Você está na página 1de 95

The Hidden Secrets to Your Property Insurance

Your Insurance Company Is Scared to Death You Will Learn!

Scott J Melrose
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 1

The Hidden Secrets to Your Property Insurance


Your Insurance Company Is Scared to Death You Will Learn

Copyright 2012 by Scott J Melrose All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 2

Forward
Scott hit the nail right on the head. As a Real Estate investor, I have to deal with insurance companies all the time. In my experience, they will do everything they can to pay you as little as they can get away with. Scott understands the plight of the homeowner and the business owner when they have damage to their property. He gets you the maximum settlement possible. His book will open the eyes of a lot of people. Its a shame so many homeowners dont realize they could and should get more than the insurance company paid them. Bottom line is you should never file an insurance claim without using someone like Scott. Read his book and you will never file a claim without Scott or a Public Adjuster again. Great book thank you. Paul J Da Costa Realtor and Real Estate Investor.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 3

Dedication
Thanks to so many people: My colleagues and trainers who have taught me so much; The insurance companies who create the opportunities to make a living by helping my clients get what they deserve in the first place; My beautiful and wonderful wife Sue for her support and understanding as I established myself in this business and wrote this book; Most of all, my past, present and future clients who put their trust in me to get the insurance companies to treat them fairly and pay them enough to cover their damages.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 4

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE? CHAPTER 2 JUST WHAT IS A PUBLIC ADJUSTER ANYWAY? CHAPTER 3 WHAT DOES MY POLICY COVER? CHAPTER 4 HOW MUCH SHOULD THE Y PAY ME? CHAPTER 5 WHAT ABOUT THE REASONS TO NOT CALL A PUBLIC ADJUSTER? CHAPTER 6 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE SPENDING ANOTHER DOLLAR ON PROPERTY INSURANCE CHAPTER 7 WHAT ABOUT MY COMMERCIAL PROPERTY? CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 EPLIOG 85 90 OK HOW DO I CHOOSE MY PUBLIC ADJUSTER? 79 65 42 30 16 12 6

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 5

Chapter One What Made the Difference?


In a nice neighborhood in your town, two families bought homes on the same street. The homes and the families were very much alike. They were smart, educated, and got along well with all the other neighbors. Their homes were very much alike as well. In fact, they were the same model and built in the same year. Both were tastefully updated and kept in beautiful condition. Then last summer came the storm. Like many other homes, the storm pelted both homes with large hail and tore off shingles, siding and fence sections with the high winds that came with the storm. The damage to each home was similar as well.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 6

But, there was one big difference. One of the homeowners got a check for thousands of dollars. The other homeowner was denied and received nothing. In fact, the second homeowner even lost their claim free discount just for trying to get the money they felt they deserved. Have you ever wondered, just what makes this kind of difference in the outcome? It isnt always the amount of damage or even that one has a good insurance company or a good agent. In fact, this happens all the time. It happens when neighbors have the same policy with the same company. It happens when they have the same agent. It even happens when the insurance company sends out the same adjuster on the same day. The difference comes from what people know and how they use that
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 7

knowledge the hidden secrets to their policies. Getting paid fairly for your damage doesnt have to be random. Some people know who to call and ask to help them. Those fortunate people get what the insurance company should pay them. They use it to get thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars in settlements, while neighbors get the treatment. And that is why I am writing this book about how thousands of homeowners can benefit by hiring an advocate to work with their insurance company. For that is the whole purpose of the service: To give homeowners knowledge and representation representation that will get them the ca$h their insurance company should be paying them. You see my service as an advocate for the homeowner is a
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 8

unique service. Its about a fancy word in the insurance industry, indemnify. Indemnify is one of those fancy words the insurance companies use to confuse homeowners even those with Ivy League educations. The Barrons Dictionary of Insurance Terms defines indemnify as, Compensate for loss. Well thats fine, but just what does it mean in your case? Just how do you figure out exactly how much you should get for your damage? Each day, I represent homeowners on a broad range of properties, types of damage, and coverage issues. I assist the homeowners, no matter which type of damage or which insurance company. Not just storms and fires, but any kind of damage that is sudden and accidental; whether leaky pipes, damaged floors, fireplace mishaps, broken furnaces,
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 9

vandalism, leaky roofs, and dozens of other types of damage. Right now, Im thinking of some of the stories of past clients. One lady got a denial from her insurance company for hail damage even though many neighbors got money. Then she replaced the roof out of her own pocket. You will be shocked when I tell you how I was able to get her the money to pay for the roof. Every type of damage is in those stories: storm damage, fire damage, smoke damage, cracked tiles, gouged hardwood, stained carpet, stained hardwood, leaky pipes, water damaged laminate floors, water in cabinets, and dozens of others. So, whats so special about me that allows me to get my clients thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars that their

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 10

insurance companies would not pay them?

Well, it comes down to a specific license, training, experience, and the commitment to fight for my clients. What makes it all possible is the license I hold for a position that most people have never heard of. Im a licensed and bonded Public Adjuster.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 11

Chapter Two Just What Is a Public Adjuster Anyway?


Public Adjusting has a long history in the United States. One of the early Public Adjusters was also one of our founding fathers Benjamin Franklin. Its not surprising at all that Dr. Franklin was a skilled negotiator for his clients. Knowing his skill as a negotiator, Im sure he helped people get good settlements. States began setting up Licensing structures for Public Adjusters in the late 1800s. So, public adjusting has been around in a formal structure for well over 100 years. As I write this book, 44 states and the District of Columbia
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 12

have a licensing structure or regulation set up and operating. Virginias law goes into effect January 1, 2013. Once the Virginia law goes into effect only Alaska, Arkansas, South Dakota and Wisconsin will have no licensing structure or regulation set up. Alabama is a special case. While it does have a licensing structure, only an attorney licensed in Alabama is permitted to hold the Public Adjusters license in that state. Many states follow a model law that has been approved by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners NAIC. That model law describes a public adjuster as: "any person who, for compensation or any other thing of value, acts on behalf of an insured Each state has its own nuances in the law it adopts. For example, my home state of Illinois actually
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 13

requires anyone who negotiates with the insurance company for someone else to be a licensed Public Adjuster. Violating that law is a misdemeanor in Illinois. On the other hand, many states allow contractors to negotiate with insurance companies. They work to get payment for repairs they are making. Part of the Florida law forced property owners wait for 48 hours after having damage to hire a Public Adjuster. The Florida Supreme Court struck down that part of the law in 2012. Some states have called fee caps. A limits the percentage settlement the Public receive. what are fee cap of a Adjuster may

The fee cap ends up keeping property owners from getting the help they need on smaller claims.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 14

You see the amount of work it takes to help a homeowner with claim is about the same until you get into very large claims. The work becomes much more extensive at say $50,000 or so. When the percentage of a settlement the Public Adjuster can receive is limited, its no longer worth it to work on a small claim. Many Public Adjusters wont work on claims under about $30,000 even in states without a fee cap. The insurance companies love fee caps because they end up not having to pay on many claims that could get the homeowners thousands of dollars. The homeowners in most cases dont even realize they could collect money on the damage at all.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 15

Chapter Three What Does My Policy Cover?


The insurance industry created the first standardized homeowners insurance policy in 1943. It was called a standard policy. The standard policy was limited compared to current policies. It covered only fire and lightning. Not surprisingly, banks played a big role in creating the standardized homeowners insurance policy. I will give both the banks and the insurance companies their do. The post-WWII housing explosion in the United Sates would not have been possible with the homeowners policies. Even though the standard policy was created, so the banks cover their own butts. Current policies come in three different types: Basic, Broad or
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 16

Special. The special is also called all risk or all peril. The type that you have can make a tremendous difference in how much you get paid for damage. The basic policy is rarely if ever sold to home owners these days. You can still find it for rental property though. The basic policy covers 9 named types of damage. The industry uses the word peril for a type of damage. Those 9 perils are: Fire Lightning Explosion Windstorm and hail Riot or civil commotion Vehicles (not driven by owner) - Smoke - Volcanic eruption - Vandalism or malicious mischief
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 17

Some of these types of damage can come from unexpected causes though. Smoke in particular is an under claimed cause of damage. You see, smoke can come from a cooking mishap. It can come from a fireplace mishap. Smoke can even come from a damaged furnace. Well go over the impact of that smoke damage when we discuss some actual clients. The broad policy adds an additional 7 named perils to bring the total to 16. Those 7 perils are: - Falling objects - Weight of ice and snow - Accidental discharge of water - Tearing apart, cracking, burning or bulging (of HVAC) - Frozen pipes (when building is properly heated)
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 18

- Artificially generated electrical current - Collapse Now we come to the type of homeowners policy that the vast majority of people have. Its the special or all risk or all peril policy. The industry name is HO-3. In the all-risk policy, it covers any damage that is sudden and accidental as long as the policy does not specifically exclude it up front. Whats excluded? Here is a good start on common exclusions in an all-risk policy: - Flood (you can get flood coverage from the federal government in a specific policy though) - Earthquake (called ground movement)

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 19

- Damage from most types of pests (especially insects and members of the rodent family) - Wear and tear (including most damage caused by pets) - Negligence - Mold (unless caused by a covered peril) - Ongoing damage that is not addressed (mitigation is important) - War (when the Japanese bomb your town, thats not covered) While that looks like a lot, those exclusions leave many types of losses that are covered that most people dont realize. My colleagues and I have gotten homeowners paid thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars for the following types of damage: - Cracked ceramic tile - Gauged hardwood floor

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 20

- Water damaged hardwood floor - Damaged laminate floor - Soaked carpet - Stains or spills on carpet - Toilet overflows - Broken pipes - Tub or shower overflows - Water damaged sub-floor - Water back-up from sewer or sump pump(requires endorsement) - Building code updates (check your policy) - Damaged personal property - Damaged clothing - Damaged granite counter tops - Smoke damage from a cracked heat exchanger - Smoke damage from a faulty water heater - Smoke damage from a fireplace in the garage - Stolen computers - Stolen furnace - Stolen water heater
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 21

Stolen cabinets Damage from break in Damage from tenants Damage from raccoons (one of the few types of pest damage that is often covered; raccoon droppings are treated as hazardous waste) Cars driving into the house (your homeowners policy will pay much more than going directly through the drivers auto policy) Stolen copper pipes Stolen wiring Garbage truck hitting garage Eggs on siding Dent from baseball in siding Melted siding from a hot grill Stolen jewelry Stolen property while traveling

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 22

- Loss of use of home or business property - Tear out and repair when pipes burst or break - Frozen pipes - Damage caused by the homeowners themselves. And I could add many more types of covered damage. But, you get the idea by now. Herere a couple of things most people are missing. First, dozens (maybe hundreds) of types of damage are covered. Still most homeowners only even consider filing for damage like a large fire or major storm damage. Second, payment for damage can add up a lot quicker than people realize. It happens because the policy is designed to pay enough to bring the property back to pre-loss condition. Heres where that fancy word we used back in Chapter 1 comes in.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 23

The fancy word is indemnify. For the homeowner it means to pay enough to put the property back in pre-loss condition. So, how does that work exactly? Lets look at a common type of loss that homeowners almost always overlook cracked ceramic tile. An important characteristic of ceramic tile is that it is made by laminating a high definition photo onto the visible surface of the tile. The appearance of the tile varies by lot. Usually that same exact tile often the same manufacturers lot is no longer available. In that case, the insurance company must pay to replace all of the tile. They pay to replace all of it, even if in more than one room. What if the tile runs under cabinets? Those cabinets must be removed and re-installed.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 24

What if the cabinets have granite counter tops? The granite counter tops need to be removed and re-installed. What if the tile runs under appliances? The appliances must be moved (by professionals) and reinstalled. You see how it can all add up. Heres an example. One of my clients in Hazel Crest, IL had a hailstorm go through her neighborhood. Many of her neighbors were able to get some kind of payment from their insurance company. Her insurance company denied her claim for hail damage to the roof. Since she replaced the roof with money out of her own pocket, it was too late for me to help her directly with the hail damage. However, while performing the damage audit, I found a cracked ceramic tile.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 25

I was able to get her a settlement that was over $12,000.00 for that cracked tile because of the factors I just listed. It was a large floor that ran under cabinets with expensive counter tops. She even had commercial grade appliances. Lets look at a couple of things that happened to me before I knew about Public Adjusters and just how policies work. I dropped the battery from my cordless drill and gauged the hardwood floor in my brand new home. Not knowing any better, I ran out to the big box home improvement store and bought a can of wood repair glop. Glop is a technical term by the way. ;-) Over a weekend, I filled the gauged area with several coats of glop. I carefully made it level. Then I masked off the good part of the floor while sanding the
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 26

hardened glop to be level and smooth. Once I had that looking OK, I got some magic markers. I colored in the hardened glop to match the rest of the floor as closely as I could. I made the best of it, but the floor has never been quite the same. I didnt understand back then that the policy covers that damage. Not only would the policy cover, but also it would pay to repair and refinish the entire floor in three large rooms. Another time I left the plate out from under a potted plant in the family room. By the time my wife caught it, water getting through the dirt and the metal pot created a huge rust stain in the middle of the carpet. Not knowing any better, we just lived with the damage. The policy covers that damage as well
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 27

though. The policy would pay to replace all of the carpet, and the pad. If the sub floor were damaged, it would be covered as well. One of the people who trained me as a Public Adjuster has a young son. While he was giving his son a bath, he got a phone call. While on the phone call, his son decided to see how quickly he could empty the tub with his toy bucket onto the floor. Some of that water even got into the vent. That water went all the way down to the basement and damaged the furnace. Yes, its a covered loss. The owner got enough money to make all of the repairs. So, what made between the damage has to live with the homeowner gets the difference the homeowner and damage that paid?

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 28

The difference is access to a licensed and bonded Public Adjuster. You see, as a Public Adjuster, my job is to get the homeowner the highest settlement possible under their policy. The policy is a contract. When all conditions of the policy are met, that contract directs the insurance company to indemnify pay the homeowner. You may be wondering about fairness to the insurance companies. You may be asking, If everyone gets that kind of settlement, what happens to insurance rates? Well go over how insurance companies pay in the next chapter.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 29

Chapter Four How Much Should They Pay Me?


We ended Chapter 4 by looking at how a small bit of damage to one ceramic tile can trigger a 5-figure payment from the homeowners policy. Does that type of claim treat the insurance company badly? Well, first of only a small fraction of people who have similar damage ever report or get paid for it. Those who report most of the types of damage I listed on their own will be lucky to get any payment at all. The lucky few who do will get a pittance. Why does that happen? Well talk about it some more later, but it comes down to the conditions required for payment and presenting the damage properly to the insurance company.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 30

Right now, lets go over the general state of payments for damage by insurance companies. Since the mid 1990s the insurance industry has been hiring high-powered management consultants to teach them how to be able to pay out less on damage claims. The insurance companies have turned this into a science. You can read about it in a book titled, Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Dont Pay Claims and What You Can Do about It by Jay Feinman. The ISBN is 9781591843153. Or you can view the 2007 PBS/Bloomberg Markets program, Insurance 9-1-1, The Insurance Hoax hosted by David Brancaccio a Walter Cronkite Award Winner. You can purchase it from PBS. Or you can find it on youtube.com in three parts. Both the book and the video will show you just how serious the
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 31

insurance companies are about paying as little as they can. you already knew that or you wouldnt still be reading.

But,

Brancaccio and two reporters from Bloomberg Markets Magazine review how the insurance companies have made a systematic effort to reduce their payments on claims. That effort happened at the same time their profits skyrocketed. Also, Smart Money Magazine interviewed a former insurance company adjuster. That adjuster told Smart Money Magazine that 80% of the former employers clients ended up with 25 to 40 cents on the dollar. The comparison was against homeowners who got an independent estimate from say a Public Adjuster. Then there is the Florida study. After one of the bad hurricane seasons in the early 2000s, two of the largest
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 32

insurance companies decided not to write new policies in parts of Florida. Florida told them to either write new policies in the whole state or write none. The two companies chose none. The two companies have over half of the market. When they pulled out, it created a mess in Florida. Florida wanted to fill the gap and create some choice for their residents. Florida created a state run insurance company. Its called Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. This company was new and not used to the higher settlements when a Public Adjuster helps the homeowner. Citizens Property Insurance Corp. was alarmed by the difference between payouts when a Public Adjuster worked on the claim. So, they demanded an investigation.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 33

The Florida Legislatures Office of Program and Policy Analysis & Government Accountability studied over 72,000 claims. OPPAGA found that the Public Adjusters were not doing anything wrong. The Public Adjusters were just being more thorough to document everything the policyholder should get. So just how much more were homeowners getting when they used a Public Adjuster? The OPPAGA study of the 2005 hurricane season found that using a Public Adjuster increased the settlement from an average of $1391 to $9379 when no named storm was present. Thats a 574% increase. If a named storm was involved, the difference was even greater. Then the average settlement went from $2029 without a Public Adjuster to $17,187 with a Public Adjuster. The difference for the claims with a named storm was 747%.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 34

See figure 1 on page 34. Now the numbers we just looked at are for storm damage. What about other types of damage? Lets talk about fire then. We sometimes work together with a large restoration company. Im leaving out their name because they do get business directly from insurance companies. They like to work with Public Adjusters when they can. One of their people said that when they work with a good Public Adjuster, the Public Adjuster gets a settlement over two times what they would bill out when working with the insurance company directly. Yes, you read that correctly. Working with a Public Adjuster will

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 35

Figure 1: How Much More $$$$$ Can You Get Using a Public Adjuster?

Florida Data:

20000 18000 16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0

Without PA With PA

CAT Event ($)

Non-CAT Event ($)

Source: FL Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/reports/pdf/1006rpt.pdf

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 36

get the homeowner a settlement twice as high as dealing directly with the insurance company and their restoration company. That observation comes from a key person working for a major restoration company. By the way, all the numbers and stories I just shared understate the impact of a Public Adjuster on settlements. You see, all those numbers and most of the stories dont reflect people who were wrongly denied. Many of my own clients would get literally nothing without help. The insurance companies regularly deny people for claims that could and should be paid. I help get those people paid by presenting the claim properly. It could be a homeowner with a broken pipe in the basement, who tells the insurance company he has a flood. If you remember, flood
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 37

is one of the exclusions to all of these policies. I like to refer to flood as the f-word because it trips up so many homeowners. Words such as accidental discharge or water back-up or overflow from a blockage work so much better. Also, the numbers dont reflect a situation one of my colleagues worked on. A homeowner had a whole house fire. She had contacted the insurance company before working with my colleague. Her insurance companys adjuster forgot to remind her that she was covered for the loss of use of her home. Instead of staying in a hotel that was direct billed to the insurance company, she and her children were sleeping in her car in the driveway. The homeowner did stay in a hotel after my colleague took care of the situation.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 38

Another trick insurance companies like to use after a large loss is the Trojan Dumpster. You remember the story of the Trojan horse? Thats the story of the Greeks failing to take the city of Troy. The Greeks made a show of breaking up their camp and leaving. Just before boarding ships, they left a huge horse outside the gates of Troy. The Trojans thought they had successfully weathered the storm and brought the horse inside the city gates as they celebrated. The Trojans did not count on the small group of Greek soldiers hiding inside the horse. Once the Trojans were exhausted from celebrating, the Greeks hidden in the horse emerged and opened the gates to Troy. This allowed the Greek army, which had

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 39

stayed nearby to finally conquer Troy. Often after a large fire or major storm, the insurance company will quickly send out a dumpster. The homeowner finds the dumpster handy to get rid of all the things that have been ruined. The insurance company adjuster will show up after the dumpster has been removed. When the homeowners try to get paid for those damaged items, they are at the mercy of the insurance company adjuster. You see, one of the seven conditions we have been discussion is that the insurance company has the right to inspect any damage they are paying for. Pictures are not enough. They have the right to inspect the damaged items. If you can no longer produce those items for inspection, they dont have to pay for them.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 40

Thats true even if the insurance company sent the dumpster you used to dispose of the items. So beware before throwing out damaged items from a fire or other large loss. I spoke with a lady who had tornado damage. She and her husband had already tossed their large swing set/play center in the dumpster the insurance company happily provided. I warned her about the need to have the actual swing set available for examination by the insurance company adjuster. She was less than happy with my news. I do hope that she and her husband pulled it out of the dumpster so they could be paid properly for it.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 41

Chapter Five What about the Reasons to Not Call a Public Adjuster?
Now for those of you who are not yet convinced, there can only be seven reasons. Lets go over them: First, you may be thinking, My damage looks small. I can just live with it or make a minor repair myself. Ill wait until something really big happens to call the insurance company. Well, only a trained professional can truly tell whether damage that looks small can give you a big payment or not.

Is MY Damage Big Enough?


Often damage that looks and is small can cause the insurance company to pay a lot. With the right person, telling them in the right way sometimes the insurance
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 42

company will pay to replace an entire surface because the surface is no longer repairable. That surface can be a floor (tile, hardwood or laminate), a roof or siding. There are dozens of ways for this to happen, so get a professional a Public Adjuster - to see if your damage is a lot bigger than it looks. Also, often we need to address damage under the surface that you may not see by looking at the outside. A good Public Adjuster will make sure the insurance company addresses ALL of the damage. Even if the damage looks small and you can fix it with a small inexpensive repair, you may be jeopardizing the very thing you are trying to preserve. You see a small patch job on one part of the house can allow the insurance

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 43

company to pay you a lot less once you do have big damage. Almost daily I see people who have cost themselves thousands of dollars because they made a small repair themselves. Its so sad when they could have gotten a much better outcome by making one simple phone call. Another part of this objection is when people are afraid that the insurance company will jack up their rates for filing a claim. Insurance is regulated on a state-by-state basis. So, there are some differences from state to state. For the states that I currently am licensed (IL & IN) insurance is regulated by the Department of Insurance in that state. Those same departments issue my license in each state.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 44

It is against the regulations of the Department of Insurance for an insurance company to: - Drop a homeowner - Choose not to renew a homeowner - Raise the homeowners premiums. The one thing that they can mess with for filing a claim is a claim-free discount. The claim-free discount is a small bribe the insurance company offers in return for not filing a claim. It typically is about $150 or so. When you file a claim, the insurance company will withhold that discount for 3 years. The net effect is like adding about $500 or so to your deductible. Therefore, it just means your deductible hurdle is a little bit higher. I take it into account
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 45

prior to any recommendation on filing a claim.

Hey Melrose, Im Pretty Smart Myself


A second reason you might not be convinced yet, is that you think you can do this yourself and save the fee. Yes, Public Adjusters do charge a fee for their services. Licensed and bonded Public Adjusters have to maintain a license. That includes continuing education. Being paid for the service is Public Adjusters feed their families. However, remember the data on how much more people end up with when they use a Public Adjuster? The state of Florida data says that homeowners who use Public Adjusters get 574% to 747% higher settlements for their claims. Also, remember the Smart Money Magazine interview with a former insurance company adjuster. She said her insurance companys
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 46

clients routinely ended up with much less. They got only 25 to 40 cents on the dollar - compared to those who got an independent appraisal. In the 2007 Article by David Dietz and Darrell Preston of Bloomberg Markets Magazine, Home Insurance Secret Tactics Cheat Fire Victims, Hike Profits, the two authors document funny business by multiple insurance companies. Dietz and Preston quoted an email from a manager at a major insurance company to resist the temptation of paying more just to move this type of file. They also quoted Jo Ann Katzman, a former claims adjuster at a major insurance company. Ms Katzman told about pep talks to keep claim payments down and prizes awarded to adjusters who deny fire claims by blaming the fire on arson.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 47

Yes, you can go up against the insurance company on your own if you want to. But, consider this: If you were deciding this in court, would you let the insurance company hire an attorney to represent both of you? I didnt think so. Why do that same thing now when there isnt even a neutral judge present to protect your rights? Those who are truly smart know when to bring in a specialist. They hire someone who works in the field every day. They know its not worth the time to keep up with something they use once every decade or so. They also know spending the time and hassle to grind out a payment from the insurance company will cost them in their own productivity. Or it could cost them in time they would rather spend with friends and family.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 48

to a miss stay come Ill

How often do you want to say loved one, Im sorry? Ill your event because I have to home for the contractor to out for an estimate. Maybe make it next time.

What Am I Paying the Agent For?


Some people just call their agent when they have damage. It seems logical. After all, Hes the guy Im paying for this policy. He should know. Sadly, thats rarely the case. Agents get lots of training on how to SELL insurance. The companies conveniently skip the dozens of types of damage that people do get paid for. Agents dont even learn how to use the software that generates claim estimates. In fact, the agents who want to get paid top dollar on their own personal claims know who to call.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 49

Its NOT their own company adjusters. One of my colleagues was called out to a house for a water stain on the ceiling. The stain was small. There was no opening in the roof. The walls and floor were undamaged. My colleague had to reluctantly tell the client that the damage was not large enough to submit to the insurance company. When he was walking down the stairs to leave, he noticed a huge blue stain in the carpet. He missed that stain because he had been looking at the ceiling. The carpet ran throughout the first floor and up the stairs. He asked the homeowner, Whats the deal with the blue stain? The homeowner told an interesting story about the stain.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 50

When the homeowners son does laundry, he piles up the laundry basket until its overflowing. Next, the son puts the detergent bottle on top of the pile of clothes. Then he drags the basket down the stairs, letting it bounce on each step. One time the bottle of detergent fell and cracked. It tumbled to the bottom of the stairs and dumped out all the detergent while the son stood there dumbfounded. As much as he tried, the homeowner could not get out the huge blue stain. My colleague responded that the stain was sudden and accidental damage. Therefore, it would be covered by the homeowners policy. After my colleague wrote up the claim, he was about to leave for a second time. The homeowner said, By the way Im a (well known insurance company) agent.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 51

My colleague replied, Thats OK, I dont discriminate! And the homeowner said, No, no, youre not getting it. I had no idea that damage was covered. If the insurance companies dont even tell their own agents about what is covered? How are the homeowners supposed to know? If the insurance companies did share all of these secrets with their agents, the agents would tell the homeowners. Telling the agents would cost them a lot more money. Thats one big reason why you need a Public Adjuster to level the playing field.

The Two-Step; Does It Work?


You might be thinking, Ill get my offer from the insurance companys guy and then call Melrose to see if he can improve the offer. Does that actually work? It depends. Is your objective to
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 52

pay the lowest amount possible for any service you use? Or, is your objective to end up with the most cash possible in your own pocket?

How Do You Get the Most Ca$h for Your Damage?


When it comes to dealing with the insurance company and their expert adjusters, those are two different matters. You see a homeowner can torpedo their claim with ONE WRONG WORD. There is one word in particular that you NEVER want to say to the insurance company. Know what it is? Its that f-word we talked about earlier flood. In the hundred of policies Ive reviewed for homeowners, I have met one who had a flood policy from the federal government program.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 53

Even he was using it in a way that would not get him paid though. Well talk about that more when we discuss what endorsements should be included in your policy. Also, your policy has seven conditions that you need to meet before they will pay. If you have skipped a step, it could be big trouble for you. When the insurance company adjuster shows up, the adjuster can reduce or even deny the claim for that alone. Some of those I cant help once the insurance company adjuster has his own set of pictures or his notes on what he saw before the homeowner fulfilled their obligations under the policy. Be careful when you talk to anyone at the insurance company about your claim. You see, anything you say can and will be used against you. What you say can and often does allow the insurance
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 54

company to reduce or even deny your claim. Even if you say everything correctly, you need to give the insurance company an estimate. To get paid fully, you need to use the same format the insurance companies use. Its called Xactimate. If you meet the insurance company adjuster by yourself, the adjuster usually will make that lowball offer of 25 to 40 cents on the dollar. Hell then inform the insurance company of the amount. And, the insurance company expects to get away with the lowball offer. Once you make that misstep, getting full payment becomes a fight.

But Scott, They Already Gave Me a Check!


Another reason you may not have already called me for an appointment is that they already
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 55

gave you a check. Maybe you cashed it too. Well, its not too late to help you. Even if they denied your claim, its not too late to call in a Public Adjuster. Often a Public Adjuster can still help. Youll need to talk about the details to see. In most states by law, a Public Adjuster can re-open your claim up to 365 days after the date of your loss. I wont sugar coat this. Its a lot tougher to get you ca$h in this case. It can and does happen though. So, what are you waiting for? Talk with a Public Adjuster! Even if they gave you what you think is a good settlement, you can have damage they did not address that is worth THOUSANDS to you! Remember the restoration company we looked at earlier? The one who also does insurance work. Even though they get much of their
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 56

business directly from the insurance company, they LOVE to work with a Public Adjuster when they can. One of their top guys shared the reason with me. He said that when they work with a Public Adjuster, we get the homeowners twice what the insurance company would pay out. This contractor is NOT a cut-rate contractor either.

A Nice Man Came to the Door and Its So Convenient!


When a big storm hits, construction companies send out salesmen to go door to door to sign up business. Those companies can seem like such a good option. They will promise to get your work taken care of and guarantee that you dont have to come out of pocket. Ill admit its a tempting offer on the surface. Its convenient and takes a lot of the
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 57

hassle out of getting your damage addressed. Did you know though that your insurance company is not required by law to listen to them or respect their estimate? In fact, very few of them use the state of the art estimating software Xactimate, the gold standard of the estimating industry that Public Adjusters use.

My Contractor Is Not Acting Legally?!?!?


In at least one state (Illinois), representing a homeowner on insurance settlements without the proper license Public Adjuster is not even legal. Yes, that includes contractors. It especially is meant for storm chasers. Dont take my word for it by the way. Ask the contractor (in IL) if he is complying with 215 ILCS 5/1510 and 215 ILCS 5/1605.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 58

Not complying is a Class A misdemeanor under 215 ILCS 5/1610. So why would the insurance company even talk with them? Its simple really. How much leverage can a contractor who is not acting legally have over the insurance company? If you answered, Not much. Youre right. The insurance company is typically willing to talk with contractors. Why? Its because they KNOW they can get away with paying less money than when you have the proper and legal advocate. Guess who? A licensed and bonded Public Adjuster can do a much better job of representing YOUR interests.

How Do You KNOW How Well Your Contractor Is Performing?


So then, how can the contractor still work and get enough money so they dont go
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 59

broke? Well, if they addressed everything that a thorough Xactimate estimate would call for, they wouldnt. They would lose money. So how do they make up for not getting enough money from the insurance company to cover the costs for a true repair? The only way they can make that up is skip parts of the repair that are in a good Xactimate estimate. So am I saying youre getting a bad repair? It depends. Some contractors are skilled enough to skip things that may not matter to getting the repair functional. Are they doing everything to bring the property back to pre-loss condition though? They cant. The only way to get ALL damage properly addressed by policy is to get an estimate Xactimate by someone trained of the the in and

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 60

incentivized to get you the most money possible under your policy. Thats a licensed and bonded Public Adjuster.

Will I Have Enough Money to Make the Repairs?


Again, it depends. One more place where it helps to have a Public Adjuster instead of just a contractor is when you have a complex job with damage to the interior and the exterior. You see, when the damage is that complex, a Public Adjuster can get the insurance company to tack on the funds to pay for a general contractor (overhead, profit, taxes, permits and insurance) whether you hire one or not. Adding on the general contractors fee can add up to 2530% to what you would get. Again, you are not required to hire one if you dont want to.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 61

Now anyone can go out and spend the kind of money for a repair that the folks who have more money than brains spend. If you hire one of those companies that are all over the TV channels, you probably will spend more money than you need to.

Just Who Should You Hire?


Contractors are scrambling right now. Its a very good bet that a contractor who has been working in your town for many years with a good reputation is available at a reasonable price these days. A Public Adjusters job is to get you the money for your repairs. We stay neutral among reliable local contractors. You are going to have to do some shopping. Check references and check with your local government and supply houses.

You Just Want Your House Fixed and Fixed Right!


For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 62

The seventh and final reason you may be thinking of not calling is that you may be concerned about how much hassle and time this will take. Well, the path to the least hassle other than putting your head in the sand and letting the damage just sit there for eternity is to call a licensed and bonded Public Adjuster. You see, a Public Adjuster can keep the insurance company from making you jump through lots of unnecessary hoops. You wont have to give the insurance company 3 estimates from contractors who are like herding cats. The contractors know the insurance companies are going to force you to accept the lowest bid. They know up front, that they are bidding against each other to cut corners the most and get paid the least or
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 63

putting in a few hours of work for no pay whatsoever. When you call a Public Adjuster, you wont be stuck with getting only the money from the lowest bid. Thats the guy willing to cut the most corners by the way. You wont have to play phone tag with the insurance company either.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 64

Chapter Six What You Need to Know Before Spending Another Dollar on Property Insurance
This chapter is based on a process I perform in homes hundreds of times each year. Its called a policy analysis. In the home, I translate a homeowners policy into English so the homeowner can understand their coverage. Out of the several hundred policies, I have examined only one had all the bases covered. The first thing I look at is the type of policy. I strongly believe that a homeowners best value for the money is in the allrisk or HO-3 policy. You pay a little bit more for it than a Broad or HO-2 policy. But the all-risk policy gives you so much more in coverage that it is one of the true
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 65

bargains in financial services available. If you own a house that you are no longer living in, see the chapter on commercial policies. Once you no longer live in the house, it becomes a commercial property and requires a commercial policy The change to commercial policy applies even if you have family members living there. I have met owners who thought their agent was doing them a favor and saving them a few bucks by keeping the policy a homeowners policy. In fact, those agents are putting the coverage in jeopardy. I have worked with an owner who received nothing from a whole house fire because his family lived in it while he lived elsewhere. Sadly, he contacted me too late in the process to help him at all. The insurance company already
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 66

had many recorded statements and written responses that doomed his chances to collect for the damage. Another thing to check is whether the homeowner has a forced place policy. The lender imposes these policies when the homeowner allows their policy to lapse. Forced-place policies are limited in their coverage. I have seen some that specifically exclude weather. That means lightning is not covered. The forced-place policy that excludes weather is weaker than even the standard policy which has been extinct for many years. Also, the forced placement policy costs a multiple of what a normal homeowners policy costs. And to top it off, the forced-place policy is designed to pay off the lender for a total loss not allowing the homeowner to rebuild.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 67

If you have one of these forced-place policies, I urge you to replace it with a normal homeowners policy as soon as you have 2 nickels to rub together. One of the most important numbers in the policy is your amount for the dwelling coverage. Its shown as Coverage A under many homeowners policies. The Coverage A number has two jobs. Each one comes into play if you have a total loss. The type of loss we concerned with here could be a whole house fire or a tornado carrying the house off to Kansas. If, God forbid, you have that total loss, the amount of Coverage A needs to be large enough to: - Pay off any mortgage(s) - Pay enough to totally rebuild from the ground up. The lenders are pretty good at keeping their butts covered, so I
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 68

dont concern myself with checking that out. I do mention it to the homeowner though in case they want to check it out. Being able to rebuild though is a bigger concern. The Coverage A amount needs to be large enough to pay to totally rebuild the house from the ground up. That number is typically higher than what the house would sell for. In my area at this time, $130 per square foot is a typical number contractors tell me they need to rebuild completely. Check on you area and for your type of house. In nicer neighborhoods in my area, it might take $150, $200 or even more per square foot. Check for your metro area and your neighborhood. It varies a lot. Another thing to check on that is a bit beyond what I look at in a policy review is the issue of full replacement value versus extended
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 69

replacement value. The reasons I havent been directly involved with are: - This issue has not been an issue in my markets to date - You should look at the full policy to make sure what you have. The episode of NOW hosted by David Brancaccio we discussed earlier spends much of the episode on this specific issue. Prior to the southern California fires of 2003, many insurance companies quietly changed the language of their policies. After the change to the Extended Replacement Value, many homeowners lost about 60% of their coverage in the case of a total loss. Some owners reported noticing the change and asking their agent. According to the homeowners, the agents told them that it was
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 70

the same or even a better policy. Unfortunately, that turned out not to be the case. The next part to look at in a policy review is an endorsement for water back-up. An endorsement is additional coverage for a specific peril or risk that the insurance company can offer. When you have water back-up through the sewer or sump pump, that water has traveled through the ground outside. Therefore, the water is contaminated by whatever is around the outside of your home. Those contaminants can be fertilizer, animal droppings, pesticides and herbicides just to name a few. The water from such a back-up is deemed hazardous waste. The industry terms are Category 3 or black water. No, black water is not just a song by the Doobie Brothers. It
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 71

can cost you big money without the proper coverage. When black water is in the home, the settlement for a proper clean up of an unfinished basement is usually around $10,000. Most insurance companies will sell this coverage in increments of $5000 or $10,000. A finished basement will need a minimum of around $20,000 to rebuild. Thats even if partially finished. When buying insurance for my own home with a finished basement, I would get as much coverage for water back-up as they would sell me. If they will only sell me $10,000, I would change insurance companies. I know that sounds awfully strong. However, I have talked to many homeowners who have no coverage or inadequate coverage for this type of loss. Unfortunately,
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 72

they didnt talk to me until after they needed it. Another coverage to look at is one called All Laws and Ordinances. The way this endorsement works comes down to the type of damage you have. Lets say you have damage that affects one of the systems in your house. For example, you could have a small fire in the kitchen that damages the electrical system. When you get your permits to have the work done, your local government will make you bring that system up to the current code. If you have the right endorsement, that repair is covered. If you dont have it, or dont have enough, then its out of your pocket. How much is enough? The best way to figure that is to consider how old your house is and what systems have been updated recently.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 73

One owner I worked with has a house that is over 80 years old. Half the house still has the original wiring. He has the kind that runs bare wire along insulators that are attached to the rafters. It would take him tens of thousands of dollars just on that system alone. What about plumbing systems? What if some damage forced you to update the entire plumbing system? Damage could also affect items like stair width, stair slope, window size, or how high a window is off the floor. Imagine what it takes to cut a hole in a brick wall to make a window bigger. One town in my metro area a special requirement any time a house in the older part of town has a major rehab. Those houses must comply with ADA - the Americans with Disabilities Act.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 74

For a major renovation in that area, you are looking at changes like: - making all doors wider - possibly installing a bathroom on the first floor - installing grab bars - adding lifts - adding ramps - many more changes Do you want to be the one footing that bill? Another coverage that few people think of is for their jewelry. Even the all-risk policy has limits of $1500 per piece of jewelry to $2500 maximum for all jewelry (and furs). By the way, that coverage only applies if you can provide a police report for the loss stole. If you cant provide a police report for the loss lost or damaged there is no coverage.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 75

At many of my appointments, the jewelry the wife has on her hand dwarfs that coverage. One lady had a large diamond ring on her finger. She explained that she thought they didnt need additional coverage on her ring because her husband only paid $450 for it in 1962. Im no expert on jewelry, but it looked like a $10,000+ replacement cost to me. The right way to address the jewelry issue is with a schedule for the specific pieces of jewelry. You tell your agent which pieces you have and what it would cost to replace them at todays prices. Once you have the schedule, your jewelry is covered wherever you take it. If you travel to Tibet and the jewelry turns up missing, its covered. Of course, each of these additional coverages will cost some
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 76

money. The coverages I recommend are for losses that could be quite expensive if self-insured. Most people dont realize that they are self-insured for those losses. They find out the hard way after its too late. Whether you invest in the coverages I suggested is a business decision for you. Do you want to take the risk for those types of losses? One final item for the policy review is the claim-free discount. We discussed it back in Chapter 5 and should re-visit it here. Remember, the claim-free discount is a small bribe the insurance company may offer to persuade you to not file a claim that could get you thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. In effect, it becomes an add-on to your deductible.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 77

When you file a claim, the insurance company will withhold that discount for three years. To figure it in to your decision, multiply your yearly discount by three and add it to your deductible.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 78

Chapter Seven What about My Commercial Property?


Commercial properties bring in some different wrinkles from the homeowners policy. If you are a landlord, you need a commercial policy. If you used to live in the property and decided to rent it out after moving, make sure you change the policy. Thats true even if: - You have a friend or family member staying there - You are not collecting rent - The agent is going along with it To repeat what we went over earlier, without the proper policy, you could well absorb any major
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 79

loss totally out of your own pocket. If your property is a residential building with 1 to 4 units, your policy will be similar to a homeowners policy. It will be a DP - dwelling policy instead of an HO on the paperwork. If you do own such a property that you no longer live in, you are better protected with a DP-1 (Basic 7 named perils) than an HO-3 (all-risk). The reason is that the insurance company can choose to not pay at all if you have the HO-3 and you dont reside in the property. If you have commercial property that is anything other than residential with 1-4 units, then you have a bit of a different animal. The commercial policy is made up of dozens of endorsements. We went over a few key endorsements for the homeowners policy. Well, for commercial, the
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 80

endorsements are pretty much the whole ball game. The endorsements giveth and the endorsements taketh away. Getting to the bottom of commercial policies requires analysis by a commercial policy specialist. Ill show you a way to get a complementary review of your commercial policy at the end of this chapter. A contractor once presented that over 50% of businesses that have a large loss due to insurable perils never re-open their doors. Ill confess that I lack hard statistics on that issue. I believe its in the ballpark though. Even if that 50% stat is double the real number, it means that when you set up your commercial insurance, you are betting your business on what you get.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 81

One commercial loss a colleague of mine worked on shows this. A multi-story hotel had its sprinkler system freeze and burst. The burst pipes created an indoor waterfall in the middle of winter. Initially, the insurance company denied the claim. My colleague was able to get the insurance company to take over the responsibility for the mortgage, so the owner did not get wiped out while going through the process. In time, it was a huge settlement. The endorsement to have the insurance company take responsibility for the mortgage was huge in being able to get through the process though. So, if you agree or even suspect that you have bet your company on your commercial property, what do you do? If youre a good businessperson, you
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 82

get an analysis of that policy by a commercial property specialist so you at least know what risks you are really taking. You may be interested in a service that will - Analyze your policy and translate it into English for you so you can make an intelligent decision about future coverage - Document and file your building structure and your contents so theyre ready to go to the insurance company in case of a loss - Have accountants who talk with yours and set up files that have your baseline numbers to establish loss of use/loss of business - Represent you at pre-set rates based on the size of your loss that are aggressive in the industry

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 83

- Bring in a resource that will document all of your emergency shut-offs (gas, electricity, water, etc) into a convenient form for you (How much damage does an extra 5 minutes to find and get to the water shut off valve cost you when the sprinkler system has frozen?) - Develop and document a calling plan to alert emergency services when you have damage - Do all of the above for an upfront fee of - ZERO dollars To learn more call the tollfree hot line 24/7 at (855) 3874448. Press 1 during the greeting. Then say you want to learn about commercial services and leave your contact information. Ill get back to you shortly.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 84

Chapter Eight OK, How Do I Choose My Public Adjuster?


Choosing a Public Adjuster, is a lot like choosing any other kind of professional. Unfortunately, you dont have access to the same kind of information you can get to choose the members of your fantasy league team. No one compiles stats on winning percentage or size of settlements. No one really knows who does the best in tough situations. As proud as I am about my own success rate, I truly do not know what anyone elses really is. Some people might just throw up their hands and say, If I cant tell whether Im getting someone

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 85

who is any good, why bother at all? Ill tell you why. Lets consider a legal situation. Would you even consider going into a legal negotiation and allowing the other person to have his attorney speak for both you and him? Would you make that choice without even an impartial judge to protect your rights? As crazy as it sounds, thats the choice most people make when dealing with the experienced experts at their insurance company. Therefore, Im going to say that any licensed and bonded Public Adjuster will do a better job of protecting your rights and getting you as much money as possible for your damage than not having one. Just having your own Public Adjuster will influence the way the

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 86

insurance company treats you during the process. The whole purpose of this book is to help guide you into selecting the Public Adjuster who will be the best fit for you. So here are some things to look for: - Is the license current? In most states you can check this online. For example, you can review my IL license status at:
https://sbs-il.naic.org/Lionweb/jsp/sbsreports/AgentLookup.jsp

- Does the Public Adjuster belong to an industry trade group like the American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters? (AAPIA) - Does the Public Adjuster train other Adjusters? - Does the Public Adjuster use Xactimate software for his estimates?
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 87

- Does the Public Adjuster network with other Adjusters to keep up to date on current trends? - Does the Public Adjuster Display the license when they show up at your home or property? - Does the Public Adjuster dress professionally? - Does the Public Adjuster offer to translate you policy into English? - Does the Public Adjuster have access to thousands of settled claims to use as precedents to get the most from the insurance company? Additional criteria for commercial property owners: - Does the Public Adjuster offer you a complementary policy analysis? - Does the Public Adjuster provide a resource for a

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 88

complimentary emergency plan? - Does the Public Adjuster offer to file data for your structure, contents and baseline business activity? - Does the Public Adjuster operate in all of the states you do? For the complementary services Ive discussed, call the 24/7 toll-free hot line at (855) 387-4448. During the greeting press 1. At the tone please share the issue to discuss and your contact info. Ill be in touch shortly. I wish you good luck and big fat checks from your settlements.

Scott J Melrose October 2012

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 89

Chapter Nine Epilog


Lets return to those two families and the two houses we met in Chapter One. One set of owners, well call them Mr & Mrs. Smart got a full settlement for their damage. The Smart family got that settlement because they hired a Public Adjuster. Their Public Adjuster was able to develop an estimate in Xactimate ahead of the meeting with the insurance company adjuster. The Public Adjuster then educated the insurance company adjuster about the full extent of the damage. The Public Adjusters estimate also showed how much the insurance company adjuster should expect to pay the Smart family for the damage. In fact the insurance company adjuster decided to save himself some time and just cut and
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 90

paste the Public Adjusters file into his own file for the claim. The Smarts got their check from the insurance company in a few weeks and was able to negotiate with several local contractors directly. They found those contractors from those who had done a good job at a fair price for their friends and neighbors. Some of the contractors even do subcontracting for the big name contractors who charge an arm and a leg. The Smarts were able to work with a reliable local contractor who was able to work comfortably within their budget and complete the work properly. The Smarts lived happily ever after. Their neighbors, Mr & Mrs. Doh, were already behind the eightball when we met them. The Doh family had decided to contact the
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 91

insurance company directly. The agent was nice enough. But, when the insurance companys adjuster gave the Dohs a lowball offer, the agent was not able to help them get more money. The Dohs did share their frustration with the Smarts. The Smarts told the Dohs how happy they were with their settlement. The Smarts also told the Dohs that their contractor was completing all of the repairs within the budget they set. The Dohs finally decided to call the Public Adjuster who had helped the Smarts. The Public Adjuster was able to re-open the claim and increase the amount the insurance company paid them. Sadly though, the Dohs ended up with less money than the Smarts. They were faced with the choice of coming out of pocket to make up the

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 92

difference or skimp on their repairs.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 93

Resources:
Brancaccio, David Insurance 9-1-1, The Insurance Hoax by PBS NOW. The program is available for purchase from PBS. Dietz, David and Preston, Darrell Bloomberg Markets Home Insurers' Secret Tactics Cheat Fire Victims, Hike Profits August 2007 Web link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid =aIOpZROwhvNI Feinman, Jay Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Dont Pay Claims and What You Can Do about It Portfolio a member of the Penguin Group New York, NY 2010 ISBN 9781591843153.

For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 94

About the Author


Scott Melrose is a licensed and bonded Public Adjuster licensed in IL & IN. Scott is a member of the American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (AAPIA) and the Mokena, IL Chamber of Commerce. Scott is a past ambassador for the Mokena, IL and Orland Park, IL Chambers of Commerce. Scott holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Chemical Engineering) from the Cleveland State University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Scott has been a Certified Quality Engineer by the American Society of Quality and has held several licenses in the financial, insurance and legal services industries in past lives. Scott and his wife Susan live in Mokena, IL. They have four grown children and three grandchildren. Scott is a member of St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr Catholic Church in Tinley Park, IL. He serves as a lector and a catechist for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. He has also served as a catechist in the religious education ministry. Scott has been a regular panelist on the internet radio talk show Got Damage, Get Your Claims Worth and has appeared on the WLS AM 890-morning show with Don Wade and Roma.
For a no-cost, no-obligation discussion of your damage, call the 24/7 toll free hot line at (855) 387-4448 and during the greeting press 1 to leave your contact info. If you are in IL or IN ask about the 57-point damage audit

Page 95

Você também pode gostar