Condo owner has problems with insurance payout for damaged flooring
Question:
My wife and I live on 3rd floor of a 10 year old mid-rise complex. Our unit has engineered wood floors throughout (approximate 700 SF contiguous). Approximately 2 months ago, there was sewage from the kitchen sink that backed up into the unit and onto the floors. This happened twice in one week. The association initially denied fault but later on admitted fault. I had to fight with them to dry it out and two months later I am still fighting with them to restore the floors. The association wants to avoid me filing a claim and they want to either provide me $5000 to go away or they are willing to replace just the flooring in the kitchen. I have said no to the $5000 because replacing all the flooring will exceed $10K, but yes to the kitchen floor repair with the condition that it needs to match such that repairs are not noticeable. $5000 is the maximum the Association can go without a full building vote which is their max threshold.
I have maintained that the condition that the flooring needs to match or else I will go through my insurance, however the Association is trying to get me to agree to the kitchen replacement so they can tell the insurance that I agreed to such a replacement if it does not match. I have refused this condition for obvious reasons. This back and forth has been going on for over a month now.
Finally, after an impasse I contacted my insurance agent (Travelers) and he repeatedly has told me they would deny coverage if the HOA is willing to fix the floor. I cannot unconditionally accept the flooring repair in the kitchen because odds of it matching after 10 years are very low. In the event the flooring does not match, I will have to replace over 700 SF of flooring throughout the unit that is glued down which will cost me at least 10K if not more.
The agent further told me that if I am concerned with that I should accept the $5K and pay the difference to replace all the flooring and move on.
I am extremely frustrated with the circular responses from both the insurance agent and the Association. I am not trying to be unreasonable and am willing to accept the a repair as long as it not noticeable. I have an email thread with more than 50 messages saying the same. Does anyone here have some advise they can offer? Thank you in advance for your thoughts.....
Answers (8)
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