Pressure valve failure damaged carpet, gyprock and kitchen cupboards — what insurance claims apply?

By admin,

In The NSW Strata Magazine | September 2021, Tyrone Shandiman stated that “Where there is damage to both buildings & contents, a claim MUST (my emphasis) be made on both the contents and the strata policy”. I note his answer was to a question related to a burst pipe from a washing machine. Would the answer be different were there damage to carpet, furniture, gyprock and kitchen cupboards caused by a pressure valve failure (after some 30 years) in pipes that service a number of units in a high rise building ie the pipes and valve are common property?

Is the roof of a strata building covered under building insurance?

By admin,

I am trying to confirm if the "roof" of a strata building is included as part of our Insurance policy which states the definition of "Insured Property" as:

Building: Building means building or buildings as defined by the Strata Schemes Management Act, Strata Titles Act, Community Titles Act or similar legislation applying where Your Building is situated.

Can you confirming if "roof" is defined as being part of a building?

Standard format plan townhouse — can I reduce my contribution to body corporate insurance?

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I live in a townhouse complex that is a Standard Format Plan. As part of my levies, I pay an annual insurance levy which is supposed to cover the building, including external windows and doors. However under a Standard Format Plan, I am the one responsible for the maintenance of both the inside and outside of the building, including exterior walls, windows, doors and even foundations.

Sewerage overflow removed carpets — is the body corporate insurer required to replace them?

By admin,

A sewerage pipe blocked and caused backflow into my apartment and the apartment next door.

Insurance for body corp removed all carpet and underlay from both units and we are now left with bare concrete.

The body corporate’s insurance company states they are not liable to replace any of the carpet. Are they required to at least replace the damaged carpet or is this really a lot owner responsibility?

Can a lot owner make a strata insurance claim directly without the committee inspecting first?

By admin,

Can an owner make a claim directly to the body corporate insurer without the body corporate having inspected the damage?

An owner has spoken with the insurance company and is getting quotes for damage to tiles and ceiling due to water ingress. However, the committee has not had the opportunity to inspect the damage and determine responsibility.

Owner reversed car into common property — can the committee claim the excess back?

By admin,

In 6 industrial units under the Standard Module, each unit has 2 exclusive use car parks. Lot 3 reversed into the front of the building on Lot 42, which is common property. The committee wanted to use the building insurance for the repairs. The driver, who was at fault, wanted to use their vehicle insurance. The Committee proceeded to process the claim through their building insurance and now the job is complete. The Committee has asked the driver to pay the small excess, but the driver has refused. Can the committee pursue the amount and if so, how?

Unmaintained shower caused hallway damage — who pays, and how is the insurance claim handled?

By admin,

An owner of a unit ignored obvious grout issues in their shower. The shower is on the same wall as the hallway and the skirting in the hallway began to rot and crumble. 3 months ago, the cause of the leak and damage was established as the unsealed shower but the owner still hasn't carried out any repairs. The skirting damage continues to spread.

After watching this webinar with Tyrone Shandiman I have a few questions: Water Damage Insurance Claims.

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