Believe it or not, if a water pipe that services one of your residents’ homes breaks, it’s likely their responsibility to have it repaired. A general misconception is that a homeowner isn’t responsible for issues like this outside their home, but more often than not, they are.
Since knowledge is power, and no community wants to be surprised by broken water or sewer lines (especially sewer lines…yuck), we hope you’ll help educate your homeowners about their responsibility regarding service lines! Here are three things to always remember:
- Just because someone carries homeowners insurance doesn’t mean it will cover the repair work necessary to fix the pipes. In almost all cases, homeowner’s insurance will only cover the damage the water (or sewage) did to the property, but it won’t cover the cost to repair the pipe(s).
- About once a year the water company in your area will likely send a letter offering special insurance to protect homeowners in case a service pipe breaks. This is one option homeowners have to protect themselves.
- BUT, the insurance the water company offers isn’t the only option. Check with your local water authority to see if they have an alternative “maintenance program” available. These maintenance programs may afford homeowners broader coverage, and their benefits may include coverage for common lines, hydrants, and line flushing. In many cases, homeowners or the association can tailor these programs to fit their specific needs.
Take time to work with your residents and make sure the best options are in place to not only protect homeowners, but also those common lines that may be the responsibility of the association. Knowledge is power, so we hope this post helps you protect your community.
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