“Well, I’ll be damned!”

These were the first words that came out of my mouth when I read an article reporting on a speech that Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater gave at a recent insurance conference attended by Florida property insurance executives. Then another “I’ll be damned” came out when I read an internet posting of efforts being made by the Florida’s new Insurance Commissioner to crack down on Assignment of Benefits a.k.a. AOB abuse and new legislation being prepared for this year’s legislative session which convenes in March.
 
But first some background on what prompted my shock and awe.  

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News Channel 10 recently did a news story on drivers crashing their vehicles into homes and businesses. Congratulations to our public adjuster Mike Stabile who was interviewed for the report. This type of accident happens more than you think and can create quite the property insurance claim mess! Our adjusters have handled many of these and can attest to the complexity of sorting out the property and auto insurance plus getting a collapsed structure properly repaired.  Do you you have a story of a car crashing into a building? Let us know what you had to deal with.   
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The following is an insurance claim question we answered for a policyholder through the United Policyholders Ask an Expert Forum.

Q. I live in coastal SC. January 8, 2017 is the three-month anniversary of Hurricane Matthew which caused extensive wind and flood damage. On October 10, 2016, the community association hired restoration company was on site demolishing and removing drywall, appliances, insulation, furniture from 32 townhomes and condos. Approximately ten 8x12 foot piles of damaged property were hauled to a landfill. WMC, LLC changed managers three times in these three months. We have received 4 or 5 letters requesting patience. We have not received a construction start date, information on what buildings will be repaired, order of repair, the construction companies, cost, or timeframe. I was advised to find an aggressive SC flood insurance and homeowners association attorney. We are running out of "loss of use" paying for a rental home. Please advise.

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The following is an insurance claim question we answered for a policyholder through the United Policyholders Ask an Expert Forum.

Q. Can I have a repair estimate reviewed and a new estimate prepared based on the estimate sent by my insurance adjusters estimate? They have issued a check in the amount of this estimate, less the deductible. What should I do with the check?

A. Good question, I am sure many in your position have questions about the estimate prepared and submitted by their insurance adjuster. Please remember, this work product is just an "estimate." While the adjuster may have some actual contracting experience,......read more
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Not surprising are the calls we get from property owners living in condos, who are looking for help following property damage to their building that affected their unit. This often takes the form of damage to the unit owner’s property which often includes their personal property, i.e., contents, as well as items such as carpet, other types of floor covering, trim items such as door frames, baseboards, cabinets, and the list goes on depending on the type and severity of the damage and the wording in their condominium documents. When a covered casualty event occurs, whether it is water, fire, the dreaded “mold” word or some other peril, the finger pointing starts and in many cases, the unit owner is caught in the middle. 
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We are getting a number of inquiries from policyholders following the passing of Hurricanes Hermine and Hurricane Matthew about damages to docks, piers, and other manmade structures built over or close to the water.  As both of this year’s hurricanes remained offshore for most of their passing, the tropical storm forced winds nonetheless caused quite a bit of damage to coastal area structures, which included damage from wind, water and in some cases, collapse land subsidence which were holding up seawalls and bulkheads.
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The following is an insurance claim question we answered for a policyholder through the United Policyholders Ask an Expert Forum.

Q. I have been the legal guardian for my mother-in-law. She has recently passed away and I am the PR for her estate, approved and documented by the local courts. I also don't live here full time, but I've had to be here regularly for several years in order to maintain the property which is an asset of the estate. Now I am undertaking the remediation and reconstruction after damage from Hurricane Matthew. Am I entitled to all that the owner would be, such as ALE, etc?

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Many people might be surprised that having an adjuster look at your claim is only the beginning of the insurance claim process. Remember, the field adjuster that inspected your property may not be an employee of the insurance company. They are typically independent adjusters on contract and typically are paid a set fee or percentage for each claim they handle. This is especially true during disaster situations when there are so many claims to adjust. 

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Q. I have a vacation home near Daytona Beach that was damaged by Hurricane Matthew. Because I am in Kentucky, do I need to physically see the damage myself before calling my insurance company or can I go from pictures of my home from my neighbors?

A. If you have photos that show damages from Hurricane Matthew to your insured property, by all means report the loss to your insurance carrier as soon as possible. I would suggest you email the photos to the claim office.....click to read the rest of the answer.  

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As property owners with insurance claims resulting from Hurricane Matthew start to receive settlement offers from their insurance company, our public insurance adjusters continue to field calls and questions from people still struggling through the insurance claims process resulting from Hurricane Matthew. One question that frequently comes up involves how much roof damage there must be for the entire roof to be replaced. 
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