Question:
We live in a planned unit development in Cali and the dwellings are individually insured by each homeowner as a single-family residence HO3/H05. My insurance company sent me a letter requesting clean roof/gutters free of combustibles and trees/limbs trimmed back 30 feet and up 6 feet and the ground raked free of combustibles, etc to create a defensible fire zone space to renew the policy. Seems reasonable to me, however, I am getting pushback from the HOA and management company. The management company is suggesting the insurance company is being unreasonable. It’s always been my practice to give insurance companies the comfort to underwrite and do business, otherwise they will likely decline to provide personal lines of insurance to us. I have written the HOA/management company to no avail. Any ideas to get the management company to cooperate with the insurance company and respect my safety and concern as a homeowner?
– Gary
Answer:
Hi Gary,
It is first important to determine whether the areas that require maintenance/cleaning are under the control of the association or the homeowners. If the area is under the owner’s responsibility, you can typically maintain them without permission (though some HOAs require approval first). It may be worth asking your HOA if they have any insurance providers they can recommend, provided it’s alright with you to switch over.
Disclaimer: We are not lawyers. The information provided on this website does not constitute legal advice.
