Where's the Water Shutoff? Where's the Pipe in the Wall?

QUESTION:
Hi. I live in the neighborhood with the townhouses that have garages on Stedwick Road. I can't find the shutoff valve for the water connection in the garage. Does anyone know where it is? I've contacted our property management several times. They either won't tell me how to find this information, and they won't return my calls. (From a NextDoor posting)

RESPONSE:
Avoid calling property management on the phone. Instead, send your request via email, so that you have a written record of their response (or non-response). Send it once a day, until this is resolved. Also, immediately, send your request to WSSC Water. "For non-emergency issues, you can call WSSC at 301-206-4265 or use the online form on Montgomery County 311. For emergencies like water or sewer line breaks, call 301-206-4002 or TTY 301-206-4002."

These are suggestions, not legal advice. Calling 311 gets great results, most times, in my view.

Please also consider signing up with the HOA reform group www.charm-md.org , which "envisions a future where individual homeowners in common ownership communities can live without fear of their own association, which shall abide by the law; be transparent, accountable, and fair; and be welcoming to all residents." Is your association acting in your interest? Helping you? Acting accountably?

Such questions -- Who Owns this Pipe?? Where Are the Pipes in this Wall?? -- are a huge issue, and we get very little oversight from the CCOC, which is supposed to oversee COCs (Common Ownership Communities). Indeed, COC associations, developers, and property management companies often dispose (!!) of the schema (paper records & maps) showing where the pipes are hidden (in walls, under ground) after the neighborhood is built. "Affordable housing" is an empty slogan until our county and state governments begin paying attention to the poor performance of many COCs. We must demand it.

Steve Lapham, 24-year HOA resident in Montgomery County, MD

P.S. A neighbor says that MoCo Public Libraries rent out tools! Who knew? The neighbor writes,
"MCPL has FLIR thermal cameras—free to borrow with your library card. I was able to track pipes through drywall using them, but not through brick firewalls (very possibly operator error—I’m definitely not a pro!). I need to borrow one again to track my sister’s HVAC ductwork. The tool is also fab for checking insulation, air leaks around windows and doors, etc. "