Architectural Violations

[fenglong]

Hello,
I own and live in a townhouse, and my Air Conditioning broke last year. I called an AC repair shop and they had to visit 3 different times to finally identify what the cause was. Turns out that the wire, which starts from the attics, running through stucco walls, to the AC unit that is outside my house unit, below the balcony platform, seemed to be bitten off by some sort of rodent(s).
A couple years back, when I had a leakage in the garage (due to broken kitchen pipe right above the garage), I had called the townhouse management company, and they had told me that 'anything inside of the unit walls are the owner's responsibility.' Thus, since the problem occurred outside the walls, I called them and told them about the cut-off wire. They told me that it was not their responsibility.

A year has gone by (summer is a really busy season for my work, as all the 2nd quarter results presentations happen with our business), and right before the summer began this year, I wanted to have the AC fixed because it was really difficult to live without it last year.

I found another repair shop, and they also had to visit 3 times, each time with different crew with different expertise.
With the 3rd visit, they identified the problem. The wire. They also told me the same thing as the first shop told me last year. And because the walls narrow that the repair guy could not reach, the only way to have the AC back up and running was to drill a small hole in the stucco wall, and run the wire through a small pipe, down to the AC unit below the balcony platform.
So I called the management co. again. But to no avail, they told me the same thing, that having it fixed was MY responsibility even though the problem occurred outside the walls.
At this point, I had taken days off from work, using my personal time, and spent some money just to have those guys visit. Left with no other choice, I decided to have it fixed so me and my cat can live in a civilized way (and a fish I had died because of high water temperature last year because we had no AC).
So I spent another $600 or so and got it fixed.
THEN, a few days ago, I received a letter from the management company of the townhouse, telling me that I made an Architectural Violation, that I have to uninstall the pipe and fill in the small hole by August 24. Having a slew of presentations, and possibly a trip to overseas, this is almost impossible to make it happen.
Also I had no intentions of breaking any of the rules and regulations. I HAD to do it because they did not want to help me, even when what they told me seemed contradictory (things 'outside the walls' quote) to me.
I called the management company the next working day, and the lady I'd spoken with told me to send them a letter, explaining what happened and they why's.
I just want to have this rectified somehow, because it's either I do what they tell me to do, or I'll be out of AC as long as I live here (or maybe I'll have to have a construction so that they can break the stucco walls open to run the wire in between them? but who's going to pay for it??).
If anyone has any expertise on such issue, or have any suggestions or advise, I'd really, really appreciate it as I am feeling so hopeless here.
And the ironic thing is, that the management company hasn't fixed the house number outside and above my garage door since May 2005 despite my many requests by phone, as well as a letter, to which I got no response.

Thanks for your help!
fenglong

[Mr. Knowitall]

I assume you're not the only unit with an air conditioner. How do other residents manage to comply with the architectural restrictions?