SeaB (Florida)
Posts: 6
Posts: 6
Posted:
I have a call into my attorney, but while I'm waiting for his advice I decided to post here for your expert advice.
I have a first-floor vacant condo rental in Florida that was severely flooded yesterday by a hot water heater failure in the unit above mine. The upstairs tenant was at work and her unit flooded for hours before it was discovered. In the meantime, most of my ceilings are down, my cabinets are falling off the walls, and most drywall is drenched. Ironically, the flood was discovered by my A/C mechanics that were scheduled to do some routine maintenance in my unit. They have reported that water was pouring through both my electrical breaker panel and my inside A/C unit. Wisely, they immediately flipped the master breaker off and also disconnected the A/C unit.
Ironically, both units are managed by the same Property Management company. The Property Manager called last night to report that they were extracting the water from my home but that was the end of their responsibility. They also told me that the owner of the upper unit had "very good insurance".
I, on the other hand, (stupidly) did not renew my interior condo insurance last October because I've been doing major renovations inside and did not plan to rent the unit out until later this year.
For mold prevention, I know that I must immediately begin repairs, starting with getting the electric back on, but would like your advice on recourse. Should the owner's insurance company pay for any of my damages? If so, does the Property Management company or owner have the obligation to provide that name and contact number? If not, should I just proceed with the repairs and try to recover the expense directly from the owner? There was no damage to the exterior of the building so I see no responsibility from the Condo Association.
Thanks
I have a first-floor vacant condo rental in Florida that was severely flooded yesterday by a hot water heater failure in the unit above mine. The upstairs tenant was at work and her unit flooded for hours before it was discovered. In the meantime, most of my ceilings are down, my cabinets are falling off the walls, and most drywall is drenched. Ironically, the flood was discovered by my A/C mechanics that were scheduled to do some routine maintenance in my unit. They have reported that water was pouring through both my electrical breaker panel and my inside A/C unit. Wisely, they immediately flipped the master breaker off and also disconnected the A/C unit.
Ironically, both units are managed by the same Property Management company. The Property Manager called last night to report that they were extracting the water from my home but that was the end of their responsibility. They also told me that the owner of the upper unit had "very good insurance".
I, on the other hand, (stupidly) did not renew my interior condo insurance last October because I've been doing major renovations inside and did not plan to rent the unit out until later this year.
For mold prevention, I know that I must immediately begin repairs, starting with getting the electric back on, but would like your advice on recourse. Should the owner's insurance company pay for any of my damages? If so, does the Property Management company or owner have the obligation to provide that name and contact number? If not, should I just proceed with the repairs and try to recover the expense directly from the owner? There was no damage to the exterior of the building so I see no responsibility from the Condo Association.
Thanks