The clubhouse is a pond. The fence is down. Your townhouse got a foot of water and the group chat is arguing about “the master policy.” Stop arguing. Start two claim numbers if you have to.
HOA and condo setups in Harris County are not one product. A single-family HOA in a master-planned section is not a high-rise condo association. The documents decide who owns the wet drywall.
You still have to dry your house tonight. The board meeting is not a pump.
Do this now
- Photograph common damage and your own unit separately. Label the albums.
- Find the CC&Rs or condo declaration and the insurance page. Email the manager for the master policy contact.
- Open your own homeowners or flood claim for the unit and contents. Do not wait on the board.
- Ask in writing who is responsible for the fence, roof, slab, and interior finishes.
Typical splits, not promises
In many Houston condo buildings, the association covers the shell and common systems and you cover contents plus some interior finishes. In many HOA subdivisions, you cover the house and the association covers the park, the monument sign, and the shared detention. Townhomes sit in the middle and surprise people. Read the chart in your resale packet. If you do not have it, request it today.
Do not let the pile sit in the cul-de-sac
Common-area debris still has to follow city or county pickup rules. A “the HOA will get it” pile that blocks an inlet will flood the same street again. Tell the manager where the obstruction is. If they are offline, 311 for Houston addresses. Do not dump association debris in a bayou or a vacant pad. That fine can bounce back to the association and then to you in a special assessment.
Assessments and the long tail
After a bad flood, boards sometimes levy extra assessments for deductibles and uninsured common repairs. That is a document fight, not a Facebook vote. Keep paying the regular assessment if you can so you do not add a collections problem to a flood problem. Ask for the reserve study and the claim number on the clubhouse. You are allowed to be nosy. You live there.
Verify live. Status changes hourly. Ask the management company for the master policy declarations and the current debris or re-entry rules for the property. Status changes after each board emergency meeting.
Do this next
- Renter checklist the hour you can re-enter
- What landlords usually must handle vs what you handle
- Water cleanup hub
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