FEMA 50% Rule: Rising Above Challenges and Learning from the Past—What’s the Real Story?

by Rick Tutwiler on 11/26/2024
FEMA 50% Rule: Rising Above Challenges and Learning from the Past—What’s the Real Story?
In Florida, this lack of awareness is especially apparent in the ongoing debate over FEMA’s 50% Rule — a crucial regulation for post-disaster rebuilding that has recently taken center stage in the media. Despite its long-standing significance in guiding recovery after major flood disasters, public awareness remains surprisingly low. What’s even more troubling is the persistent spread of misinformation, often repeated by community leaders, so-called experts, and local building officials. These inaccuracies, amplified by media coverage, lead to widespread misunderstanding, with many mistakenly assuming the rule applies uniformly across all communities. This confusion creates significant challenges for agencies and experts striving to provide clear guidance during critical times.
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Additional Living Expenses Explained for Those Impacted by Hurricane Milton

by Rick Tutwiler on 10/13/2024
Additional Living Expenses Explained for Those Impacted by Hurricane Milton

Florida homeowners with severe damage from Hurricane Milton to the extent that their residence is uninhabitable, may have an insurance policy that provides a coverage called “Additional Living Expense” or “A.L.E.” if it is a covered loss. Under the Additional Living Expense coverage, you and your family may be entitled to rent another home of the same size, like kind and quality as well as be reimbursed for any extra expenses you incur such as food and temporary lodging.


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Public Adjuster Rick Tutwiler Talks With CFO and Chief of Insurance Assistance Division of Consumer Services Following Hurricane Helene

by Rick Tutwiler on 10/4/2024
Public Adjuster Rick Tutwiler Talks With CFO and Chief of Insurance Assistance Division of Consumer Services Following Hurricane Helene
It was a humbling experience meeting with Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis today at the 'Insurance Village' in Clearwater, established for Bay Area residents impacted by Hurricane Helene. As Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Patronis was on-site offering much-needed reassurance to homeowners who lost everything, providing guidance, and outlining steps for relief. During our conversation, we addressed key issues policyholders were facing. I shared some of the common concerns I’ve been hearing, highlighting how a licensed public adjuster can make a real difference in navigating the claims process.
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Filing a Property Insurance Claim – From Confusion to Clarity

by Rick Tutwiler on 5/29/2024
Filing a Property Insurance Claim – From Confusion to Clarity
Dick Tutwiler the Founder and Emeritus CEO of Tutwiler & Associates Public Adjusters was recently featured here on the Homeowners Be Aware podcast. During the interview, he provides some great insight into dealing with property insurance claims and some of the hurdles policyholders will face. If you have a favorite podcast platform, simply search "Homeowners Be Aware." The podcast can also be found on website: https://homeownersbeaware.com/  
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40 Years of Contributing to the Public Adjusting Profession

by Rick Tutwiler on 2/23/2024
40 Years of Contributing to the Public Adjusting Profession
It's been quite the whirlwind at Tutwiler & Associates! This year we are celebrating our 40th Year Anniversary of putting policyholders first. This week, the Emeritus and Founder paid a visit to our office, sharing insights from his career in the professional public adjusting industry and invaluable insider knowledge acquired during his tenure at a major Insurance Company. From what I've gathered, the video company is doing a news piece diving deep into unraveling the complexities of insurance schemes in Florida along with the internal methods used in the claims settlement process between insurance companies and their policyholders.
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The Undeniable Value of Hiring a Licensed Professional Public Insurance Adjuster for Commercial Claims

by Rick Tutwiler on 10/6/2023
The Undeniable Value of Hiring a Licensed Professional Public Insurance Adjuster for Commercial Claims
When disaster strikes, such as the devastating impact of Hurricane Irma, businesses are often left grappling with significant damage including property, inventory, and business interruption. For many, these damages can lead to crippling financial burdens, especially if they are not properly compensated by their insurance providers. In such situations, the role of a licensed professional public insurance adjuster can be pivotal. 
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Public Adjuster Tips for Handling Your Hurricane Idalia Flood Insurance Claim

by Rick Tutwiler on 8/31/2023
We’ve revived a very popular blog for the benefit of Hurricane Idalia property owners on understanding flood where our talented staff of public adjusters share some of the best tips they could think of for handling a flood claim. The following are some tips that hopefully will help folks should they have flood coverage. Remember flood insurance is a separate policy from your standard homeowners insurance and covered under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Private insurers also sell under this program. A standard homeowners policy “will not” cover flood defined as rising water. Standard policies will cover wind driven rain or any moisture coming from above such as roof leaks.
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    Hurricane Ian Homeowners No Match for Unethical Claim Practices. Public Adjuster Attains 1,101% New Money Settlement Hours Before Hiring Attorney

    by Rick Tutwiler on 7/25/2023
    Hurricane Ian Homeowners No Match for Unethical Claim Practices. Public Adjuster Attains 1,101% New Money Settlement Hours Before Hiring Attorney

    As numerous clients are in various stages of repairs their Hurricane Ian damaged properties, we would like to share one success story that underscores the invaluable role experienced public adjusters can play contributing to the stability of Florida's challenging insurance market. First, let’s look at an example of what has brought policyholders, claim professionals, state officials, and insurance executives to this point of frustration.


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    10 Things to Know About Hurricane Insurance Claims - Hurricane Ida

    by Rick Tutwiler on 8/31/2021

    Here’s a good recent article to share that can help those impacted by Hurricane Ida work through their insurance claims. If you have questions or need assistance with a large loss from Hurricane Ida, we stand ready to help.


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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