What is a Reasonable Deductible for Condo Insurance?

D.S. from Connecticut writes:

Dear Mister Condo,

What is considered a “reasonable deductible” on condo insurance in Connecticut?

Mister Condo replies:

D.S., don’t you just love vague terms in association governance documents? Truly, what is reasonable to one person may be completely unreasonable to another. In this case, “reasonable” is left to the Board’s discretion. If the Board determines that a $10,000 deductible is reasonable because it keeps the insurance premiums low, then that is their call to make. If that $10,000 deductible is passed down to a homeowner who wishes to challenge the “reasonable” deductible, a lawsuit would be what comes next. Since the Board is democratically elected by the owners within the association, I really don’t see a homeowner prevailing so it would likely be a fool’s errand. In this case, “reasonable” is determined by the association’s elected leaders. If the association doesn’t like their decision-making, they can always elect new leaders. All the best!