Prompted by another mailout featuring their logo, the City of Greater Sudbury has issued a clarification regarding their partnership by Service Line Warranties.
The city offered a similar point of clarification via a media release in early August, when the first letter was sent. A second point of clarification was offered a couple weeks later, when members of city council sussed out additional insights from city staff.
In their latest media release, the city reiterates that letters sent by Service Line Warranties highlight a voluntary service line warranty option, which offers coverage plans to help homeowners cover repair costs associated with the private portions of their water and sewer/septic lines.
The city maintains sanitary sewers and water service lines between the main system and the property line, while homeowners are responsible for maintaining the pipes within their property..
Private property-side infrastructure is the homeowner’s responsibility, and could be affected by breaks, clogs or leaks which the city cautions “can be costly and may not be covered by basic homeowners' insurance.”
This is where Service Line Warranties comes into play.
The company “is an independent company with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, and currently provides optional service line repair coverage plans to homeowners in over 70 municipalities throughout Canada,” according to the city.
Offering points of clarity to counter misinformation being spread via social media, the city’s latest statement notes:
- Service Line Warranties received its mailing list from a third party, supplemented with addresses publicly available through the City of Greater Sudbury’s Open Data site
- The City of Greater Sudbury endorsed the program, but receives no compensation for it
- Municipal funds are not being used to support the program
- Service Line Warranties is solely responsible for the management and servicing of their plans
The city’s website has more information on the program, including frequently asked questions, and is available by clicking here.
