Open the Floodgates - FEMA Set to Reopen Superstorm Sandy Claims

After a scathing report about engineering fraud on 60 Minutes, it looks like FEMA is going to allow policyholders the ability to reopen all Superstorm Sandy insurance claims per a NPR report. As a licensed public insurance adjuster who represents policyholders and handled Sandy flood claims, it would be helpful to understood that the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) sets their own very rigorous and draconian adjusting practice that have lead to the situation we have here. As an example, NFIP will not allow for any discussion on the scope of the loss other than what their adjusters says was flood damaged. If there is a disagreement, then the dispute resolution process in the flood policy called appraisal cannot be used to determine scope issues, only price.


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Record snow in Boston may also create a property insurance claims record

Record snow in Boston may also create a property insurance claims record

An online poll published in the Boston Globe on Saturday, showed over 70% of Bostonians are rooting to break the record snow fall of 107.6 inches. To date, they are only 2 inches shy. Who would have guessed that with all the misery from snow, ice and freezing temperatures, that folks in Boston would be in the majority and want those extra few inches to best a 124-year National Weather Service record? 


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Winter Claims Already Impacting Construction Prices and Contractor Repair Availability

Winter Claims Already Impacting Construction Prices and Contractor Repair Availability

As I write this, I am sitting in LaGuardia airport waiting for a flight back to Florida.  I was called up to New York to meet with a prospective client who owns a building in Manhattan that has suffered structural damage due to a new building being constructed next door.   Florida’s tourism boom this year is apparent in New York; snow, ice, then freezing rain and back to snow with 6-8 inches predicted for the five boroughs of NYC.  Other parts of the country are predicted to get even more snow, then freezing temps. Clearly, northerners are flocking to Florida in droves trying to escape the brutal winter especially in the northeast. 


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Assignment of Benefits in Florida – The Beat Goes On

It looks like the Florida Legislature has taken the first steps in properly addressing the Assignment of Benefits (AOB) issue that is creating insurance claim and other problems. For first time readers, AOB is when a policyholder assigns their claim benefits over to a contractor. 
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Flawed FEMA Insurance Claim Reviews and how Public Adjusters can Help

I am from the government and I am here to help you. The famous line from then presidential candidate Ronald Reagan claiming that the government is here to help you, will in my view always be remembered as the defining quote in his campaign that led to a conservative Republican victory and his election to this country’s highest office.  But that was then, what does it have to do with current events?
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What you don’t know, you don’t know! Lessons learned from the 2015 Windstorm Insurance Network Conference

What you don’t know, you don’t know!  Lessons learned from the 2015 Windstorm Insurance Network Conference
The 2016 Windstorm Insurance Conference at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans was a huge success with 850 in attendance. The annual event is all about the best of the best in the property insurance industry that volunteer their time to teach and educate attendees on the latest trends. As a side benefit, the networking with leaders in their field is incalculable. Unlike many other forums around the country, this is the only one I am aware of where you encounter three or four faculty in a workshop all representing a different perspective.  Got questions, ask the panel--no issue or questions are off limits.
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Another Hurdle When Filing an Insurance Claim - The Civil Remedy Notice

I want to thank Florida Public Adjuster Michael Platts for penning this excellent commentary. 

By Michael W. Platts

I have recently been involved in three cases which bring up a very interesting yet disturbing trend. All three are relatively small insurance claims. In each case, the insurance carriers have chosen to deny these claims without (from my perspective) performing a fair, impartial, proper and thorough investigation.


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2015 Windstorm Insurance Network - New Orleans Conference

Just wanted to give the readers of our blog a heads-up that if you have not already done so, register now for the 2015 Windstorm Conference.  We are back in New Orleans again for Windstorms 16th Annual Conference and as I recall from our last conference in New Orleans (pre Hurricane Katrina) New Orleans was a great venue with lots to do and there is always a lot to learn from the faculty who will be traveling from all over the country for this premier property insurance claim education event.


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Our Most Popular Property Insurance Claim Posts of the Year Part II

Our Most Popular Property Insurance Claim Posts of the Year Part II

In part 2 of our year in review, we learned from an Orlando couple that even the simplest property claim can quickly become complicated. We also got lots of reads on understanding what proof of loss is all about. Superstorm Sandy even reared its head again after we settled a 2 year battle to recover a fair settlement for a client. Life as a Public Insurance Adjuster never gets boring. Enjoy the rest of our popular claim posts.    

Got something you’d like us to write about next year? Let us know. A safe and Happy New Year to all!

Couple has Advice for Those Who Have Even the Simplest Insurance Claim

Proof of Loss Property Insurance Claim Requirements in Florida

Sandy Flood Claims Denied – Public Adjuster Wins Reversal 2 Years Later

Click to read more of the best posts of the year


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Our Most Popular Property Insurance Claim Posts of the Year Part I

Our Most Popular Property Insurance Claim Posts of the Year Part I

While this is the time of year to look back and count all our blessings, I thought we would share some of our most popular blogs of the year in case you missed them. How time flies! Do you remember the Polar Vortex and serious pipe burst claims of early 2014? How about the tropical storm that hit the Florida Panhandle and the terrible flooding it caused? In each one of these weather events, there is always something for property owners and even the most experienced public adjusters to learn about how to better handle insurance claims. Thanks to all our guest bloggers and fine public adjuster staff that shared their knowledge and contributed blogs this year.

A safe an happy holiday to all!

Broken Water Pipes from the Big Freeze “Polar Vortex” What a National Mess!

Policyholder Question: Frozen Pipe Burst Claim Dispute - Is it Time to Hire a Public Adjuster?

Ice Dams Frozen Gutters – Their Baaaack!  

Click to read more of the best posts of the year...


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"On Property" Insurance Claim Tips Blog

Tips and advice about how to properly file and protect your property damage insurance claim and get a fair settlement. We invite all readers to ask questions about their claim so our public adjusters can post answers for others to benefit. Insurance claim expert guest bloggers welcome to submit posts via our contact form.

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Local Office

Tutwiler & Associates Public Adjusters, Inc.
Licensed Public Insurance Adjusters & Loss Consultants
Offices: Tampa, Orlando, Palm City, Florida; Dallas, TX; Pittsburgh, PA

Executive Office
4300 W. Cypress St.
Suite 780
Tampa, FL 33607
Phone: 813.287.8090
Toll Free: 800.321.4488

Licensed in Florida # W840088 &
Texas #1399706 plus 16 other states
and the Virgin Islands