As promised at the annual meeting, the Pool Committee has shifted it’s focus from opening the Plantation Pool to opening the pool house room for our community to enjoy. This email will update you on our current policies and procedures that are guiding our next immediate actions. Some of you may find this email to be upsetting. Please continue reading to the end.
POLICY UPDATE:
After reviewing our HOA Liability Insurance policy today with State Farm Insurance, you should know that our HOA has no liability insurance protection for any claim resulting from an event or incident that occurs on our property IF there is alcohol involved. Technically worded, it is a “No Liquor Liability” policy. This means that if a claim were to be made against Winston Ridge because of alcohol being present or consumed at one of our events or on our property, State Farm would not be responsible to pay any financial awards ordered by the courts. We would be responsible for paying from our own financial reserves and if that was not enough, then HOA dues would be raised or even a special assessment could be implemented. State Farm does not offer a Liquor Liability addendum.
PROCEDURE UPDATE:
In order to remove this vulnerability to the financial health of the HOA and your own financial exposure to this vulnerability via HOA dues and/or special assessments, the HOA must immediately implement a No Alcohol policy on all HOA amenities and common grounds thus conforming to the No Liquor Liability policy currently held by the Winston Ridge Home Owners Association. This change in procedure returns us to being fully covered for liability claims through our policy.
QUESTIONS:
You have questions. Maybe you’re thinking – Really? There must be a way around this. And you are right, sort of. The HOA, under the current No Liquor Liability policy will never be able to host an event and serve or allow BYOB alcohol nor can they allow it on the common property owned by the HOA. That’s simply not negotiable with this policy.
BUT,,,. next question – what about when groups other than the HOA use the poolhouse room? Well, now, that’s where there is an insurance certificate that a group could purchase for a single event or even a recurring event that would be cover “Host Liquor Liability”. It technically throws the liability onto the Insurance Company that issues that Insurance Certificate and removes the liability from our HOA. There are far more details involved in this product that the Board and Pool Committee will continue looking into so that we can continue this slow roll out process in the most financially responsible manner. As promised, you will be kept informed of how we can roll out this Pool House room for our community to enjoy.
What about when Burnt Barrel brings tastings? Well, they have that Liquor Liability coverage mentioned above – same as the food trucks carrying an insurance policy or those Wine and Design events? Yes, those have a Liquor Liability certificate.
Today was a doozie with this information but please know that we are diligently working on making this room a hub for friendships while attending to all the legalities in making this happen without exposing you to unnecessary financial risks.
What can you do?
That’s the easy part. Please follow the new procedure of not bringing any beer, wine, or liquor on the common property or amenity sites beginning….immediately. We will continue to investigate options regarding this situation. If you have resources you would like us to talk with who might have options for us to consider, please let me or anyone on the Pool Committee or Board know how to get in touch with them.