Condominium Air Conditioner Damage
Hurricanes and other devastating storms can damage condominiums, including anything on the roof of the condo. Many condos have air conditioners on their roof to provide cooling to all the units in the building. During a storm, strong winds can topple these air conditioners, or they can be damaged when something blows off another building and hits them.
Trying to navigate condominium property insurance claims can be a headache. Multiple policies are in place, but insurers often like to play “hot potato,” claiming that their policy doesn’t cover the damage. For help, contact a Daytona Beach attorney for a case evaluation.
Florida’s Law on Condominium Insurance
Fla. Stat. § 718.111(11) requires that all condominiums in Florida must buy insurance to cover the property. Subsection (f) states that the insurance must cover the portions of the property that were “originally installed” or were replacements for original installations. The insurance must also cover all additions or alterations made according to the original declarations or made with the approval of at least 75% of the association’s voting interests.
However, this insurance must exclude the personal property inside each unit, as well as other items like the floor, wall, and appliances that serve only that unit. Damage to these items will fall under the insurance of the unit’s owner.
Navigating an Insurance Claim
The key with air conditioner damage during a storm is whether the units fall under the condo’s insurance policy. Typically, with damage to air conditioners, questions will arise about whether they were installed originally on the condo or were approved by the association to be installed. If so, then the condo’s casualty insurance policy should cover the damage.
Sometimes, an air conditioner might only serve one unit in the building. In this situation, some insurers will try to push off liability onto an individual condo owner and not cover the loss. This can create a huge problem, since replacing the air conditioner will be incredibly expensive. A condominium owner’s own insurer might also try to deny the claim.
Ideally, an owner should meet with a property damage lawyer in Daytona Beach to help navigate the insurance claim. Some documentation that is helpful includes the original declarations for the building, as well as testimony about when the air conditioners were installed. If they were not originally on the building, then we will want proof that they were approved by the condo association so that they fall under the terms of the insurance policy.
Bundza & Rodriguez Will Fight for Approval of Your Insurance Claim
Being a condominium owner creates special challenges, and this is also true of getting an insurance claim approved after a storm. If you have suffered damage to an air conditioning unit, or if you have another dispute, please contact our law firm.
Our Daytona Beach property damage lawyers at Bundza & Rodriguez, P.A. serve those with claims related to storm damage. For help with your case, or to get answers to your questions, please contact us today. You can call 386-252-5170 or submit our contact form.
