VIP Adjusting Response to Hurricane Sally in NW Florida
The public adjusters from VIP Adjusting have responded to NW Florida to assist insureds with damage related to Hurricane Sally
It's in our nature to help people in any way we can, and as the track of Hurricane Sally continued to shift east before making landfall, our public adjusters made preparations to respond in Pensacola if the need should arise.
Several hotel reservations were made throughout the area in case power was knocked out or damage was widespread like we saw in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Panama City in 2018.
As it turned out, the storm made landfall just about right on the Florida-Georgia line. Our public adjusters immediately mobilized and went to help.
The damages caused by Hurricane Sally
Hurricane Sally made landfall as a Category 2 storm and took its sweet time passing through. Although the winds weren't incredible like the ones from Hurricane Michael, the length of time it spent in the area allowed those winds to do some damages. The whole area saw downed trees and many areas were without power for quite some time. Our public adjusters have also observed missing shingles and damaged roofs, as well as damage caused by projectiles.
Closer to the coast and along the water, there was significant damage caused by storm surge and flooding, causing many businesses along the beach, in downtown, and in Perdido Key to have to shut down for repairs.
Public Adjusting Services for Hurricane Victims
VIP Adjusting's public adjusters remain ready, willing, and able to assist homeowners who have sustained damage from the storm with making sure they're fairly paid by their insurance company. That’s our job; to be a check on your insurance company and make sure they’re looking out for you instead of their own interests.
We know there's a big military presence in and around Pensacola and that many service members are insured by USAA. Just because an insurance company insures service members and their families does not mean they are perfect, and we are happy to provide a free claim review to anyone who has received an undisputed payment, and we're also happy to provide references from Panama City whose USAA claims we helped them with.
In addition to homeowners, our public adjusters have experience with commercial building and construction that is invaluable for evaluating commercial insurance claims, and we've handled a number of business interruption claims from multiple storms.
Florida Claims Only!
Unfortunately, as much as we'd like to help all storm victims, Alabama prohibits public adjusting, and although there's significant damage across the Florida border, our services will be offered for Florida residents only.
If you or a loved one have a home or business that's sustained damage in the Pensacola area, VIP Adjusting's public adjusters are happy to provide a free claim evaluation and consultation. Please call today, or contact us, and we'll be more than willing to discuss.
Roof leak insurance claims in Florida
What does your insurance policy cover if your roof leaks in Florida?
Over the past decade, Florida residents have seen a lot of changes to insurance policies and a lot of roof leaks that caused damage, both because roofs have aged, and because of a number of storms.
In the early 2010's many insurance companies got tired of repeated claims for damage caused by roof leaks and started to change their policies, but not all insurance companies followed suit. If you've had a roof leak, whether or not there is coverage is highly dependent on what your policy says.
VIP Adjusting's public adjusters will gladly provide a free policy review, but in the meantime, let's discuss a little more.
HO-3 Policies - "All Risk"
We've discussed this a few times, but the most common homeowners insurance policy is a form HO-3, often referred to as an "all risk" policy. This just means that the base homeowners insurance policy covers all "direct physical loss" or all "sudden and accidental loss" to the home and then excludes coverage from there.
If you have the broadest of insurance this standard Florida homeowners insurance policy, chances are a roof leak is covered, but unless the roof is first damaged by a covered loss, will likely not be replaced by the insurance company.
The (Recent) History of Roof Leak Claims in Florida
Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida in 1992. Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne affected the Treasure Coast in 2004 with Frances and Jeanne making landfall in almost the exact same locations of Hutchinson Island, Sewall's Point, Stewart and Port St Lucie. 2005 saw Hurricanes Katrina make a Florida Landfall and then Wlima making landfall, both affecting the Treasure Coast as well.
Needless to say, this was a tough stretch for Florida roofs and St Lucie homeowners, and at the same time, in the 2008 to 2011 range roofs all across the state started to fail both from old age and as a result of the delayed appearance of damage from the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes.
At the time, nearly all homeowners insurance policies covered roof leaks under an exclusion for wear and tear, aging, lack of maintenance, etc, that said even though the roof failure for these reasons was not covered, the "ensuing water damage" was covered.
With the statute of limitations expiring on the 2004 and 2005 storms, and in the middle of a historic run without a Florida landfall by a hurricane, the insurance companies were seeing homeowners making a claim for a roof leak, holding the money, making another claim for another roof leak, holding the money, and repeating until they had enough money from the multiple claims to fully replace the roof that wasn't covered by the insurance policy.
Understandably unhappy with this practice, insurance companies sought to put limiting language in the insurance policies that would prevent this claims practice by homeowners.
When there is NOT coverage for a roof leak
One insurance company produced new policy language that was added as a "Florida Change" to its HO-3 insurance policies that read the insurance company does not cover loss for rain that enters the dwelling unless the exterior of the building is first damaged by a covered peril. That means no claims for roof leaks for old roofs. No claims for damage caused by water from leaking window seals. No water entering the property from outside unless the building is damaged.
Almost every insurance company in Florida followed suit. The language varies from policy to policy. Some insurance policies say the roof or walls must be damaged by wind or hail. Sometimes they say the exterior needs to be damaged by a covered peril. It's important to review your policy with your insurance agent or a public adjuster because this language could get you in trouble if you'd had damage.
When there is coverage for a roof leak
If you were lucky enough to have one of the insurance companies that didn't adopt this language, then you might have coverage for a regular roof leak due to a general failure of the roof, old age, wear and tear, lack of maintenance, or poor installation. We can count the number of Florida insurance companies on one hand that still issue these policies, though, and we still check the policies every time to make sure they haven't started with the exclusionary language.
VIP Adjusting's public adjusters are happy to go through your policy and provide a free review at any time.
Outside of having one of the good insurance policies, a roof leak would typically only be covered if your roof is damaged by a windstorm, hail, a fallen tree or tree branch, or, believe it or not, sometimes we see roofs damaged by stray bullets from people firing guns into the air on New Year's Eve or Fourth of July.
If you've found yourself on the wrong end of a roof leak, with damage to your property from rain entering the property, call or contact VIP Adjusting's public adjusters today for a free claim review.
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The Most Common Landlord Insurance Claims
A good landlord insurance policy is essential to the smooth running of a rental property. Although property owners tend to view the premiums as a necessary evil, it makes good business sense to have adequate landlord insurance.
It can save landlords from paying the penalties for many damaging events that can occur in a rental. However, when buying insurance, landlords should also endeavor to get the most coverage at the lowest premium.
They can do this by finding out what insurance claims property owners are most likely to make. And having known what these claims are, they should strive to avoid the risk of making similar claims.
What are the most common insurance claims that landlords make?
1. Loss of rental income
As with every business, owning rental property comes with a measure of risk. One of those risks is that tenants in a property may stop paying rents. This can happen if some adverse event makes the home uninhabitable and the tenants move out, as a result, or simply refuse to pay the rent. Examples of events that can create such a situation include storm, flood, fire or smoke. When a property becomes uninhabitable, the landlord's rental income stops, but their bills do not. This is why loss of rental income is the number one insurance claim that property owners make.
How to avoid it:
Most loss of rent claims come from events beyond a landlord's control. Property owners cannot do anything to prevent rainstorms or floods. What they can do, however, is limit the risk of man-made events which also lead to loss of rent, such as fire or smoke damage.
2. Water Damage
This results from damage due to the unintentional discharge of water. The common cause of the problem is faulty plumbing, poor plumbing maintenance, and tenants' negligent behavior. This problem is fairly common and very costly to fix. Water damage, if left undetected, can result in massive damage to a property.
How to avoid it:
The best way to solve water issues is to prevent them. The landlord should implement a regular schedule for thorough inspection of the home's plumbing. Tenants should be properly oriented on how to manage the plumbing. And the lease agreement should include clauses on the consequences of tenant-originated water damage.
3. Accidental damage
This claim results when items in the home, or some parts of the structure, are unintentionally damaged by occupants. This could be a case of damage to wooden floors, torn furniture, ripped-up carpets, or a broken television set. Accidental damage poses a risk to a rental property because it makes it less attractive to potential tenants and reduces the home's resale value.
How to avoid it:
Landlords cannot completely eliminate the chance of this happening but they can reduce it significantly. One way they can do this is by using décor that is durable and less likely to get damaged.
When installing fittings and fixtures, owners should prioritize hardiness over other qualities. A thorough vetting of tenants will also help to eliminate renters who are prone to engage in activities that increase the chance of accidental damage, such as parties.
4. Malicious damage
This is damage that is intentional. It includes things like large holes in the walls, kicked-in doors, cigarette holes in furniture or some other form of blatant acts. Most of the time, malicious damage is done by outsiders, such as, visitors to a tenant's apartment. It could also result from vandalism or burglary.
How to avoid it:
The best protection against malicious damage from criminal activity is to implement appropriate security measures. Installing window grills, burglar alarms, motion detectors, and bright lights around the perimeter can deter criminals.
Having sturdy locks on gates, doors and windows, as well as CCTV cameras on the premises will reduce incidences of malicious damage. And landlords should make it the tenant's responsibility to pay for damage caused by their visitors.
5. Weather damage
Storms and floods happen all the time. When they do, they often leave their mark on a property in the form of damage. In some areas, winter storms are the major problem, in others areas, the damage is caused by strong winds.
Floods can also be the cause of damage to a property. There is not much a property owner can do about these acts of nature, except to prepare for them and possibly reduce their negative impact on the property.
How to avoid it:
The part of a building most commonly damaged by storm is the roof. To protect against the probability of roof damage, gutters and downspouts should be maintained properly. Loose and missing shingles amplify the power of wind and water to damage a roof.
They should be repaired or replaced promptly. Raising air bricks around the property and keeping electrical sockets ground will help reduce flood damage. And when there is news of an impending storm, homeowners should take extra steps to protect the home.
Tornado Damage Reported Northeast of Treasure Coast
A Tornado was caught on video forming and crossing I-75
On the same day storms ripped through much of the Treasure Coast, a tornado was caught on video in Marion County crossing I-75. The videos caught by travelers on I-75, and confirmed by Florida Highway Patrol, show the tornado damaging trees and causing an accident involving a tractor trailer carrying a portable building.
Insurance Issues Related to Tornadoes
Mobile homes are a common target for tornadoes and other storms with high winds. They are often the first to sustain damage from tornadoes and other windstorms, and are first to be evacuated in the event of a hurricane. Being on the back of a tractor trailer during a storm isn’t doing it any favors!
Mobile homes and manufactured homes often have insurance policies that are different than a standard homeowners insurance policy and can have different implications in the event of damage or an insurance claim. Often these policies are more similar to an automobile policy and although the damages are similar to a home, in addition to being able to adequately repair or rebuild the building, there are also implications with regard to the title to the property, whether it will become a salvage title if repairs exceed a certain threshold of the policy limits, or whether, in the event of a total loss, the insurance company will take the remnants as salvage (different from a salvage title mentioned before).
If you have a mobile home, manufactured home, or other portable building that has sustained damage from tornado or other windstorm, call the public adjusters at VIP Adjusting for a free policy review and to discuss your options with regard to making an insurance claim.
Are there any issues raised by the building being in transport?
In this instance, because the building was being transported on a trailer at the time of the tornado, there are other insurance policies and coverages that may afford coverage for this type of damage.
Because it was portable, the damaged building may be covered as personal property under an insurance policy, but a policy review would be absolutely necessary.
Due to the fact that it was being transported, the building may also be covered under an “inland marine” policy. Inland marine policies contain some really unique language that a lot of people are not used to seeing because they insurance policies have literally been adapted and evolved over centuries from marine shipping insurance for cargo traveling overseas.
Inland marine policies are the result of centuries old language now being applied for cargo shipped over land instead of on the high seas. VIP Adjusting has handled claims for demurrage, barratry, business equipment and personal property damaged out of state by superstorm sandy, and even an inland marine claim related to a gold heist.
If you’ve had important products damaged in shipping, VIP Adjusting would be glad to review your insurance policy with you, as well as any other parties that may be at fault for your losses.
Damages Routinely Caused by Tornadoes and Windstorms
When strong storms like the ones that have passed through Indian River County, St Lucie County, and Martin County in the last week, damages similar to those caused by hurricanes can result at just about any property in the storms’ paths.
You may see a leaking roof as a result of the wind loads across sections of your roof, or other roof damage from trees, tree limbs, or other flying debris.
Hail can cause damage to tile roofs and shingle roofs, as well as windows, screens, and exterior elevations, as we saw from the hailstorm in Brevard County last year. There have been multiple hail events in the last 10 days throughout the Treasure Coast, and we expect to see similar damages.
If you’ve seen any of these types of damages after a strong storm, contact VIP Adjusting today so that we can assist you in documenting your claim and preserving evidence in your favor.
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Strong Storms Cause Damage In Stuart
60-70 MPH Winds and Hail in Strong Storm Clusters in Martin County
This past week has seen several strong storms cause damage throughout the Treasure Coast, bringing high winds and hail to Stuart, Palm City, Port Sewall and other parts of Martin County and the Treasure Coast according to the National Weather Service.
April 20th, 2020 Martin County Storms
In the early evening on April 20th strong thunderstorms brought damage producing events that included high winds and hail up to 1” in diameter. Although relatively short in duration, these storms were powerful enough to cause significant damage to roofs, windows, and exterior elevations.
There were reports of trees down in Palm City, which can also cause damage to area homes, and at the time, tornado warnings were in effect, although no tornadoes were ultimately reported.
The TCPalm had more information on this storm.
If your home was affected in the Martin County area, call the public adjusters at VIP Adjusting for a free claim evaluation and inspection today.
Similar Storms ripped through the Treasure Coast April 26th, 2020
Nearly a week later, both Port St Lucie County and Martin County were under severe thunderstorm warnings again. Torrential rains and high winds were brought by storms on and off throughout the day.
Although the winds were not projected to be as high as the prior week’s storms, there were more storms over a greater area, which also had the potential for hail (smaller in diameter than the April 20th storms) and also brought significant lightning.
There were reports of hail in Indian River County from a storm that traveled through Yeehaw Junction and dumped hail in Fellsmere and Micco, as well as along the barrier islands.
VIP Adjusting’s public adjusters consider Indian River County to be our backyard and if any of our neighbors were on the receiving end of damage from these storms, we are happy to provide a free inspection.
VIP Adjusting has already been in touch with forensic meteorologists to discuss having detailed reports for areas that were subject to hail damage and wind damage, as well as lightning strikes.
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Insurance Claims for Windstorm Damage