Damages can emerge from many different issues. Common examples include burst water lines after a freeze, leaking condensation lines in ceilings, water coming in through windows or masonry, backed up drains and sewer lines, clogged gutters, leaking roofs or water supply lines at toilets or sinks failing. It’s rare but not uncommon for the water table to rise in this age of climate change and torrential rains. Our city wastewater and rainwater systems cannot accommodate excess volumes nor can the gutter systems that were once adequate for this climate. Water can create significant damage and quickly. The same is true for fire and when a fire does erupt, fire fighters will use water liberally to put it out. The result is water AND smoke AND fire damage. Some losses involve many units at a time, others might affect just the building and some are specific to a single unit.

Residents should immediately notify Roost DC when there are damages resulting from fire, water or an event like a car or tree damaging the exterior of a building. Roost DC will help to identify the source of the leak (or fire or other intrusion) and advise on next steps. If the problem is minor and coming from a toilet or sink overflow from another unit above, that is considered a unit-to-unit issue and damages can be handled by the unit owners per the bylaws. In these situations, Roost is usually only minimally involved.

There are many companies that specialize in managing spaces immediately after an event occurred in order to prevent the development of mold or other damages. These companies, though expensive, work on a 24 hour emergency basis.

• If your damages are due to extreme weather, you are not alone. When weather is particularly drastic, many buildings (including government, hospital and commercial)throughout the city will suffer damages. These are times when remediation companies,contractors and adjusters get VERY hard to book and less responsive.
• Insurance companies, when faced with many claims, will hire 3 rd party adjusters to work with. These adjusters are particularly hard to hold accountable or reach during the course of the adjustment and they do not have the same supervisory chain of command since they don’t work for the primary insurance provider. Patience is essential.
• If your individual unit has suffered a loss, your betterments (improvements to your space) are likely NOT covered unless you’ve added that to your specific policy.
• Insurance claims generally take many months to resolve. Some will span the course of a year, others might finish in two months. But all issues involving insurance companies will take time to sort out.
• Roost will push adjusters and vendors to move quickly, but at the end of the day, we have to be patient as the process unfolds as well.

Adjusters are notoriously slow to respond and they have an industry prescribed approach to the adjustments that involve site visits, research and a formula for assessing damages. Generally, adjusters will be responsive when claims are first initiated but become much harder to get reach over the course of the claim. Delays on the insurance side make the remediation work even more important to initiate so further damages don’t emerge. Unfortunately, until coverages are made clear and the responsibility is determined, it can cause long and frustrating delays in work commencing. Many unit owners may be waiting on insurance to determine their next steps before making repairs. Others may elect to document the damages and proceed to repairs with a licensed, bonded and insured contractor to restore their living spaces. This is a choice the homeowner needs to make, however Roost can offer recommendations for vendors. In some cases, the remediation company will have in-house restoration services and can repair units.

Restoring the unit is important not only for the resident, but also to preserve the values in the building.  It’s good practice, as much as possible, to be sure that the contractor estimates for repairs is aligned with the adjustors estimate for repairs so owners come out of pocket as little as possible.  Depending on which insurance company covers the claim, the association may act as a trustee and manage the funds on a reimbursement or direct payment to vendors.  The unit owner will sign a release once the funds are dispersed. Every building’s governing documents offer unique guidance and terms for the handling of claims and owners and associations should review them carefully before and during the repair process.

At the end of the day, practicing patience and persistence is our best strategy. We appreciate both the affected individuals and the boards understanding that we have limitations in our ability to advance this process and are restricted by the glacial speed of the insurance industry as well as, in some cases, the complexities of the repairs needed and the building governing documents. In all cases, we look forward to resolution so everyone can get back to normal! Including us!

As always, we’re available to answer any additional questions. Please reach out to your client experience specialist or email [email protected].