Dolphin Tower’s troubles stack up [South Florida]

Dolphin Tower’s troubles stack up [South Florida]

Amid the discovery of still more concrete problems at Dolphin Tower, it appears that more money and more time will be needed to repair the damaged 15-story condo building.

Just as vexing to displaced residents, though, are signals that Great American Insurance Co., of Ohio, intends to deny a claim made by Dolphin Tower’s homeowners’ association that would pay for repairs.

Great American, which holds a policy on the 117-unit tower in downtown Sarasota, indicated in a letter to the association earlier this month that a policy claim would not be valid unless the building were to actually fall down.

“One of the defenses, ironically, is that coverage exists only where a building or component actually collapses, rather than being merely at risk of collapse,” said Alan Tannenbaum, a Sarasota attorney representing the association, referring to the letter.