Water leak into my condo

[branimal]

I had a water leak originating from the upstairs condo unit into my unit. My unit is a duplex and water came down my top floors bathroom vent, ceiling and down a wall. The water continued down into my bottom floors bathroom. There the leak was mostly contained to the ceiling.

After some investigation, we found the condo unit above had a leak at the fridge. I'm guessing the fridge's water line leaked. I don't know all the details yet.

My tenants (my unit is a rental) sent me some pictures/ videos. It looks like mostly sheetrock damage.

In terms of procedure, do I contact my insurance company and have them file a claim against the upstair's units insurance?

 

[HoosierMark]

Had a similar type experience this summer. Tried to work with insurance company of driver that ran into my building. Ended up filing claim with my own ins company, they paid and are going to fike with other company. Alert your company and condo insurance company as well as other units insurance. Then be prepared for the hurry up go slow routine.

 

[kbuhagiar]

In terms of procedure, do I contact my insurance company and have them file a claim against the upstair's units insurance?

Yes. This is why you pay them the big bucks. They will subrogate on your behalf.

 

[RegeSullivan]

Definitely you want to involve your insurance company. Subrogation can be complicated when just one other insurer is involved and your claim could involve the insurer of tenant above you, the condo management and or condo association insurer.

File the claim and let them do their thing.

 

[wssix99]

If you just have paint and drywall damage, I would just fix it and move on. You are going to be liable for everything inside your paint. So, even though someone else is "responsible" for the damage, your policy covers your unit in this type of construction.

^ Don't take information you see on the internet (my post or anyone else's) as fact. You can confirm this with your insurance company/agent BEFORE you file a claim.

If you file a claim with them, go through the process, etc. and your damage is only drywall paint. You will probably find, that you will be out your deductible which won't be too far off the actual repairs. On top of that, your rates could go up for having the claim.

I lived in a condo once where the sprinkler system and water pipes burst on the top floor. No one was spared. The building's insurance company took care of the common spaces and the physical shared walls. Then everyone was on their own for the damage inside their own walls, paint and drywall.

 

[fritz29]

Depending on your condo association, their insurance may cover expenses that aren’t covered by your condo own insurance.

The association’s insurance would be secondary

 

[RegeSullivan]

I mentioned in an earlier post... file the claim let the insurance company sort it out. Without having an understanding of that particular condominium's covenants it impossible to suggest what is covered by who and what other owners are responsible for.

These seemingly simple claims sometimes turn into thousands of dollar's... just takes finding a little mold or having to bring it up to current code can turn a $500 job into $100,000 in a heartbeat. Not saying that the case here but letting the insurers work it out is likely to give the op the best outcome.

 

[rharman]

Many years ago, we had a fire at a condo my wife previously owned - her brother was living there. The HOA carried insurance on the whole complex and it was paid out of the dues. You only needed insurance for your personal belongins - like a renters policy.

 

[walta]

The first question is how sure are you that the leak has been repaired?

Second how long do you think it was leaking?

If I was certain the leak was professionally repaired within a few days after it started leaking, I would patch up the drywall and repaint it myself.

If I thought the other owner made a jack legged repair, I would file the insurance claim so the insurance Co can send him the bill for 100% of the damage.

If I thought it had been leaking for weeks I would open the ceiling and check for mold and rot and allow drying then file the insurance claim so the insurance Co can send him the bill for 100% of the damage.

No matter what the condo board gets notice.

Walta

 

[Death Row Dave]

In order for the owner of the leak to be held responsible , you must prove they were liable , as in working on it causing the leak . A burst pipe or leak they did not cause is on you . You will hear a term “ act of god “ . Turn it into your insurance co , and carry on . Most policies state the damages must be made whole . As in all the walls have to be painted to match 100% , the owner shall have no loss from damages .

 

[branimal]

I called the owner of the unit above me and got their insurance information. (State Farm). Then I called my insurance company (Allstate) yesterday and got a customer service rep that was reading from a script. I decided to file the claim via the online portal.

I'll call my actual insurance rep tomorrow to find out what the actual process is and if I am responsible for the damages inside my apartment. I've read that damages caused by a burst pipe in the unit above would be covered by my OWN insurance. (I read this on some internet site, so I'm not sure if it's how my insurance works).

The leak was caused by a poorly installed fridge water line. The owner didn't have enough knowledge of why it was poorly installed. So he's repeating what his handy man said. The fridge is a "built in fridge" so they couldn't pull it forward to access a shut off valve. Apparently the water line does not have a shut off valve (at least an accessible one. The water isn't coming off a tee under the sink). The owner's plan is to have an access panel installed in the room behind the fridge and install a shut off valve there.

The owner's handy man stopped the leak by "inserting a screw into the water line and putting the line in a bucket". And the owner is emptying the bucket every couple of hours. I'm not sure exactly what he's talking about it. I won't have the damages in my unit repaired until the leaky fridge has a permanent solution.

Damages:

1. My tenant sent me a picture of a damaged wall on the 2nd floor. Does this sheetrock need to get cut out and replaced?
2. There was water dripping thru the exhaust fan cover on the 2nd floor.
3. There was water dripping thru the ceiling on the 1st floor bathroom, but my tenant didn't seem to think there was damage that needed to be repaired.

I am going there tomorrow to assess the damages. I bought a pin style moisture meter. Is there a moisture percentage level that would suggest replacing the drywall?

 

[walta]

Did I miss the part where you notified the condo office about the problem?

Sound like the same clown that made the faulty install is now in charge of fixing the problem and doing a very bad job of it. Put a buck under the leak is a one-hour plan more than that it is incompetents on parade

Walta

 

[branimal]

Did I miss the part where you notified the condo office about the problem?

Sound like the same clown that made the faulty install is now in charge of fixing the problem and doing a very bad job of it. Put a buck under the leak is a one-hour plan more than that it is incompetents on parade

Walta

The condo management was notified when the leak occured.

Spoke with an actual insurance agent at Allstate.

1. Allstate will contact the other parties insurance and attempt to get payment for the damages.
2. Allstate will charge me my deductible ($500) and try to get that amount from the other insurance company. If they succeed, the deductible will be refunded to me.
3. Once you file a claim you cannot un-file a claim.
4. Even though the leak was not my fault, this will count as an incident on my file - this may or may not increase my premium.