Did your association pay for damage from Hurricane Irma with operating funds?
Did you consider a special assessment?
What if half of your owners could be reimbursed up to $2,000 by their insurance company for the amount of the special assessment attributable to hurricane damage.
Would that change your mind?
Many condo owners in Florida have what is called HO-6 Coverage included in their condominium insurance policy. According to Paul Mack of Assured Partners insurance HO-6 policies include a minimum of $2,000 in what is called loss assessment coverage.
Paul further explains that , “the assessment has to (1) be covered property by the HO-6 (this would exclude landscape, trees, etc) and (2) must be the result of a covered cause of loss (wind, fire, etc) and there would also be a minimum $250 deductible that would apply as well.”
If your owners have HO-6 coverage, it may be wise to take advantage of the opportunity to pay for hurricane damage with funds from insurance premiums they have already paid. If many of your owners do not have HO-6 coverage, you may want to let them know about it.
Even if your owners don’t have HO-6 coverage, it may be wise to special assess. If your association experienced damage that caused hundreds or thousands of dollars in damage per owner, this is exactly what a special assessment is for. Although the damages from Irma in South East Florida were not extreme, there is no reason your board should not clearly explain the expenses to your community and ask that they all pay their share – in order to avoid depleting your bank accounts, which could create issues in the future, in the event of another disaster or emergency repair need.
If you own a home, you should be prepared to pay for emergency repairs. It should be no different whether you live in a single family home without an association, or if you live in a condominium or homeowner’s association.
The best time to think about this is BEFORE Hurricane season.
Paul Mack from Assured Partners can be reached at (954) 678-5640 or Paul.Mack@assuredpartners.com.
