A Very Expensive Snow Job of a Cleanup

At a Rockville condominium complex, property management hired a snow-removal contractor after a winter storm. On paper, the job was “done.” Unfortunately, there was no post-storm inspection, no photos or documentation of conditions, and no verification that walkways were actually de-iced.

A tenant slipped on an icy common pathway and suffered severe injuries.

During the litigation process, investigators discovered that the snow-removal contract lacked clear de-icing requirements; the property manager had zero documentation showing what conditions looked like after service was performed; and there was no evidence that the site was checked after the contractor left. The result was an eye-watering $3 million lawsuit that could not be defensively mitigated due to lack of visual proof.

Property managers think snow removal reduces liability – but without verification, it can actually increase it.

Common areas change slowly. Problems aren’t dramatic until someone gets hurt. Managers rely on periodic walkthroughs and vendor assurances. When something goes wrong, there’s no visual audit trail.

There are so many reasons why long-term condition monitoring should have been in the property manager's toolkit: a passive, timestamped visual record would show the condition of high-risk common areas, day after day. It would have shown proof of snow clearing and de-icing; as well as evidence of lighting outages or repairs; highlighted early detection of trip hazards, pool issues, or neglected areas; and provided stronger legal defensibility if something went wrong.

A visual history built and retained over long periods of time highlights slow changes that humans miss.

Learn how we can help property managers leverage the power of timelapse photography to address those pain points before they become big problems.

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