Question: There was a hit and run incident in our building’s carport area. This resulted in damage to my carport. Who pays to repair and restore the downpipe and the carport post? I have CCTV proof of the incident. Is this covered by the strata insurance?
Answer: Subject to the policy excess, a claim can be considered under the strata insurance policy. The property owner will be responsible for the excess.
For damage that has occurred as a result of an unknown party, the owner of the property damaged is responsible for the repairs.
If the downpipe is within the boundaries of the lot, the lot owner is responsible for repairs. If the downpipe is on common property, the strata company is responsible for repairs.
Notwithstanding, impact damage is a common event claimable under strata insurance. Therefore, subject to the policy excess, a claim can be considered under the strata insurance policy – the property owner will be responsible for the excess.
If the damage falls below the policy excess it becomes the property owners responsibility to manage repair processes and if possible the recovery against the driver.
If you have CCTV footage and can identify the driver, you may wish to contact your local police station to assist with recovering costs associated with the repairs.
This post appears in the November 2021 edition of The WA Strata Magazine.
Tyrone Shandiman Strata Insurance Solutions E: tshandiman@iaa.net.au P: 07 3899 5129
This information is of a general nature only and neither represents nor is intended to be personal advice on any particular matter. Shandit Pty Ltd T/as Strata Insurance Solutions strongly suggests that no person should act specifically on the basis of the information in this document, but should obtain appropriate professional advice based on their own personal circumstances. Shandit Pty Ltd T/As Strata Insurance Solutions is a Corporate Authorised Representative (No. 404246) of Insurance Advisernet Australia AFSL No 240549, ABN 15 003 886 687.