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CENTENNIAL, Colo. -- When a summer hailstorm wrecked thousands of roofs across the Front Range, one Centennial neighborhood was hit doubly hard.
Homeowners' Association rules required many homeowners to do roofing upgrades that insurance companies won't cover, so residents are looking at paying thousands in out-of-pocket costs.
"It was golf ball-or-larger sized hail, impacted all these homes," said Kemberly DuBuke, who said hail was just beginning of the stormin the Piney Creek community."On my home alone, we have roof damaged; we have two skylights that are busted."
When the HOA board denied her roof replacement because the shingles didn't meet "aesthetic requirements," she found out about a change in the roofing guidelines. The Architectural Control Committee and the HOA changed the required roofing materials in 2011, limiting to a list of "multi-dimensional and multi-layered" shingles, similar in look to the cedar shake roofs that were original to the neighborhood.
According to the community's website, the roofing industry changed its classifications in 2008, but the HOA standards never changed. So, they put together "Suggested Roofing Material" guidelines in 2011.
DuBuke said she and many of her neighbors learned that their home insurance won't cover that upgrade.
"To get what's required by the ACC and HOA, it's a minimum $7,000, maximum over $9,000 out-of -pocket costs. We just don't see the need for it," said DuBuke.
Denver7 contacted the property management company, and a spokeswoman was not available to go on camera, saying its the ACC's job to maintain property values. So this week, DuBuke said she will try to get on the committee to amend the roofing material requirement.
"We have not even ventured into where will we come up with this money yet," she said."We've decided we're going to buckle down and fight this cause it's definitely not something any homeowner needs to deal with."
