Condo Associations and Insurance Companies

Taking care of hurricane damage can be a tricky proposition, especially if you're an insurance company. In the aftermath of a storm, many contractors charge HUGE fees, do shoddy work, and sometimes aren't even available to do warranty repair work after the project is completed. This is a huge problem for coastal communities that have been affected by the many storms over the last few years. Some people rely completely on the insurance company to fix their problems in the event of a storm. Some damage from storms is not even evident for many years. If storm damage is not repaired, many new problems can arise:

1. Organic growth is always a danger here in Florida and in many areas. Mold spores can make people sick - specifically respiratory illnesses. Note on Mold: It is not possible to look at a substance on a surface and determine if it is mold. Sterile samples have to be taken and then tested in a laboratory to determine what the nature of the organic growth is.

2. Water intrusion in brick can cause the brick to crack. This can cause greater moisture intrusion.

3. Wind from hurricanes can cause buildings to move creating cracks in the stucco. These cracks can allow moisture into a structure, creating the a great environment for organic growth.

4. Roofing is always an issue, but even if the roofing has been repaired of replaced, there may be damage to the interior of units (especially rentals) that is not reported or known.

There are many obstacles to deal with when properly recovering a structure after a windstorm event. Keep these things in mind as you consider your recovery strategy.

Here are a few interesting articles about Florida:

Condo sues Insurance Co.
Financial Crisis and Florida's Insurance Fund

My company is Due Diligence Associates. We work with clients by doing inspections on Commercial Real Estate. We've done work in 25 states to present, but are based in Florida. If you would like to know more about DDA or contact us, please visit our website: www.DDAnet.com