In the March 14, 2025 storms, the association sustained wind and hail damage, and a claim was filed under the master policy. While the master policy covers the bulk of the repairs, the deductible assigned to each building is very high—over $400,000 in total across all buildings. By law and under the condominium governing documents, each unit owner is responsible for their proportional share of that deductible. This amount is called the loss assessment.

Even though you pay monthly condominium fees, those fees go toward regular operations, maintenance, and reserves of the association. The deductible for this particular insurance claim greatly exceeds what associations typically hold in reserve. For that reason, these costs have been allocated directly to unit owners as permitted by the condominium documents.

The good news is that HO-6  condominium owners insurance policies include loss assessment coverage, which is designed for exactly this type of situation. If you turn the packet we provided by mail on July 17, 2025  (Statement of Loss, Amendment to the Declaration, and the calculations) over to your insurance agent, they can guide you through filing a claim. Assuming you have sufficient loss assessment coverage, the insurance company should reimburse you for this amount, with your only out-of-pocket cost being your personal policy deductible.

While the loss assessment is legally due from you, your homeowners insurance should step in to pay it (less your deductible). This process is standard and is the way to protect you from having to personally bear a large unexpected expense.

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If you or your insurance agent would like additional documentation, such as a copy of the master policy, please have them contact us directly at (314) 380-3100 or service[AT]ajenning.com. Replace [AT] with the “@” symbol when emailing.

These types of questions should be directed to the association’s insurance broker. As property management, even if we believe we know the answers, we’re not qualified to answer these questions and may omit important information. Your agent can contact the broker using the information below:

Brokerage: Martin & Raab Agency
Agent: James Raab
Phone: (314) 685-8696
Email: james[AT]martin-raabagency.com
Replace the [AT] with the “@” symbol when sending an email.

Please click here to submit your request. It will be automatically processed by the association’s insurance broker. You will need to attach a copy of the letter you received, specifically the portion including the mortgagee clause. This is usually the name of the mortgage company, their address, and may include other information like your loan number. A photo of this instead of a true scan of the document is fine as long as the picture is clear enough for the broker to read.

Unlike maintenance where there is mostly a separation of responsibilities based on what is outside versus inside, insurance is all about dollar amounts. If your home sustains damage, even to components the association is normally responsible for, if it doesn’t reach the association’s master insurance policy deductible, you must file the claim with your insurance carrier. Likewise, if you sustain damage to the interior or other elements you are responsible for, but the damage exceeds the master policy deductible, your insurance only covers the damage up to the master policy deductible. The master policy covers everything beyond it. This type of coverage is called Loss Assessment, and it’s important you carry enough coverage to prevent a situation where there is a gap between your policy and the association’s.

Master policies never cover your personal contents, temporary lodging or liabilities you create, so you should always carry coverage for this.

As this website is public facing, we can’t disclose details of your community’s insurance policy here. If you log into the Resident Center, under the Documents menu item and the Insurance Documents category, you can download a copy of the current policy. It is recommended you share this with your agent so they can help identify any areas where you may be underinsured or paying for coverage you don’t need, and they can adjust your policy and premiums accordingly.