Who pays for roof damage?

Question

Hi Everyone

I bought my first rental property in Dec 2020. The roof was replaced completely in Nov 2020. During a snowstorm in Feb 2021 the roof was damaged and the ceiling partially caved in. The seller said he would come by with his roofer and repair the damage. After that my property manager could not get hold of him again.

In the meantime my property manager had the damage repaired. Now they are requesting my assistance in contacting the seller for a reimbursement of the repair costs. Is this a reasonable request? I am not sure what kind of warranties come with a new roof, is this covered?

Scott M. · Answer

Yes, I think it is reasonable that you contact the seller as they told someone they would fix it.  Might not be a fruitful use of your time but never hurts to ask.  Nothing wrong with a no : )  And you never know till you try!

John Van Der Merwe · Answer

Hi Scott, thank you for the input. I see my question could be understood two ways. What I meant to ask was, if it is reasonable for me to contact the seller about this, not that the PM requested it from me :) You're right, at the end it would be the guy in the mirror having to pay if no other solution is found.

Unfortunately the PM did not elaborate on the cause of the damage. They are the experts with a lot more experience than me, so I went with their recommendation and reached out to the seller.

Scott M. · Answer

Can you be a bit more specific about how the damage occurred?  All you said is "during a snowstorm...."

With that little bit of info I would guess you are responsible (or your insurance co).  But this could go either way depending on what happened and what caused the damage.

Also, it is 100% reasonable that your PM is asking for your help to get in touch with someone to cover the costs, they are after all trying to help you.  If the roofer doesn't reimburse them guess who will (look in mirror).  You and your PM are partners, time to be a good partner.

Lastly, was the PM involved in you purchasing the home?  Involved in the initial roof repair?  Who paid for the repair after the snowstorm damaged it?  The PM or you?