Pitless disconnect broke. Who is responsible?

[Lucas Schmitz]

Hello.

I have a 75ft well. Last summer a company came and pulled it out to replace the drop pipe. This year the pump died. When the same company came back to replace the pump, they broke the disconnect lever 6ft down after banging on it with 3 guys and said "too bad", picked up their stuff and left. So now I'm stuck with a well that will either need to get dug up to seal, or dug up to fix. Am i at fault for this or from a company perspective is it on them to fix? The cost will be pretty high...

 

[Sylvan]

Normally the last one to touch it is responsbile

This is one of the reasons in high rise buildings I ask the super to close and open the valves

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Valveman]

Just call and ask them for the name of their insurance company.

 

[VAWellDriller]

What kind of pitless adapter? Sounds like a snappy?? If' it's a snappy, they are known to have problems and prone to failure around here. They can also ruin a well if partially unhooked and dropped down a well. I've told people I wouldn't/couldn't pull one before, but never walked away from the job; just told them it was unsafe and had to be dug up and replaced. $$$

 

[Martin Boring]

That happen five years ago to a coworker his pump failed and the local well guy in his area came out to pull the pump and broke the pitless and said the same to bad to sad and the crew left. He called the owner of the company and the owner said its not our problem and give him a crazy quote to repair and told him you may need a new well when the coworker asked about a discount because his guys had broke it the owner reply was if you don't like what happen then just sue me. He called me and I rounded up a friend that has a old trencher back hoe and we made the forty mile trip out to his acreage and dug the pitless out cut it off and pulled the well and the next day got a new pump pipe wire and a new Merrill pitless. Installed ever thing and got him back up and running. About a month later he got a bill in the mail from the well guy for the service call when they broke the pitless. He didn't pay it and they turned it over to a bill collector so he ended up paying it.

 

[Valveman]

That happen five years ago to a coworker his pump failed and the local well guy in his area came out to pull the pump and broke the pitless and said the same to bad to sad and the crew left. He called the owner of the company and the owner said its not our problem and give him a crazy quote to repair and told him you may need a new well when the coworker asked about a discount because his guys had broke it the owner reply was if you don't like what happen then just sue me. He called me and I rounded up a friend that has a old trencher back hoe and we made the forty mile trip out to his acreage and dug the pitless out cut it off and pulled the well and the next day got a new pump pipe wire and a new Merrill pitless. Installed ever thing and got him back up and running. About a month later he got a bill in the mail from the well guy for the service call when they broke the pitless. He didn't pay it and they turned it over to a bill collector so he ended up paying it.

Wow! I would have taken him up on his offer and sued him. As soon as his insurance company finds out they would just settle with you. It is much less expensive for the insurance company to pay you than to hire lawyers and take this to court. The owner of the company would not be able to stop them from paying you, as the insurance company has complete control of what they pay or don't pay.

If the company did not have insurance, I would be contacting the state licensing board. Insurance is usually an important part of being a licensed pump installer. With the threat of having their license revoked, most well people will bend over backwards to work with you and make you happy.