called, or waited to do the laundry.
Problem is, the drainage (discharge) hose on the back of the washer wasn’t positioned correctly at that point, so water flooded the laundry room and part of the kitchen. Jess tried to clean it up, but the hardwood floors are now buckling. The repair estimate came out to $800.
Here’s the issue: Jess is blaming me, saying it’s my fault. From my perspective, I was already working on the washer. She could have called/texted me or waited, but instead ran it anyway while it wasn’t fully set up.
My other roommate (Judson) thinks it “could have happened to anyone” and suggests we just split the cost three ways.
I’ve been clear and responsive about everything, but I don’t think it’s fair that I should cover this. She could have texted, called, or waited. Am I wrong to think Jess should be responsible for the repair? Or do I need to just bite the bullet and split it?
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I rent a house with two other roommates (so three of us total). A while back, our washer started having a drainage issue where water would stay inside at the end of the cycle. I did some plumbing work/snaking to fix it, and while I was working on it one of my roommates (Jess) decided to run a load of laundry.
Problem is, the drainage hose on the back of the washer wasn’t positioned correctly at that point, so water flooded the laundry room and part of the kitchen. Jess tried to clean it up, but the hardwood floors are now buckling. The repair estimate came out to $800.
Here’s the issue: Jess is blaming me, saying it’s my fault. From my perspective, I was already actively working on the washer. She could have called/texted me or waited, but instead ran it anyway while it wasn’t fully set up.
My other roommate (Judson) thinks it “could have happened to anyone” and suggests we just split the cost three ways.
I’ve been clear and responsive about everything, but I don’t think it’s fair that I should cover this. Am I wrong to think Jess should be responsible for the repair? Or do I need to just bite the bullet and split it?
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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> My internal actions that can make me seem as a one is my refusal to pay for a portion of the damages since I was transparent in communication on the status of the washer. She could have texted, called or communicated In some way. Furthermore, I did not start the washer so it’s not my fault.
I don’t feel guilty that she used it and tbat was a result. Rather irratatted since she went to the lanord about the situation and used pityy in trying to get out of it. The landlord is thinking of what to do. I’m anxiety feeling that she will make us all split it. Which isn’t fair.
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Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.
>Here’s the issue: Jess is blaming me, saying it’s my fault. From my perspective, I was already actively working on the washer. She could have called/texted me or waited, but instead ran it anyway while it wasn’t fully set up.
INFO: Was it obvious that you were still working on it?
Did you tell them not to use it you were working on it or because the hose was attached albiet not good she thought it was working. If you didn’t communicate to not use the washer then it should be split. But if you did then she should pay
It sounds as if you weren’t in the laundry room when she started the load of laundry. In that case, she had no way of knowing the hose was disconnected. Therefore, you and Jess are both at fault. You for not telling her you were working on the washer, and her for starting the laundry. Split the bill.
INFO is needed, what was the time frame of your work like were you working on it and stepped away for 5 minutes, how did that happen anyway if you we r e actively working on it
also did you communicate to others that the machine was out of service would a reasonable person walking up to it realize it was not in working shape
you not including these details is a tad suspicious fyi
Info: where were you when this went down and how come the hose wasn’t connected properly? Was it obvious that it was still a work in progress (like a sign on it, or it was pulled away from the wall)?
Team “waiting to find out whether you actually told her it wasn’t fixed yet”
info:
Did you clearly tell everyone you were working on it and not to use it?
>My other roommate (Judson) thinks it “could have happened to anyone” and suggests we just split the cost three ways.
Wow. That is rather magnanimous of Judson, he wasn’t even involved!
INFO: Did you tell everyone you were working on the washer or did you just assume they knew?
Edited for judgment:
>I told everyone that I was working on the washer and it was in progress still but I had to go to work. I would be ba to finish.
NTA.
Info: why were you fixing it? Is it not the landlords responsibility? Also how long was it being repaired for? Did you tell anyone there was a problem with it or that it needed to be repaired?
[deleted]
YTA
“Here’s the issue: Jess is blaming me, saying it’s my fault.” .. she is right. YOu did neither unplug it and make sure it could not be reconnected nor maerk it clearly as not ready to use.
Info: how long were you away from the washer and did you tell your roommates it wasn’t to be used?
Edited to add: With looking through comments, this was the landlords washer and repairs should’ve been through them. Wth that context YTA and should be responsible for the damage and not your roommates.
She clearly didn’t know it wasn’t working. It looks like you didn’t communicate and left the hose detached. If that’s the case a 3 way split seems fair. From her perspective it isn’t hard to see why she thinks you are at fault for leaving it half done, you could have called or text her.
Was there a sign on the washer? Did you send a group text alerting your roommates it was out of commission? If not, this is on you and you should be grateful the roommates are willing to split the cost. Potentially YTA.
>while I was working on it one of my roommates (Jess) decided to run a load of laundry.
YTA – If you were working on it, you could have told her not to run it or stop it yourself.
I suspect you mean you had started working on it and then left it. If you leave an appliance in an inoperable state in a shared living situation you should have unplugged it and left VERY CLEAR messaging not to use it.
Did you tell anyone not to use the washing machine?
INFO
Was it clearly communicated that the washer was not to be used?
Sounds like you didn’t effectively lock out/tag out… If the washer was not in functional condition (ie the drain hose was not properly in place…), that’s on you to make it very clear that this is the case. Otherwise, it is not unreasonable for someone to walk up to the washer and try to use it. I think in a case like this you are probably obligated to unplug is; put a sign on it; and give the roomies a heads up. If you fell short on the above – you’ve got a share of the responsibility. If you did those things and Jess ignored the warnings, plugged it in, and proceeded the flood the the floor anyway – then that would be on her.
After OP’s response… Mild YTA, but you’ll be a big one if you don’t accept some responsibility.
If you were not done working on the washer you needed to Verbally or through text, tell both roommates it wasn’t working, or at min. put a not on the washer DO NOT USE. If you didn’t warn them then you are more responsible than they are.
INFO: Did the machine appear to be functional when she tried using it? Did you leave a note or let anyone know you were working on it still?
NTA
Since you said it was pulled away from the wall with the snake on it, I would say that’s obvious that it’s out of service.
But if she won’t pay, I don’t know what to say. That’s a risk of doing your own repairs instead of just telling rhe landlord. It’s probably legally on all the tenants.
Info: Did you put a clear and legible “DO NOT USE YET!!” sign on it?
More info: Why isn’t the landlord dealing with this? Is it your personal washer?
Your roommate who said it could have happened to any one of you, is obviously wrong. You knew it wasn’t ready yet, so it could have happened to either of them. If you thought it’d been fixed properly, I’d assume you would have stayed to watch it the whole time.
I’m leaning toward NAH, if you put up a sign, and you really should have kept both hot and cold to your machine shut off, so if your sign is ignored somehow, the machine won’t leak.
Sorry, but you should have unplugged the washing machine. Best practice when working with electricity and water.
Judson has the correct answer and to split the cost. Judson has no skin in the game is is offering to help pay. Good on her.
ESH except Judson
INFO: How clear was it that the washer hose wasn’t correctly put together? Did you tell her NOT to use it? Did you put up a sign?
If she had no reason to believe that the washer wasn’t ready to be used, then how could this be on her?
Did she know, was it unplugged?
First you say “while I was working on it” then you say you were “actively” working on it, neither one of which is true. You STARTED working on it, then went off to do something else without telling anyone you were not done working on it.
Two ways this could have been avoided … your roommate could have read your mind and known not to use the washer, or you could have put an “out of order” sign up to make sure everyone knew you were not done with repairs.
Even if it was pulled away from the wall and unplugged, your roommate could have assumed that you finished repairs but did not put everything back in place when you were done.
You also look terrible by comparison when your third roommate is willing to help pay when he was not at all involved.
Maybe think about getting renters insurance going forward.
Info: how long was the washer unattended between when Jess started her load and she found the room flooded? I think it had to be awhile because if she found it right away, she should have been able to clean up most of the water before it got to the floor buckling stage.
My question is, why are you repairing a washer in a place you rent? It is the landlords responsibility to repair or replace a broken washer, and it’s also their responsibility to repair damage, such as water damage. Why were you working on the washer in the first place? Time to call the landlord, get a repair person in for both the floors and the washer, although because you guys deliberately cause the floor issue, you may be responsible to pay for that, unless the landlord hired you to repair the washer.
You were actively working on it…. and. Did not say anything. Like she should have seen you working and not done laundry. But you also should have stopped her from doing the load. EsH.
Info: did you unplug it and turn the water valves to off, meaning she had to plug it in and turn the valves on? Because that is step 1 in repairing.
YTA. Don’t live with roommates if you’re going to pull this shit. “If you can’t do the crime don’t pay the time”
YTA. Why would she need to “text, call or wait” if you were actively there working on it? You left. You left before completing the repair, and you left the machine in such a state that it wasn’t obvious that it couldn’t be used.
You should pay the $800, and it’s nice that roommate #3 is giving you the out and offering to split it three ways
Just a yes or no question:
Did You Text Jess?
Third room mate had nothing to do with it and still offered to split. You’re not necessarily an asshole but I definitely think this is on you in part, and that you and the other should both pay the $400.
It’s 100% Jess’s fault and her responsibility to pay for the damages. Keep those texts that show you were keeping them updated
More importantly: why were you working on it and not the landlord? Were you prepared to pay damages you may have incurred while working on it? Did your roommates all agree that you should be the one to repair it?
ESH
I think YTA for terrible project management. Consider:
• no lock out / tag out procedure just an unplugged supply
• no “do not use until further notice” communication just a “I’m still working on it” at some point before use
• why would you start fixing it and then stop halfway without reattaching the drainage hose?
• why not isolate at the PCB the entire circuit the washer is on to be sure someone can’t simply “plug it back in” and turn it on
Yes your roommate shares some blame for throwing a switch, but you made sure that switch, when thrown, would flood the floor and didn’t take enough precautions to prevent the switch from being thrown
Info. Do you have renters insurance that would cover part of the damage?
Info: why were you doing this repair and not your landlord??
INFO: why didn’t you shut the water off to the washer before attempting to repair it?
OP has commented ~30 times on this post, but he keeps avoiding answering this question
If you told them not to use it and she went out of her way to put it back together improperly then that’s her fault
The roommate had to actively connect the washer and remove the snake in order to use the washer. Which tells me she knew that the washer wasn’t operable at that point. If you were transparent to all roommates, you’re not responsible for any damages that happened. I’m going with NTA.
I can’t believe people here are act saying otherwise, but clearly NTA.
If everything you’re saying is true then it was more than clear enough that the washer was out of commission and the roommate would have had to go out of the way to put it back into a usable state (incorrectly).
As for the cost, I’d say just split it 3 ways, if you try to force the roommate to pay for it all she likely just won’t, forcing you and the other roommate or just you to fix it anyway. Having all 3 pay is likely going to be the cheapest option even if it’s all Jess’ fault.
Did anyone read the post??? Lol. Op was very plain she was still working on it, pulled out from the wall. Snake on top. Lol
NTA
-They knew you were working on it & you texted them about it
-You had to go to work so you updated them it was still out of order
-If she saw the machine unplugged, with equipment on it, and forgot your text re: not working, the practical thing for her to do was stop for a min to text you & ask ‘is washer working now yes/no?’ and wait for a response.
Literally going thru this: came home yesterday, saw washer had back panel back on but unplugged. Texted roomie, she said ‘oh sorry, it needs X part, put panel back on to keep dust out, still out of commission’ and I said ‘ok thx for info, taking a load to my besties’
You should not have to pay for her lack of communication
YTA. Plumbing 101 is that it shouldn’t be connected to water if it isn’t properly connected to the sewer. This is why businesses have lockout tagout procedures for maintenance. Jess’s behavior may have been dumb, but you’re the one that made the situation possible in the first place.
You might not bear full responsibility for the cost of repairs, but you should splitting the bill because your behavior was just as stupid as hers.
NTA.
They knew you were working on it and even if they didn’t, it was pulled out from the wall, unplugged, with tools on it. Common sense would be to ask someone before using it again.
I mean, should she have realized it was not to be used? Sure. But we live in a time where we have to warn people coffee is hot. You should have left a sign or something saying do not use. Because your roommate lacks awareness. 90% on her, 10% on you.