Insurance claims

What options do residents have if they disagree with a claim the Board has submitted to the insurance company for repairs on a residents interior unit? It appears the claim should have been placed with the individual memebers home owners policy and not the assoications. I know one could go to an attorney but that is costly, are there other options a resident can do or any other agency to turn to for assistance? As a result of this claim being paid the association's premiums have amost doubled.

We had an engineer come out to evaluate the damage and his report stated said damage was a result of a bathtube pipe leak and leak in the air condition unit. When this was told to the residents at a meeting the Board told us they would have the units insurance company evaluate the situation. As it turns out the owner and the association have the same insurance company. Months later we find out the Board put in a claim because the association's policy would pay on damages but we are paying for flooring, new bathroom and carpet for the unit and it seems to me that should be covered on the individual owner's policy not the associations. Would reporting this to the attorney general or the insurance commissioner’s office be beneficial, because this just seems wrong?

Need more info here. Condo policies are complicated. You might want to talk to your insurance agent or attorney. Some of policies pay for damages to the structure, but define the structure. Some are "Bare wall" policies, some establish the dividing line at the face of the studs where the drywall meets the studs and some policies are "single entity" coverage. Most Condo associatons should have very high deductibles and shy away from submitting small claims. The betterments and improvements coverage on the unit owner's condo should pick up (or be secondary ) where the master policy leaves off. Betterments/improvements might included drywall, appliances, built-ins, kitchen cabinets, counters etc. In our Condo association, the Association decided to just have the maintenance man take care of the small water losses (drywall and paint) and not charge anyone for the repairs. They also took on the responsibility of maintaining the toilets in order to save money on water bills and mitigate water damage due to poorly maintained toilets. Then the state of Virginia in 2003 enacted a law making a condominium unit owner responsible for a master policy deductible related to any loss arising from the owner’s unit, whether or not the owner’s actions or negligence caused the loss. The association deductible endorsement was filed in Virginia at the request of the Virginia Bureau of Insurance and was made available throughout the rest of the country on an advisory basis only. The Virginia law was subsequently repealed, but the endorsement remains on file there. In the meantime, AAIS is reviewing the issue of association deductible coverage as it prepares a comprehensive revision of its Homeowners Program. I'm no expert - See your insurance agent.

Good answers, Glenn I agree with your comments.