HOA required roof shingles could cost owners thousands

Colorado homeowner says insurance won’t cover the full repair cost of her roof replacement following a hailstorm

By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities

According to a report that aired on Denver7 last week, Piney Creek homeowner Kemberly DuBuke may have to replace her brand new roof. The homeowner just learned that her HOA won’t approve her new roof, because it doesn’t comply with updated HOA rules for acceptable roof shingles.

Golf-ball sized hail damages roofs

This past summer, a severe hailstorm damaged many homes in the Denver area.

As a result, quite a few homeowners in Piney Creek needed to replace damaged roof shingles. After a golf-ball sized hail destroyed her roof, DuBuke filed a claim with her insurance company. It covered the cost of replacing her roof.

HOA updated its architectural standards for roof shingles

But, as it turns out, Piney Creek changed its architectural standards for acceptable roof materials in 2011.

The HOA says it made the changes because the roofing industry reclassified the types roof shingles they manufacture. That led to confusion for homeowners seeking to replace their roofs, and still comply with HOA requirements.

But here’s the root of the problem.

As is the case for many mature planned communities, Piney Creek HOA’s Covenants and Restrictions (CC&Rs) are picky about the type of roof shingles they require.

Piney Creek’s 1980s home builder installed cedar shake roofs. Of course, more than thirty years later, the roofing materials industry has created scores of more durable options. And, at the same time, homeowners prefer more updated styles that are easy to maintain.

 

The condo association’s dilemma

That created a dilemma for the HOA ACC: how to abide by existing CC&Rs, but still allow homeowners to choose more practical and durable roof shingles.

In Piney Creek HOA, the ACC and the board ultimately decided that homeowners are required to have ‘multidimensional’ roofing materials that look like the original cedar shake shingles, although they can be made from different materials.

Apparently, however, homeowners did not get the memo about the ACC’s detailed new suggested roof shingles list.

And perhaps they didn’t notice that, following the hailstorm, the HOA posted an announcement on their website, reminding homeowners about the need for ACC approval for exterior repairs.

Homeowner learns that insurance won’t cover the type of roof required by her HOA

Unaware of the new standards for roof shingles, DuBuke replaced her roof with something of like quality, as approved by her homeowners’ insurance policy.

Then she received a letter from the HOA, saying that her roof doesn’t meet the new standards. The HOA wants DuBuke to replace her brand new roof with multidimensional shingles.

But here’s the kicker. DuBuke’s homeowners insurance policy won’t pay for the upgraded, far more expensive multidimensional shingles.

That means DuBuke is facing the possibility that she will have to cough up an additional $7,000 to $9,000 out-of-pocket to pay for a new roof that was otherwise covered by insurance.

Ouch!

DuBuke plans to join the ACC, in hopes of changing the standards for acceptable roof shingles. She hopes that will allow her to keep her roof as is, and allow other homeowners to replace their roofs in the future without going broke.

 

After hail storm, HOA requires upgraded shingles that insurance won’t cover

Jaclyn Allen
6:13 PM, Oct 2, 2018
7:17 PM, Oct 2, 2018

CENTENNIAL, Colo. — When a summer hailstorm wrecked thousands of roofs across the Front Range, one Centennial neighborhood was hit doubly hard.

Homeowners’ Association rules required many homeowners to do roofing upgrades that insurance companies won’t cover, so residents are looking at paying thousands in out-of-pocket costs.

“It was golf ball-or-larger sized hail, impacted all these homes,” said Kemberly DuBuke, who said hail was just beginning of the storm in the Piney Creek community. “On my home alone, we have roof damaged; we have two skylights that are busted.”

Read more (video):
https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/contact7/after-hail-storm-hoa-requires-upgraded-shingles-that-insurance-won-t-cover