SOFTENING Blow l the BY TONY CHIARELLI W hen a property damage event like a pipe break or fire happens, the process a condominium unit owner will go through will be both daunting and exhaustive. I use the term "will be" as opposed to "may be" to set expectations-expectations of timelines that revolve around multiple parties and, in most cases, multiple units within the association. Many articles cover how to plan and prepare for one of these events from both the property manager and unit owner perspectives, but let's take a tour of an actual event for those unit owners and properties who have never experienced this type of unfortunate occurrence. The first thing to realize is the resolution of this type of event will take months, not days or even weeks. As soon as a condominium unit owner accepts this fact, it makes the rest of the process somewhat easier to handle. Granted, nobody likes to be displaced from their home. However, like any unpleasant life event, understanding the process of what's happening will lessen the frustration and disappointment. 20 CONDOMEDIA UNDERSTANDING THE CLEANUP AND RECOVERY PROCESS MAKES A PROPERTY DAMAGE EVENT LESS DAUNTING