More Insurance Woes for a Wet Condo Owner

A.M. from Litchfield County writes:

Dear Mister Condo,

I have a wet floor in my bedroom and my entry way is icy. How can they tell where the water is coming from and can it be repaired? The inside walls of the condo appear dry.  I need a new rug and subflooring. What steps do I have to take to get this issue repaired by the condo association? If it is a roof issue, what must be done?

Mister Condo replies:

A.M., I am sorry for your soggy floors. Welcome to the watery world of wet condos which we have seen in no short supply this winter. Traditionally, damage to the interior of your unit is protected by your homeowner’s insurance policy (commonly known as HO-6 here in Connecticut). I certainly hope you have such a policy in place. As for the determination of where the water is coming from and who may be at fault, that will likely be a battle for your insurance company, especially if they deny your claim based on faulty maintenance of your entry way by your association. The same would be true if the source of the water is the roof (which is far more likely, in my opinion, as water tends to come down from above).

In order, I would contact my insurance company to make claim for the damage. I would also contact the property manager or Board if you are part of a self-managed association so that they can be alerted and take whatever action they are going to take. Then I would likely wait a bit to see if everything was going to be handled to my satisfaction. If not, my next step would be to seek legal remedy in the form of advice from an attorney who could best advise you what your next steps might be. It’s been a difficult winter. Dealing with damage and insurance claims doesn’t make it any easier. Hopefully, you will have a successful outcome and a drier spring. All the best!