A plumber is called out for a clogged drain. The plumber clears it and charges $235. Three days later, the clog returned. Since it was a weekend, the plumber charged $390. The restaurant questioned the plumber about the quality of his work.
The next day, the plumber returned and clogged the pipe with an inflatable plug and sent them a message that they had an hour to pay him or he was going on vacation and they would be screwed until he got back.
That isn’t how business is done. You don’t get to enter my property uninvited to sabotage my business over a billing dispute. The cops, useless as usual, claimed it was a civil matter and refused to get involved.
At that point, i would have gone outside and beat me some plumber ass. If vandalizing my plumbing is a civil matter and not a crime that the police will do anything about, then you have to do a self help solution.
My advice to the restaurant is get a new plumber.
12 Comments
Botan · March 30, 2025 at 11:32 am
This happened a while ago (1970’s).
A friend was looking to do some remodeling and got a bid from a local contractor and signed the papers to have the work done.
A few days later the contractor came to him and told him he had screwed up the estimate and asked him to cancel the contract. My friend was a nice guy and said OK.
Some time later my friend went to sell the house and at closing was informed there was a “mechanics lean” on the house that needed to be satisfied before the closure could be completed. My friend took the paperwork needed to the contractors office to the the lean lifted.
The contractor demanded $50 cash (remember this is the 1970’s) before he would sign the papers. My friend had no choice. I would have paid it as well BUT “there would be consequences”!
Aesop · April 2, 2025 at 12:00 am
That’s where, for far less than $50 in ammo, a shotgun pointed at the kneecap with a request to sign the release works wonders. “Here’s your $50. And for only $50 in return, I won’t put you on a prosthetic leg for the entire rest of your life. Do we have a deal?” One good turn deserves another.
“You get farther with a kind word and a gun, than you get with a kind word alone.” – Al Capone, Untouchables
“You seem like a smart kid. So if you’re as smart as I think you are, you aren’t going to make me come back here.” – Guido the Killer Pimp, Risky Business
SoCoRuss · March 30, 2025 at 12:01 pm
The Thais just need to play the game. Do videos about how to burn plumbing trucks up, especially since they carry so much hazardous materials and are killing mother earth.
And announce a new contest for best Plumber truck from this company burning videos will get free meals for a year.
Problem fixed, FAFO…
That’s the little secret the right doesn’t understand and why the right always loses, “BOTH” sides can play the game…
JimmyPx · March 30, 2025 at 12:49 pm
Sounds like cops being lazy not wanting fill out arrest forms.
I’d hire a lawyer to shotgun this (one who knows the DA) and get them to prosecute these crimes.
Last I checked extortion, tresspassing and vandalism are all crimes.
Hightecrebel · March 30, 2025 at 1:47 pm
I don’t agree with him putting a balloon in it, but as far as it clogging again a few days later, unless they want to pay for a complete flush & clean, which would take hours and likely three to six thousand dollars, they are going to run the risk of the clog returning anytime a chunk of congealed grease comes off the sides of the pipe on the way to the trap. A snake will break it up, but won’t actually clean it out.
Only reason I know all this is I looked into what I needed to do when my sister in law had similar issues for her place. She ended up selling before the issue came back so I never actually needed to do anything, but it’s pretty crazy how much stuff cakes up the inside of a normal drain pipe, let alone one on a commercial kitchen.
Divemedic · March 30, 2025 at 2:03 pm
OK, but the plumber can explain that to the customer. What they can’t do is come back onto the property without being invited and deliberately clog the drain. That isn’t how billing disputes are settled.
As a nurse, I don’t get to come over and break your leg if you don’t pay your bill.
it's just Boris · March 30, 2025 at 6:35 pm
But you have to admit, there are possibilities… “I got a splint youse can’t refuse…”
Steady Steve · March 30, 2025 at 5:28 pm
Why waste time and money on a plumber? For about the same money you can purchase a clog hog (high pressure hose with a jet tip that breaks up the goop inside pipes) and a small pressure washer. Run the pressure washer with hot water. The jets are positioned to pull the clog hog forward and moving the hose back and forth gets the pipe really clean. DIY such as maintaining plumbing with chemicals like Green Gobbler would have saved this guy a lot of headache.
Trailer For Sale Or Rent · March 30, 2025 at 7:03 pm
My sister lived next to a family who used to dump grease down their sink drain. This caused my sister’s plumbing to back up, and the only way to clear the clog was to dig down through the across-the-street neighbor’s garden. This happened three times. The guy who caused it never had any plumbing issues at his house, and the poor (innocent) guy across the street ended up relocating his garden after the second clog.
Big Ruckus D · March 31, 2025 at 9:49 pm
And that’s when I would’ve found his yard vent and dumped a couple of 80 pound sacks of concrete down it, cutting his lateral off from the rest of the system. Fuck that guy, costing neighbors huge money and inconvenience because he’s an irresponsible asshole. Let him stew in his own shit water for a while, and learn how not to be a dick.
I’ve seen this same problem with restaurants in rental spaces fouling the sewer main for the building (and sometimes neighboring properties as well) by not maintaining their grease traps as required. Here, the local sewer utility will determine who did it and fine the hell out of them if the main gets fouled to a point where a steam cleaning is needed. On an individual home level, I’ve never seen them do that, though perhaps it may have happened.
Aesop · April 1, 2025 at 11:52 pm
That would be two felonies, extortion and terroristic acts. It probably also encompasses restraint of trade and health code violations.
As plumbers are generally state-licensed contractors, I submit that a criminal complaints alone will retire that guy from plumbing for life, subject him to a life-changing civil damage suit, and acquire him new accommodations in a state facility for anything from 5-20 years.
Bonus points if the business owner makes a federal complaint, and they charge the plumber with domestic terrorism, and give him a few federal agents as his new playmates.
Were I the restauranteur, I’d be filling out criminal and civil complaints until I had writer’s cramp.
Then doxx the mofo, and assassinate him on social media pending trial.
I’m a big fan of swatting flies with howitzers.
Make justice fun again.
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