more to condo than meets the eye

A friend of mine is selling their house and moving to a brand new condo.  No more snowblowing, lawn mowing, pulling weeds - no worries.  Maybe!  When I asked if she had read the condo by-laws her eyes glazed over as if I was discussing quantum physics.  Here's the deal.  The condo by-laws stipulate what part of the building is insured by the condo's master policy and what part of the building is the condo unit owner's responsibility.  The master policy might 1) insure the entire interior, 2) pay only for 'improvements and betterments' in other words updates that occurred after the condo was constructed, or 3) it could require the unit owner to be responsible from the under the floor boards to the ceiling joists and from wall studs to wall studs.  A condo owner I insure had the 'stud to stud' master policy and was terribly underinsured when a pipe burst damaging the ceiling and curling the hard wood floors.  I had recommended $100,000 coverage for the interior but he opted to self insure.  Bottom line - read the by-laws or ask me to do it for you.  Another good reason to be represented by an independent agent.