The subrogating carrier of a unit owner or condominium association to pursue subrogation against another condominium unit owner, renter and/or member of the household of the unit varies by jurisdiction.
Unlike most jurisdictions, the state of Missouri utilizes a statute which requires policies covering condominium properties to waive subrogation against unit owners and members of their household. The reasoning behind the statute is that the property insurance premium on the building and common areas paid by and through the association, which is funded by the assessment monies of the unit owners, all of whom have an ownership interest in the common elements. Therefore, the association members all benefit from the insurance protection on the common elements versus the individual protection afforded on personal condominium property or contents and on the use of the property by and through a separate condominium policy issued to a unit owner. From this statute, policies issued to condominium associations in Missouri now commonly contain a “Condominium Association Coverage Endorsement,” which essentially precludes carriers from recoveries against a unit owner and/or its liability policy. In fact, the endorsement trumps the terms of the condominium by-laws, regulations and building rules, which were traditionally documents that dictated subrogation opportunities under these circumstances.
Despite the statute, subrogation may still be viable in Missouri when presented with similar facts. In a different coverage scenario, where a property insurance carrier has provided separate condominium coverage to a unit owner, successful recovery efforts have been achieved in Missouri as to the unit owner’s loss of personal property and as to the loss of the use of the property. In these cases, successful arguments have been made that the statute does not apply because (1) there is no joint interest in the insured property of a separate owner against another owner and (2) there is no sharing of the risk. This model remains a viable avenue to pursue in Missouri by subrogated carriers when the insured is a unit owner, and many policies of insurance include arbitration clauses or provisions that facilitate the adjudication of these claims under this particular setting.
