Thunder Bay – NEWS – Over the past several years, many Thunder Bay property owners have seen pinhole leaks in there water pipes.
Patsy Stadnyk is the moderator of the Facebook Group “Thunder Bay Leaky Pipe Club. There are almost 4,000 members to that social media group. That is not to say each of the persons on that group has had pipes leak at their properties.
Stadnyk says on a post to the FB group, “I understand that many of you have recently received what appears to be a standard form letter from Lou Pedron of SCS Insurance Adjusters. Given my role as the proposed representative plaintiff in the class action, let me offer a few comments.
“The letter from Mr. Pedron states that the City is not responsible for any damages you have sustained.
“It is somewhat curious that the City only delivered the letter more than two years after the City itself phased out its use of sodium hydroxide due to ‘increased reports of pinhole leaks in pipes’.”
“In any event, let me emphasize what is probably obvious to you all – every defendant (or virtually every defendant) denies liability when they are sued.
“The City already denied liability in the lawsuit by St. Joseph’s Health Care Group. It is certainly not at all surprising that the City now denies liability to the residents and homeowners who have complained. In addition, the fact that the City denies responsibility in a letter does not affect or somehow weaken the merit of the proposed class action against the City”.
“Courts decide if defendants are liable for damages. If the class action is certified later this year, it will then be up to the Court to decide whether the City will be held responsible”.
Roy O’Connor LLP has issued a proposed class action lawsuit against the City of Thunder Bay for damage alleged to be caused to pipes and plumbing systems following the City’s introduction of sodium hydroxide into the municipal water supply.
The website for the progressing Class Action law suit states, “The damage alleged includes what are described as ‘pinhole leaks’ in the plumbing, the significant costs to repair the leaks, and the resulting damage from the leaks.
“The proposed class action seeks compensation totaling $350,000,000 to cover the thousand or tens of thousands of residents, businesses and other operations whose pipes and plumbing systems were damaged or, are at risk of damage and failure, by the City’s introduction of sodium hydroxide into the water supply years ago. Following complaints and concerns being raised, the City discontinued the use of sodium hydroxide”.
Information about the class action can be found at: https://thunderbaypipesclassaction.ca/.
The City of Thunder Bay has not commented on the complaints and concerns brought by residents and property owners who in some case are out thousands of dollars due to damages to their property or the costs of running new waterlines.
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