IfI do odd jobs for condo owners, do I need insurance?
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IfI do odd jobs for condo owners, do I need insurance?
My husband works as a doorman in a condo. My husband and myself also do cleaning, painting, carpeting, hang blinds and wash windows for the condo owners. Do we need insurance for this? The manager of this building is telling us that we can no longer do any work for these condo owners unless we provide insurance to the management office. Can they legally stop us?
Asked on October 10, 2011 under Insurance Law, Pennsylvania
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
A definitive answer as to whether the building manager can stop you from working for the condo owners without insurance will depend on examining the condo agreements and other documentation: if the building manager has the right to approve anyone who performs work in or at the building, or to set the requirements for handymen, contractors, etc., then yes, the building manager can forbid you from working without insurance. It's impossible to say for sure without looking at the documentation and the reservation of authority for the building manager, but it is very likely that this is the case--it is a common restriction, that the building manager must approve or can set conditions for the people who do work in the units.
In addition, since your husband works as a doorman at this building, the building manager can *absolutely* tell him that if or you do any work in the condo without insurance, he will be fired; as your husband's employer, they can say they don't want any employee of theirs to do uninsured work.
Have you looked into the insurance described? It would be a very good ide3 for you, since it would protect you from liability; it's also, I suspect, cheaper than you might think, and could very possibly be written off on taxes as a business expense as well.
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