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Hurricane Ida – A Sobering Reminder for South Floridians

As our thoughts and prayers are with the people of New Orleans and the surrounding areas, residents of South Florida should go over their own hurricane preparedness so you are ready should a strong storm visit our beautiful shores. There are more than a few things you can do to be better prepared for the inevitable hurricane, some of which will only take you a minute or two. Let’s look at some quick but important proactive measures you should take in order to lessen the potential devastation you may experience at the hands of a storm. First, you should keep a running file containing photos and receipts for all your valuable purchases contained in your home. Furniture, televisions, jewelry – anything with a substantial monetary value should be included in this inventory. Should you need to file a claim requesting the replacement cost value of any of these items, your inventory file will be an invaluable part of this claim....

My Neighbor’s Tree Damaged my Home – What Should I Do?

Here in South Florida, development of our beautiful shores has resulted in properties in close proximity to each other. While your neighbor’s trees may provide you some much desired shade, these landscape features could become a major headache should they damage your property during a storm. Many people assume that damage incurred as a result of a neighbor’s tree would be the responsibility of that neighbor, but this is often not the case. What, then, should you do to ensure you are appropriately compensated for the damage sustained to your home or business? You should first inform your insurance company of the incident and your intent to file a claim against your insurance policy. Ultimately your insurance company will determine liability, as they have the requisite experience and motivation to do so. You should also document the damage to your property with plenty of pictures, as well as pictures of the tree in question. If the tree was in a...

Choosing a Contractor to Complete Property Repairs

When your home or business requires regular maintenance or repair, you likely opt for the most reasonably priced service provider in order to minimize your out of pocket costs. While this route is best for your wallet, when it comes to more substantial repairs or rebuilds which occur after a catastrophe, the cheapest provider is not the best option for you. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you pick a service provider to restore your home or business to its original working order. When it comes to more intensive structural repairs, you want to be certain the contractor you pick has the appropriate experience and licensure in order to properly complete the necessary repairs. You should always ask to see your repair professional’s licenses, as proper licenses are required for them to be able to have your repair job properly permitted and documented with the local municipal government. Additionally, you should look for a contractor who...

What is a Public Adjuster?

The vast majority of homeowners and business owners across the country are unaware that public adjusters exist. This is not surprising, as the property insurance industry has done their best to avoid spotlighting the existence of these helpful third party assessors. As a property owner, it is beneficial for you to understand what a public adjuster is and how these professionals can help you recover all the funds due you during the insurance claim process. Let’s look at what exactly a public adjuster is and how their services may benefit you should you need to file a claim with your property insurance carrier. A public adjuster is an independent, objective third party whose role is to accurately assess the property damage you have sustained and to negotiate on your behalf with your insurance carrier to appropriately resolve your claim. This is a far preferable process for you as the property owner, given the alternative is relying on your insurance carrier’s...

How is a Public Adjuster Compensated?

Now that you know what a Public Adjuster is and how they can help you, you are likely wondering how exactly these professionals are paid. Money is a big motivator, and indeed one of the reasons you should seek the help of a public adjuster is to avoid leaving yourself at the mercy of an insurance adjuster whose loyalties ultimately lie with the insurance carrier. Who, then, foots the bill for the public adjuster – who is motivating their performance? Public Adjusters are paid out of the final settlement of your insurance claim. In effect, both you and your insurance carrier are paying for the services of your public adjuster, which keeps any untoward pressure out of the equation. Your public adjuster is very much on your side in terms of ensuring your rights are defended and you get all the financial compensation you are entitled to, while at the same time properly reading and interpreting the terms and limitations...

Commercial Property Claims – Should I Go it Alone?

Business and commercial property owners tend to be a very savvy bunch. It takes a certain level of intellect and common sense to succeed in the world of small business and real estate investment. Given your success in these areas, you likely feel equipped to handle a claim against your commercial property insurance on your own. You should consider a few things before you take on this intensive and arduous task, as it could end up costing you in the long run for several reasons. First, as an entrepreneur and business owner you have learned that your time is often more valuable than your money. Intelligent and successful business owners are quickly able to discern when a task would be worth completing themselves, or when it makes more financial sense to contract an activity out to an employee or third party. When it comes to filing and completing an insurance claim, this process often demands a great deal of time,...

I’m Unhappy with the Result of my Claim – What can I Do?

This is a situation which plays out every day across the country, and indeed we at People’s Insurance Claim Center receive such calls all the time. You decided to take on the insurance claim process yourself, feeling yourself equipped to handle this task. Now the insurance company has bullied you into a corner, and are offering a settlement which will not adequately cover the repair and restoration of your property which you were after. There may be some recourse for you in this situation, depending on a few factors. First, if you have entered into an agreement with your insurance carrier regarding the settlement of your claim, it is unfortunately too late to back out. The settlement agreement you signed is a binding legal contract releasing your insurance carrier of any additional liability regarding your claim. Unless your insurer fails to uphold their end of the agreement, there is nothing you can do except take your settlement money, repair your...

My Business is Inoperable due to Property Damage – What Can I Do?

For business owners, damage to your commercial property is often a one-two punch financially speaking. Not only must you spend time and money repairing your property, but your business will likely have to close for a period of time resulting in a loss of income. This is not a hopeless scenario for business owners, as usually commercial property insurance policies include coverage for loss of income in exactly these situations. However, successfully recovering these funds is a difficult process. What is the best course of action for you as a business owner to take in order to effectively serve your fiscal needs during this time? First and foremost, records of your gross revenues for the past year will be a critical component of any attempt to receive a payout for lost income. As a successful business owner, you likely already have these records either in raw data form or a spreadsheet for tax purposes. If you’ve not already done so,...

What does a Public Adjuster do for Me?

Most property owners are unaware that public adjusters exist, let alone the details of the services provided by these professionals. It is important you as a home or business owner understand the role a public adjuster could play in your insurance claim process, as their services could make a substantial difference in your experience and satisfaction with the outcome of your claim. Let’s examine what you can expect your public adjuster to handle on your behalf through the claims process. The first thing your public adjuster will handle is the assessment and documentation of all the damage to your property. This will require some assistance on your part, especially if there were personal property items lost during the event. Documentation of your ownership and the replacement value of these items will largely come from you, but the evaluation of damage to any structures as well as the estimated cost of repairs will be handled by the public adjuster. This is...

I’ve Suffered Property Damage! What Should I Do?

It is an overwhelming and emotional time for any property owner – your beloved home or business has sustained damage during a storm or some other catastrophic event. You are likely at a loss in terms of where to go from here, but there are a few important steps you should take in order to expedite a return to normalcy for you and your property. Here are a few things you should do as soon as possible in order to ensure a complete and minimally painful claims and repair process for you and your home or business. First, you should document the extent and nature of the damages to your property once you are able to do so safely. You can never have too many pictures of any structural damage, so be sure to take plenty which depict both an overview and details pertaining to the damage. It may not be possible for you to get detailed pictures of damage...