Property Insurance & Claims Center

The information contained on this page is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to supersede, override, or replace any applicable federal, state, or local laws, regulations, governing documents, or other legal requirements. In the event of any conflict, the applicable laws, regulations, and governing documents shall control.
    Blackstone Management • Insurance Help Center

    Property Damage?
    Start Here.

    Insurance claims do not have to be confusing. Answer a few simple questions below and we will explain who you need to contact, what happens next, and who is responsible for what.

    Important: Management and your Board do not determine whether a loss is covered. Insurance companies and their adjusters make coverage decisions based on the applicable insurance policies.

    I Have Damage. What Do I Do?

    Use this quick guide before submitting a maintenance request.

    Question 1

    Is there currently an emergency that requires immediate action to stop additional damage?

    🚨 Stop the Immediate Damage First

    Take reasonable steps to prevent additional damage when it is safe to do so.

    Examples may include shutting off a water source, contacting emergency services when appropriate, or reporting an association-related emergency through the proper management channel.

    Then contact your personal insurance carrier as soon as possible.

    Question 2: Have You Contacted Your Insurance Company?

    For damage inside your unit, your first insurance call should normally be to your own insurance agent or carrier.

    ☎️ Contact Your Insurance Carrier First

    Tell your carrier what happened and open a claim when appropriate. Condominium owners should ask about their HO-6/unit-owner policy.

    Your carrier may:

    • Inspect your damage;
    • Determine whether your policy applies;
    • Prepare an estimate;
    • Ask about the Association’s master policy; and
    • Coordinate insurance questions with the master-policy carrier.

    If your insurer needs master-policy information, contact Blackstone Management so the appropriate policy information can be provided or the request routed appropriately.

    ✅ Good. Now Let the Insurance Process Work.

    If the loss may involve the Association’s master policy, provide the requested claim information to management.

    The master-policy insurance company and its adjuster—not Blackstone Management and not your Board—will determine whether the master policy provides coverage and the amount, if any, that is approved.

    The Claim Process in 4 Simple Steps

    You do not need to memorize insurance terminology. Remember these four steps.

    1

    Contact Your Insurance Company

    Start with your personal insurance carrier and report the loss.

    2

    Insurance Reviews the Damage

    Your carrier determines whether your coverage applies and whether the master policy may also be involved.

    3

    Master Policy Adjuster Reviews

    When applicable, the master-policy carrier investigates the loss and determines what it will approve.

    4

    You Hire Your Contractor

    Once appropriate, you select, contract with and supervise the contractor working inside your unit.

    Who Decides What Insurance Will Pay?

    The insurance company does.

    Blackstone Management does not decide whether a claim is covered. Your Board of Directors does not decide whether a claim is covered. The Association does not determine the amount of an insurance settlement.

    The insurance carrier and its assigned adjuster interpret the policy, investigate the loss, determine applicable coverage and establish the approved claim amount.

    If you disagree with what an insurance company approved, denied or excluded, that question must be addressed with the appropriate insurance carrier or adjuster.

    Who Is Responsible for the Contractor?

    This is one of the most important parts of the process.

    Important: The contractor repairing the inside of your unit is your contractor. The contractor is not an employee, agent or contractor of Blackstone Management simply because insurance proceeds may ultimately be used to pay an approved invoice.
    🏠 YOU — THE OWNER
    • Select the contractor.
    • Obtain quotes.
    • Sign the contract.
    • Schedule the work.
    • Give the contractor access.
    • Communicate with the contractor.
    • Supervise the work.
    • Determine whether work is complete.
    • Receive and review invoices.
    • Send approved invoices to management.
    🏢 BLACKSTONE / ASSOCIATION
    • Facilitates administration of the Association’s claim.
    • Maintains insurance proceeds received for the Association.
    • Processes eligible owner-approved invoices against available claim proceeds.

    We do NOT:

    • Hire your contractor.
    • Manage your contractor.
    • Schedule your contractor.
    • Inspect the contractor’s workmanship for you.
    • Negotiate your contractor’s contract.
    • Act as your construction manager.
    🛡️ INSURANCE COMPANY
    • Investigates the claim.
    • Assigns an adjuster.
    • Interprets applicable policy coverage.
    • Determines covered damages.
    • Determines approved insurance proceeds.
    • Explains coverage decisions.

    Coverage dispute?
    Speak with the insurance carrier or adjuster.

    How Does My Contractor Get Paid?

    Follow the arrows. This is the required invoice path.

    🔨 Contractor Sends invoice to YOU
    →
    🏠 Homeowner Reviews and approves invoice
    →
    📩 Management Owner sends approved invoice
    →
    💵 Payment Eligible amount is processed against claim funds
    Contractors should not send payment requests directly to Blackstone Management.

    The contractor sends the invoice to you. You review it and confirm that the work represented by the invoice has been completed to your satisfaction. You then submit the approved invoice to your Community Manager.

    Your submission of the invoice provides management with the owner’s authorization to process the invoice against available insurance proceeds, subject to the approved claim.

    Why can’t my contractor just call management?

    Because Blackstone did not hire the contractor and is not supervising the work inside your unit. Management cannot independently confirm that your contractor completed the work, that you accepted it, or that the invoice is ready to be paid. That confirmation must come from the property owner.

    Insurance Approval Is Not an Unlimited Repair Budget

    Insurance proceeds are limited to the amount approved under the claim. Hiring a contractor for more than the approved amount does not increase the insurance company’s obligation.

    Contractor Quote $55,000 Insurance Approved $29,000 Applicable Deductible $5,000 Example Owner Responsibility $26,000

    Example reproduced from Blackstone’s claim procedure guide for illustration only. Actual deductibles, coverage and responsibility depend on the applicable policies, governing documents, circumstances of the loss and applicable law.

    What Kind of Insurance Are We Talking About?

    Click any box for a simple explanation.

    🏢

    Master / Property Insurance

    The Association’s property coverage.

    Usually protects covered Association property, structures, common areas and other property required by the applicable policy and law. Exactly what is insured depends on the policy, condominium structure and governing documents.
    🏠

    HO-6 / Unit Owner Insurance

    Your personal condominium insurance.

    Typically addresses personal belongings, certain portions or improvements inside the unit, personal liability and potentially additional living expenses or loss-assessment coverage, depending on your policy.
    ⚠️

    General Liability

    Claims involving injury or liability.

    Generally protects the Association from covered liability claims involving bodily injury, property damage or personal injury arising from Association premises, activities or operations.
    👥

    D&O Insurance

    Board and officer liability protection.

    Directors & Officers insurance generally addresses certain claims involving decisions or actions made by Association board members and officers in their official capacities.
    🔐

    Fidelity / Crime

    Protection against certain financial crimes.

    Fidelity or crime coverage generally protects Association funds from certain covered theft, fraud, embezzlement, forgery or fraudulent-transfer losses.
    ☂️

    Umbrella Coverage

    Additional liability protection.

    Umbrella coverage generally provides additional limits above specified underlying insurance policies, subject to its terms, conditions and exclusions.
    👷

    Workers’ Compensation

    Coverage involving Association employees.

    When applicable, workers’ compensation addresses covered job-related injuries or illnesses involving employees.

    Who Should I Ask?

    Sending the question to the right person usually gets you an answer much faster.

    🛡️

    Your Insurance Carrier

    Ask them about: Coverage under your policy, your deductible, personal property, betterments, additional living expenses and your HO-6 claim.
    📋

    Insurance Adjuster

    Ask them about: What was approved, what was excluded, claim valuations, estimates, policy interpretations and coverage decisions.
    🏢

    Blackstone Management

    Ask us about: Administrative claim information, Association insurance information, submitting owner-approved invoices and processing approved insurance funds held by the Association.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Click a question to see the answer.

    If there is an active emergency affecting Association property, report the emergency through the appropriate management channel. For damage to your unit or personal property, contact your own insurance carrier promptly. A maintenance request by itself is not an insurance claim.
    No. A maintenance request reports a maintenance condition. Insurance claims involve separate insurance procedures, carriers, adjusters and coverage determinations.
    The applicable insurance carrier and adjuster determine coverage under the insurance policy. Blackstone Management and the Board of Directors do not have authority to approve, expand or override an insurance carrier’s coverage determination.
    No. The Board cannot rewrite the insurance contract or direct an insurance carrier to cover a loss that the insurer has determined is outside the policy. Questions or disputes about coverage should be directed to the applicable carrier or adjuster.
    No. When the homeowner is responsible for contracting for the interior repairs, the homeowner selects and hires the contractor. Blackstone does not select, employ or supervise that contractor for the homeowner.
    No. The homeowner coordinates scheduling, access, construction, questions, change orders and other dealings with the contractor they hired.
    No. The contractor should invoice the homeowner. The homeowner reviews the invoice and then submits the approved invoice to the Community Manager for processing against available approved claim funds.
    Because you hired and supervise the contractor. Management does not know whether the work inside your unit has actually been completed or whether you have approved the contractor’s invoice. Your submission confirms that you are requesting payment of that invoice.
    Under Blackstone’s standard claim-payment administration process, the invoice should be submitted by the property owner. This gives management confirmation directly from the owner that payment is being requested for work performed for that owner.
    Insurance proceeds do not automatically increase because a contractor charges more. Amounts exceeding available approved insurance proceeds may become the homeowner’s responsibility, subject to the particular claim, deductible, insurance policies, governing documents and applicable law.
    Blackstone is not the homeowner’s construction manager and does not supervise a homeowner-selected contractor. This is one reason the homeowner must review and submit the contractor’s invoice. Insurance carriers may separately impose inspections, documentation or other claim requirements.
    Discuss the estimate directly with the appropriate insurance carrier or adjuster. Management can transmit or provide administrative claim information where appropriate, but management does not determine the value of a covered loss.
    Generally, no. Personal belongings and many owner-specific items are ordinarily addressed by the owner’s individual insurance. Coverage varies, so you should review your own policy and the Association’s applicable insurance and governing documents with your insurance professional.
    An HO-6 policy is commonly used by condominium unit owners. Depending on the policy, it may provide coverage for personal belongings, portions of or improvements to the unit, liability, additional living expenses and loss assessments.
    No. Policies, deductibles, governing documents, building types and legal requirements vary. Never assume that a claim handled one way in another community will be handled exactly the same way in your community.

    Before You Contact Management About a Claim

    Having this information ready will make the process much easier.

    1
    Contact your personal insurance carrier.
    Report the loss and ask whether a claim should be opened.
    2
    Document the damage.
    Keep photographs, videos, dates and other relevant documentation.
    3
    Keep your claim information.
    Save your claim number and your adjuster’s name and contact information.
    4
    Provide requested information.
    If master-policy involvement is necessary, provide management with the information needed to facilitate the process.
    5
    Do not assume coverage.
    Wait for the applicable insurance carrier’s coverage determination before relying on insurance funds.

    Maryland Condominium Owners

    Maryland condominium insurance law contains specific requirements concerning Association master policies and unit-owner claims. Depending on the type of condominium, the Association’s master policy generally insures specified common elements and certain original components of attached or multifamily units, while owner improvements, betterments and personal property may require individual coverage.

    Maryland law also provides that condominium unit owners are insureds under the Association’s master policy for applicable covered losses. Management may facilitate communications and claim administration, but the insurance carrier determines whether coverage applies.

    Maryland rules regarding master-policy deductibles may also assign financial responsibility differently depending upon where the cause of the loss originated. Owners should consult their insurance carrier, Association documents and applicable policy for their particular loss.

    Still Confused? Remember This.

    🛡️ Insurance question? → Ask the insurance company.

    📋 Coverage disagreement? → Ask the adjuster or insurance carrier.

    🔨 Contractor question? → Ask the contractor you hired.

    💵 Ready to pay an approved contractor invoice? → YOU send the approved invoice to your Community Manager.

    🏢 Association claim administration? → Blackstone Management can assist with the administrative process.

    Important Insurance Disclaimer

    This page provides general educational and administrative guidance only. Insurance policies, deductibles, Association governing documents, building configurations and applicable laws vary by community and jurisdiction. Nothing on this page guarantees that a particular loss will be covered or establishes the amount payable under an insurance policy. Insurance carriers and adjusters determine coverage pursuant to the applicable insurance contracts.

    When a loss occurs, contact your personal insurance professional promptly. Specific questions concerning coverage, exclusions, policy interpretation or an adjuster’s determination should be addressed to the appropriate insurance carrier or qualified insurance professional.