Deerfield Condominium and HOA Claims Adjuster

Florida has many popular condominium communities across the state, and it’s important that these beloved properties are protected in case of an event that damages the building. 

Damage to a condo or the surrounding areas will often require a group effort to solve. You may need to work with other property owners, the HOA board, and a handful of insurers.

A public adjuster is a professional insurance damage claim representative who can help you manage the often-confusing processes of filing and settling your case.  

The Deerfield public adjusters at Pinnacle Claim Services are dedicated to helping the Florida community. We have spent years aiding claimants like yourself through their condominium or HOA claims.
Our live claim experts are available 24/7 and will help you schedule an initial consultation with one of our adjusters, who are always ready to help you when you need it most. Call 877-70-CLAIM or contact us online to schedule a free consultation, damages inspection, and claims review today.

Deerfield Condo and HOA Claims Adjuster Services That Work for the Policyholder

When you discover damage to your property, the first step is generally to call your representing insurance company and report the damage. Your insurer will have countless agents, legal representatives, and other safety nets involved to secure the interests of the company.

Many policyholders are under the impression that because their representing insurer is so protected, it will extend to them, providing them with care and oversight through a damage claim. In truth, all of these safety nets are there to protect the company, not you. 

In other words, insurers have no obligation to help you get as much as possible for your claim. Often, they will do the opposite, denying or reducing benefits in order to protect the company’s own bottom line.

Without their representation through recovering a property damage settlement, a claimant will only have their insurer-appointed claim representative to rely on during the claim. A policyholder should retain their own protections when filing a property damage claim to ensure that they are maximizing the benefits that their policy allows. 

What Is the Difference Between a Claims Adjuster and an Insurance Representative?

An insurance representative is the person assigned to your insurance claim after you report property damage to your insurer. They may be referred to as an independent adjuster, but they work directly for the insurer, nevertheless.

This professional is tasked with settling your claim by accounting for damages covered within your policy. 

At the same time, an insurance adjuster is not responsible for ensuring that you recover everything your policy allows. The burden falls on the claimant policyholder to review their policy and ensure that full coverage is provided. 

It can be exhausting to study the pages of your actual documents, sorting through pages of fluff and insurance jargon, and trying to understand what is and isn’t covered. Managing this due diligence is only part of what a condominium and HOA insurance claims adjuster can do for a property damage claimant. 

A condominium and hoa claims adjuster works for the claimant, not a private insurance company. Your public adjuster will inspect the damage to your property, review the contents of your insurance policy, and compare it to the existing claim to calculate a comprehensive estimate of what a reasonable benefits settlement should look like.

This thorough approach can help a policyholder avoid having their claim undervalued, helping them fully repair their condo and protect its value for further generations.

What Is Covered in a Condominium Insurance Policy?

For many residents, a condo can feel more comfortable and easier to manage than a home while offering a sense of community. These condo communities are typically run by a Homeowner’s Association (HOA) which every unit owner will pay an annual fee to.

An HOA can help maintain the community spaces, set guidelines that unify the look of the community and offer valuable types of insurance that cover the building exterior and all common areas.

Coverage available to a property damage claimant under their condo policy will depend on the type of insurance they claim the damage. A policy that covers the building as a whole is considered a Master Policy or HOA / Condo Association policy, but coverage that only applies to individual units is called an H0-6 condo or co-op insurance policy. 

The contents of these individual policies will differ depending on the company and the level of insurance that the property owner pays for in their premium. Below is information on what coverage is generally available in standard condo policies.   

Master HOA Property Coverage

There are over 1.5 million condo units in Florida. In many condominium building communities, residents will form an HOA that sets guidelines and regulations for important aspects of the common living dynamic, including what coverage is offered under the master insurance policy.

The HOA can set regulations on certain scenarios, too, like how the collective group will handle property damage incidents, like hurricanes.

All residents of a HOA community will pay an annual fee to keep up with common spaces and pay for insurance premiums. In Florida, these HOA fees can be up to $400-600 per month.

Generally, there will be a board that makes important financial, business, and legal decisions for the community.

Florida law states that a HOA must obtain insurance to cover damages to all common areas of the building, including exteriors, outer walls, all windows, roofing, gutters, and important infrastructure like plumbing, electricity, HVAC, elevators, etc. 

Damage to these areas will be covered by the master policy, which the residents pay for in their annual dues. Residents may have a say in what level of insurance the HOA invests in, especially in communities that take a democratic vote or use a board to make important decisions. 

HOA Policies Extend to Personal Injury 

A condo community common area is great for residents to host social events, relax, and enjoy amenities. An accident can happen anywhere, but who is liable for personal injury expenses when someone is injured in a common area? 

Individual residents cannot be held responsible for an accident that did not happen on their property, but if something inside the condo community caused an injury, the HOA master policy will provide liability coverage. 

What Will a Master Policy Cover Within Condo Units?

A condo unit owner may have certain coverage for damage inside of their unit within the master policy. Some common condo policy coverages generally extend to individual units, including:

• Bare walls: This type of policy covers structural damage to all common building aspects, including public areas as well as the shared infrastructure between units. In other words, the policy applies to the “bare walls” and building systems, which includes drywall, studs, steel framing, plumbing, wiring, and insulation, but does not extend to fixtures inside of the home, like flooring, cabinets, and appliances. 
• Single entity: Included in a single entity master policy is coverage for certain aspects of the unit beyond the bare walls. It will often include certain fixtures, like pre-furnished counters and cabinets, closets, floor and ceiling trim, sinks, and other built-in appliances. It will also cover aspects technically shared by multiple unit owners, such as exterior lighting. However, these policies will rarely cover aesthetic updates made to units unless there is specific coverage accounted for in the policy’s language. 
• Walls-in: A “walls-in” policy covers the interior contents of condominium units, including anything technically owned or installed by the unit owner. It does not cover drywall, flooring, and other building infrastructure, which is instead often covered by a separate “bare walls” policy. 

Understanding H0-6 Insurance Coverage

An H0-6 policy is a type of homeowner’s insurance policy that extends to condo and co-op owners. This type of insurance will cover damage to the individual unit, including loss of contents. 

H0-6 coverage is comparable to renter’s insurance (H0-4 policy) except that it allows for additional coverage for specific fixtures and other damaged elements in addition to losses. 

Their policy will cover either the Actual Cash Value (ACV) or the cost of replacement for any material component of the interior unit. This may include alterations, furniture, and more depending on the actual wording of the policy.

It can also compensate the owner for the value of the unit when there is a total loss. 

What Events are Generally Covered Under a H0-6 Policy

In a standard H0-6 condo owner insurance policy, the coverage will include benefits for damage from a variety of the events listed below:

• Accidental overflow or discharge of water or steam
• Aircraft collision
• Damage from faulty wiring or electrical incidents
• Explosion
• Falling objects
• Fire and smoke
• Frozen pipes
• Lightning
• Riot or civil commotion
• Sudden and accidental tearing apart, cracking, burning, or bulging
• Vandalism and theft
• Vehicle collision
• Weight of snow, ice, or sleet
• Windstorm or hail 

Personal Liability Insurance for Condo Unit Owners

H0-6 policy will cover personal liability for the property owner, such as the costs of an injury to a guest, but their HOA master policy will not.  

HOA Assessments

Not all condo unit owners know about the benefits of the HOA assessment that their condo policy may cover. In response to repairs that are needed by a property owner, assessments may be leveraged against the policyholder in certain situations such as coverage being exhausted and not hitting the deductible.

A condo policy may cover some of these expenses. 

No Insurance Policy Will Cover Lack of Maintenance and Owner Negligence

According to most policies, a property owner must make efforts to maintain their condo unit. A policy won’t cover damages caused by lack of maintenance nor property issues that were worsened because of owner negligence. 

Call a Deerfield Condominium and HOA Insurance Claims Adjuster After Discovering Damage To Your Property 

Property damage can be a confusing situation to face, especially if you have limited experience managing these types of claims. 

The adjusters at Pinnacle Claim Services know how much you value your Deerfield condominium. Our goal is to protect the interests of our clients and their property throughout the course of their claim. 

Condo and HOA claims may involve more moving parts than a traditional residential damage claim, but an experienced Deerfield public adjuster can guide you through your responsibilities as the property owner. 
An initial consultation with a Deerfield Beach public adjuster from Pinnacle Claim Services is free, and we promise to never charge any fees upfront and we won’t get paid unless you do! To schedule your initial consultation, as well as a free damages inspection and policy review, call 877-70-CLAIM or contact us online.