OT: Foundation and Plumbing Repair

[weisan]

I need some advice.

Our house is on pier and beam foundation and is located in an area that is prone to foundation movement. We hired a foundation company to fix our foundation 4 years ago. It carries a 5-year warranty. As part of the warranty terms, we have to make sure that we pass a hydrostatic test (no leaks in the plumbing system). We went ahead and replaced the entire plumbing system under the house right after the foundation work was completed. We passed the hydrostatic test with the City inspector.

We started renting out the house 3 years ago. Last week, our tenant complained about a foul smell coming from the bathroom in the master bedroom. We called the plumber (same company that replaced our plumbing system). They discovered a broken pipe under the bathroom. Their first reaction is to blame it on the foundation company. We contacted the foundation company and they basically said we are out of luck because the warranty specifically mentioned that if a plumbing leak happens, it voids the warranty.

At this point, nobody really know what causes the pipe to break. Both the foundation and the plumbing companies refused to take responsibility.

What would you do next?