Every April, we run the most entertaining Coverage Corner of the year – the April Fools Edition! This year, we are going to the dogs! Check out the claims below which all deal with man’s best friend. Can you spot the one that is not true? (Get it? Spot?)

1. A tenant took her dog outside to go potty in the grass and she (the tenant, not the dog) was bitten by a rattlesnake. The association’s insurance carrier paid the claim of $4,000 in medical bills.

2. A homeowner arrived at her condo to let her dog out and found the community was blocked off, preventing any access to her condo entrance. To get into her unit, the homeowner went through common area to the back side, where she tripped over stumps of bushes that had been cut down “without her knowledge.” She fell and sustained injuries, including a broken wrist. The unit-owner filed a lawsuit against the association which resulted in a liability claim that is still unresolved.

3. Another association was performing an asphalt repair project, so the owner opted to walk to the rear of the building through an alley to access her unit. Her dog walked around a potted plant (that the owner had placed in the alley) and the dog’s leash got wrapped around the pot. The owner fell and sprained her wrist. The owner sued the association because the alley, which is not HOA property, was not well-lit.

4. An association was dealing with owners not picking up after their dogs and started having the waste DNA tested so they could identify the owners. The offending dog breeds were listed in the association newsletter, but no owner information was included. The owner of a miniature pinscher sued the association for libel and defamation because hers was the only min-pin in the community and she felt “personally attacked.”

5. A man visiting a condo unit near the Sierras was disposing of his dog’s waste in a dumpster when he was startled by a bear. As he fled, he twisted his ankle and fell, injuring his ankle and back, which required surgery. He sued the HOA and Waste Management for $15,000 in compensation.
Can you spot the fake?

Terri Guest, CIRMS, CMCA is the Northern California Sales & Marketing Representative for Berg Insurance Agency and may be reached at Terri@BergInsurance.com. She resides in San Jose with her fur-children, Stella and Nova. Oh and her husband, too. Lucy and Percy Berg reside with Michael and his family in San Diego County and enjoy watching the sunset from their backyard. James Lilley is learning to be Kimberly’s service animal and is a very good boi.