Blog

By Donna Vingo

This article first appeared in the Communicator, Fall 2025 Edition. To view click here.

There is an ongoing information and insurance crisis in California. Homeowners’ associations are having their insurance premiums increased, sometimes drastically, or their insurance is cancelled. Without association insurance, a would-be homebuyer new to the association cannot obtain a mortgage for a unit within the HOA, thus limiting his or her ability to purchase at this association.

The largest number of insurance claims are due to water intrusion, with the roof being the main area of entry. Prior to a new policy being accepted and bound, insurance underwriters now require five to 10 years of maintenance records and no deferred maintenance/capital projects.

HOA roof maintenance and roof replacement, especially on an emergency basis, is one of the costliest decisions an HOA board makes. The lack of roofing information is one of the main reasons why boards don’t make the decisio...