The loss adjuster sides against the community: what can be done

Filing the claim is easy. The trouble starts when the adjuster's report says the damage is not covered, or when the offer does not reach half the quoted repair.

First, do it right from minute one

• Photograph the damage before touching anything.
• Report the claim as soon as possible; policies usually set a short deadline (seven days is typical) for notification.
• Take urgent measures so the damage does not spread — that is not just allowed, it is required: if the damage grows because nobody acted, that part may fall outside cover.
• Keep invoices for everything, including emergency repairs.

If you disagree with the adjuster

Here is what almost nobody knows: you are not obliged to accept their figure. Spanish insurance contract law sets out a specific procedure: the community can appoint its own adjuster. If the two cannot agree, a third adjuster is appointed and the three issue a joint opinion.

It is a real mechanism and rarely used — and simply raising it makes many insurers improve their offer.

The deadline that slips away

Claims arising from an insurance contract lapse after two years for material damage. It sounds like plenty, but between surveys, works and meetings it flies by. If the matter is stuck, keep it in mind before the door closes.

What is usually covered (and what is not)

Almost always covered: water damage, fire, theft in common areas, the community's public liability, and locating the fault.

Almost always excluded: wear and tear, and lack of maintenance. That is where 80% of refusals come from — and it is also the best argument for preventive maintenance, because a claim rejected for neglect is paid in full by the community.

The boring advice that works

Read the policy before the claim, not after. Knowing your excess and what is excluded changes decisions: sometimes it pays not to file at all, and sometimes it pays to widen cover for very little a year.