Property Risk & Liability Terms
Deferred maintenance
- Plain-English definition
- Needed maintenance or repair that is postponed because of budget, timing, ownership, or operational constraints.
- Why it matters
- Risk terms connect pavement condition to documentation, notice, duty, budget planning, and the property team's ability to explain decisions later.
- What property managers usually miss
- Photos, dates, complaints, temporary measures, bid history, and board or owner decisions should be organized before a claim or dispute arrives.
- Common mistake
- Letting the property file tell no story until after an incident has already happened.
Property Risk & Liability Terms
Constructive notice
- Plain-English definition
- A legal concept that a property owner or manager should have known about a condition because it was visible or existed long enough.
- Why it matters
- Risk terms connect pavement condition to documentation, notice, duty, budget planning, and the property team's ability to explain decisions later.
- What property managers usually miss
- Photos, dates, complaints, temporary measures, bid history, and board or owner decisions should be organized before a claim or dispute arrives.
- Common mistake
- Letting the property file tell no story until after an incident has already happened.
Property Risk & Liability Terms
Documented complaint
- Plain-English definition
- A recorded tenant, resident, customer, vendor, or board complaint about a condition on the property.
- Why it matters
- Risk terms connect pavement condition to documentation, notice, duty, budget planning, and the property team's ability to explain decisions later.
- What property managers usually miss
- Photos, dates, complaints, temporary measures, bid history, and board or owner decisions should be organized before a claim or dispute arrives.
- Common mistake
- Letting the property file tell no story until after an incident has already happened.
Property Risk & Liability Terms
Trip-and-fall exposure
- Plain-English definition
- The risk that uneven pavement, concrete, drainage, striping, or transitions could contribute to a fall claim.
- Why it matters
- Risk terms connect pavement condition to documentation, notice, duty, budget planning, and the property team's ability to explain decisions later.
- What property managers usually miss
- Photos, dates, complaints, temporary measures, bid history, and board or owner decisions should be organized before a claim or dispute arrives.
- Common mistake
- Letting the property file tell no story until after an incident has already happened.
Property Risk & Liability Terms
Duty to maintain
- Plain-English definition
- The responsibility to keep property conditions reasonably maintained and to address known hazards.
- Why it matters
- Risk terms connect pavement condition to documentation, notice, duty, budget planning, and the property team's ability to explain decisions later.
- What property managers usually miss
- Photos, dates, complaints, temporary measures, bid history, and board or owner decisions should be organized before a claim or dispute arrives.
- Common mistake
- Letting the property file tell no story until after an incident has already happened.
Property Risk & Liability Terms
Reserve study
- Plain-English definition
- A planning document estimating future major repair or replacement costs and reserve funding needs.
- Why it matters
- Risk terms connect pavement condition to documentation, notice, duty, budget planning, and the property team's ability to explain decisions later.
- What property managers usually miss
- Photos, dates, complaints, temporary measures, bid history, and board or owner decisions should be organized before a claim or dispute arrives.
- Common mistake
- Letting the property file tell no story until after an incident has already happened.
Property Risk & Liability Terms
Capital improvement
- Plain-English definition
- A major property improvement or replacement expected to provide long-term value rather than routine maintenance.
- Why it matters
- Risk terms connect pavement condition to documentation, notice, duty, budget planning, and the property team's ability to explain decisions later.
- What property managers usually miss
- Photos, dates, complaints, temporary measures, bid history, and board or owner decisions should be organized before a claim or dispute arrives.
- Common mistake
- Letting the property file tell no story until after an incident has already happened.
Property Risk & Liability Terms
Useful life
- Plain-English definition
- The expected service period before a pavement, concrete, or site component needs major rehabilitation or replacement.
- Why it matters
- Risk terms connect pavement condition to documentation, notice, duty, budget planning, and the property team's ability to explain decisions later.
- What property managers usually miss
- Photos, dates, complaints, temporary measures, bid history, and board or owner decisions should be organized before a claim or dispute arrives.
- Common mistake
- Letting the property file tell no story until after an incident has already happened.
Property Risk & Liability Terms
Remaining service life
- Plain-English definition
- The estimated time a component can keep performing before major work is likely needed.
- Why it matters
- Risk terms connect pavement condition to documentation, notice, duty, budget planning, and the property team's ability to explain decisions later.
- What property managers usually miss
- Photos, dates, complaints, temporary measures, bid history, and board or owner decisions should be organized before a claim or dispute arrives.
- Common mistake
- Letting the property file tell no story until after an incident has already happened.
Property Risk & Liability Terms
Emergency repair
- Plain-English definition
- Short-notice repair used to address an immediate safety, access, water, or operational problem.
- Why it matters
- Risk terms connect pavement condition to documentation, notice, duty, budget planning, and the property team's ability to explain decisions later.
- What property managers usually miss
- Photos, dates, complaints, temporary measures, bid history, and board or owner decisions should be organized before a claim or dispute arrives.
- Common mistake
- Letting the property file tell no story until after an incident has already happened.
Property Risk & Liability Terms
Preventive maintenance
- Plain-English definition
- Planned work done before full failure to extend pavement life and reduce future capital cost.
- Why it matters
- Risk terms connect pavement condition to documentation, notice, duty, budget planning, and the property team's ability to explain decisions later.
- What property managers usually miss
- Photos, dates, complaints, temporary measures, bid history, and board or owner decisions should be organized before a claim or dispute arrives.
- Common mistake
- Letting the property file tell no story until after an incident has already happened.
Property Risk & Liability Terms
Maintenance log
- Plain-English definition
- A record of observed conditions, repairs, complaints, inspections, photos, and follow-up actions.
- Why it matters
- Risk terms connect pavement condition to documentation, notice, duty, budget planning, and the property team's ability to explain decisions later.
- What property managers usually miss
- Photos, dates, complaints, temporary measures, bid history, and board or owner decisions should be organized before a claim or dispute arrives.
- Common mistake
- Letting the property file tell no story until after an incident has already happened.
Property Risk & Liability Terms
Site condition documentation
- Plain-English definition
- Photos, notes, dates, measurements, maps, and comments that show what was observed on the property.
- Why it matters
- Risk terms connect pavement condition to documentation, notice, duty, budget planning, and the property team's ability to explain decisions later.
- What property managers usually miss
- Photos, dates, complaints, temporary measures, bid history, and board or owner decisions should be organized before a claim or dispute arrives.
- Common mistake
- Letting the property file tell no story until after an incident has already happened.
Property Risk & Liability Terms
Incident report
- Plain-English definition
- A record created after a fall, damage, access complaint, drainage event, or other property incident.
- Why it matters
- Risk terms connect pavement condition to documentation, notice, duty, budget planning, and the property team's ability to explain decisions later.
- What property managers usually miss
- Photos, dates, complaints, temporary measures, bid history, and board or owner decisions should be organized before a claim or dispute arrives.
- Common mistake
- Letting the property file tell no story until after an incident has already happened.
