I have a friend closing on a condo tomorrow, there was a small plumbing leak that the seller was required to fix. (line in a jetted tub)

Their fix was to slap calking (marine silicone) on it and call it good. Now there is another leak about 3 ft away from it.

I went to the walk through to make sure everything was good to go.

I'm not happy with the repair, they are saying its sat as is.  Also pissed that now there is a new leak from a more expensive component.

Is calking an actual fix for a leaking PVC joint? (no water is coming out but it sounds like bull shit) I'm frustrated with the piss poor quality in a few of the other repairs but I don't know what legal actions there is (the contract was written like shit).

nope..........not even close.  i would walk or fix myself.  makes you wonder what else you cant see though.

Im thinking the same thing, I just want to know if she has any legal legs to stand on to get out of the house based on a "non workmanlike" repair.

Trying to find what the industry standard is now/seeing if there is any documentation.

How it works here -

If your friend doesn't accept the repair, her agent should call escrow and tell them not to release to record until further notice. Then she tells the seller why, and what she wants done about it (recommend against asking them to fix it again, instead, ask for $$ for the work to get done) See if the seller will work it outside of escrow, so the financial aspect doesn't change on paper and the lender doesn't want to review the transaction again.

Seller has the option to ignore your friend, and wait for the contract to expire and sell to someone else. In which case, your friend would likely have to file suit for specific performance if she really wanted it that much.

If the PVC is accessible, your friend should ask herself if it's worth it to cause a problem or just suck it up and replace it. For my friends, I'd offer to fix it myself to save them the headache.

I'm not giving you legal advise.

ETA - As an agent, I would be extremely annoyed if a buyer waited until the day before closing to reinspect. Really should happen quite a bit before closing if at all possible.

This was the "walk through" which the agent set up...

I have a few other issues with this agent but im not the one buying the property.

Its a simple repair, I honestly think the seller slapped the calking on there and forged a reciept from the contractor. If a licensed contractor did that I have some shit to talk...

The big issue is that its a jetted tub and now the pump is leaking. If it was just some PVC under the sink or something it wouldnt be a big deal.

I am a tradesman myself, if I EVER left a job with the workmanship I have seen some contractors sign off on I either would have had my ass handed to me or offered to replace the item at my cost. (I didnt get involved in this whole thing until the end of the process)

With the piss poor work she wants to walk away. Im thinking asking for them to replace the plumbing and pump might do it, but if they say "no" and repair the original leak/new leak with some kind of bandaid fix im afraid shes on the hook for a headache.

When in doubt, walk away :) Remind her there will always be other houses.

Keep in mind that rates are rising currently even a month or two could very well cost her more than if she had to fix the plumbing leak herself.

Unless the tub is also heated, rip it out. All those little places grow mold, and the circulation cools the water down quickly. They are a joke.

She was settling on the house to begin with. Rates are climbing but shes already high due to credit issues, I think if she gets her credit better and saves a bit more her payment will be comparable but be able to buy a lot more house.

Just need to find the little red handle before she hits the ground on this one.

Heck no. Silicon on a leaking joint is an idiot's approach. Definitely not anything a credible licensed plumber would do. I'd definitely be concerned about what other problems might be lurking in those walls. Postpone closing and hire your own trusted inspector to go thru with a fime tooth comb. Insist all repairs are done by licensed professionals of your choosing. May lose the deal, but might be the best decision.

Wait a minute.  You're letting a leaking PVC fitting is going to torpedo the purchase of a house?

Personally, I wouldn't let an entire hot tub interfere with my sale/purchase.

Does your friend like and want the house?  If so, buy it.  If not, walk away.  Just don't bullshit yourself or anyone else about a PVC fitting* being the real reason.  Excuse to get out of contract, maybe,... the real reason, baloney.


*  Caulking PVC is not a repair, it is additional damage.  Remove the whole business and replace with a proper repair.  I would look for water damage caused by the leak.  That is more important than a minor leak in a fitting.

It would be nice to know what the contract says.  

Matt