“Get your hands up and step away from the pipe! Book’em Dano!” 
Okay, so maybe plumbers don’t usually make the FBI’s most wanted list but there are a few surprises in store for us. Let’s take a look.
For starters, all plumbing work is regulated by the government. What isn’t? Just like the Motor Vehicle Code, the Civil Code, the Criminal Code, there is the Plumbing Code; the law of plumbing. There are various plumbing codes in use across the United States but in California, the applicable law is the California Plumbing Code, which was adopted from the Uniform Plumbing Code. Okay, okay, so that’s all pretty boring. But wait, there’s more!
Here is a Uniform Plumbing Code section that captured my attention:
“102.3.1 Violations. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert, demolish, equip, use, or maintain any plumbing or permit the same to be done in violation of this code.”
So, that seems to say that any person, plumber, building owner, homeowner, or otherwise, that violates the plumbing code, or lets someone else violate the code, could have a problem. What sort of problem you might ask? Read on.
“102.3.2 Penalties. Any person, firm, or corporation violating any provision of this code shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment set forth by the governing laws of the jurisdiction. Each separate day or any portion thereof, during which any violation of this code occurs or continues, shall be deemed to constitute a separate offense.”
Wow! The fun starts now! Anyone violating any part of the plumbing code can be tried and convicted of a misdemeanor criminal offense! Misdemeanors carry a maximum jail time of one year as opposed to felonies, which can be any length of sentence. But watch this. Each day the violation continues, is a separate charge, another year. So, one day of violation equals three hundred and sixty-five days in jail. I guess they don’t put much value on our time.
“But, your honor, I was just trying to get my toilet working again. Please, have mercy.”
“This court can not and will not tolerate such blatant criminal behavior. Your lack of remorse is appalling and shocking to this court. The violations for which you stand convicted have continued for seven months and three days. Therefore, I sentence you to 213 years in prison. You should be happy. I am sending you to a place where they have working toilets. Just ask the other forty-seven people you share the toilet with. I hope I never see you in this courtroom again. If I do, I won’t be so lenient the next time. Next case!”
Yeah, got it scum bag. If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.
And don’t you even try to say something like, “How was I supposed to know trying to fix my toilet was an illegal criminal offense!?” Just in case you haven’t already heard, ignorance of the law doesn’t allow you to escape the consequences.
That goes for women as well as men. Equal rights are equal all the way around.
“Hi dear. The toilet is not working again. Since, you will be working late; I am just going to try to fix it myself.”
“Are you crazy?! I didn’t know I was married to a criminal! Don’t touch that toilet!”
“What should I do then? I really have to go.”
“Go to the neighbors. You know, that grumpy Ms. Jones is always home. Tell her you are a law abiding citizen and can you please use her toilet.”
“What if she says no?”
“You will have to check the plumbing code and see what it says to do.”
“But honey, the plumbing code is 460 pages of paragraphs that are incomprehensible to almost everyone; and I really have to go.”
“You should of thought of that before you got yourself into this mess. But, I’ll tell you this right now; if you go to prison, your mother will not be allowed in the house!”
Mr Fix It Plumbing and Heating, is reliable plumber in the Long Beach California area. Owner Mark Meng is an established plumbing contractor(CA Plumbing License 883839), and has a team of experienced plumbers to fix your plumbing problems fast and in the best manner possible. We use the latest techniques and tools so every job gets done right. Give us a call at (562) 988-2454
