G.K. from outside of Connecticut writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
The Condo board hired an “appliance” man to disconnect and reconnect water lines in a seasonal condo for the winterization of the units. The appliance man they hired damaged my waterline to the frig which caused a leak that damaged my floor. Since the appliance man was hired by the board as their agent to do required maintenance, is the Condo association responsible to pay for the damages?
Mister Condo replies:
G.K., I am sorry that your unit took damage due to winterization of your unit. It is possible that the contractor could be sued by the Board for the damage but that is not too likely, especially if yours was the only unit that was damaged and the dollar amounts in question aren’t too large. Typically, any damage caused inside of your unit is covered by your insurance policy. You could explain to the Board what happened and they might step up to make you whole by offering to cover your deductible but they are not obligated to do so. Depending on your loss, you may wish to sue the Board or bring a charge in Small Claims court. Keep in mind that you will have to prove the Board-hired contractor caused the damage and that it wasn’t just an older water supply line that ruptured (something ice-maker supply lines are notorious for doing). If it were me, I would put the claim in to my insurer and ask the Board to make sure whoever they hire for future winterizations be more careful with their work. All the best!