For those who suffered property damage from the Grouse Complex wildfires, the burden of dealing with an insurance claim in the midst of tragic loss can be overwhelming to digest.
But a public adjuster firm has stepped forward offering Central Okanagan residents a unique resource of support for those seeking claim process settlements.
Greenspan Adjusters International Inc. hosted a workshop on Sept. 20, at the Delta Grand Okanagan to discuss the insurance claim process and the role it can play on behalf of their clients.
A second workshop at the same location is planned for Sept. 27.
Steve Severaid, president of Greenspan Adjusters, said his firm has helped thousands of policyholders, specifically those impacted by wildfires throughout western North America, to recover bigger, better and faster insurance settlements, acting as a single point of contact between clients and insurance adjusters.
Severaid said the California-based company, with a 77-year track record, has begun to expand into the B.C. market over the last five years due to the propensity of summer wildfires.
含羞草研究社淲e have an office in Seattle and it just seemed like a natural next step to move farther north,含羞草研究社� he said.
He said that public adjusters, are not lawyers or have power of attorney to settle claims, but rather serve as an advisor to clients on all aspects of an insurance settlement and communication go-between with insurance adjusters.
含羞草研究社淲e know what insurance adjusters want and the format they want it in, and while we speak for our clients nothing is done from our end without them signing off on it first,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淚t is a bad news, good news situation for people who have lost everything in a wildfire. The bad news it is one of the lowest moments of your life, and the good news is our people can take you by the hand on the journey of recovery and help you get through it.含羞草研究社�
He cited two common problems with home loss insurance claims, one being having a 含羞草研究社渞eal world cost estimate含羞草研究社� on the cost to replace your home to avoid being caught between the insurance replacement settlement and a contractor saying the house can含羞草研究社檛 be built at that cost in today含羞草研究社檚 market.
含羞草研究社淭hat is a common problem and you can reach a standstill, not sure where to turn to next,含羞草研究社� he said.
The second issue revolves around the replacement of lost items in a home, a tedious and sometimes frustrating inventory listing exercise that often results in policyholders leaving thousands of dollars on the table that otherwise could have been claimed.
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He says the big inventory items come easy but when considering everything you own in a home, it is an arduous task to account for all of that with an individual price value.
含羞草研究社淧eople start out that process with good intentions but it becomes harder and harder to stick with it含羞草研究社ou find excuses to put it off from week to week, then six months have gone by, then eight months and people toss up their arms in frustration at the process.
含羞草研究社淭he end result is the inventory submitted to the insurance company is incomplete, and you could well be leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table. We work with our clients to get them through that process and put everything we can find on paper, from the salt and pepper shaker to pens and pencil clips, the small stuff replacement costs that add up.含羞草研究社�
Another common issue, he adds, is undervaluing your own belongings, not taking into account the higher replacement price in today含羞草研究社檚 dollars compared to when you bought it.
Severaid said his firm may not be a perfect fit or necessary for every property owner含羞草研究社檚 needs who was impacted by the recent wildfires, but he hopes the workshops can also serve to help educate and provide knowledge of the insurance claim process.
含羞草研究社淲e are trying to raise the profile of our business, but also to help educate and inform people so when they leave they can say I get this or understand this better,含羞草研究社� he said.
He offered two points of advice for all home insurance holders 含羞草研究社� do a self-narrated walk-through of your home and closets on video for future reference, and look over your insurance policy and be reassured your property value is adequately covered in replacement costs before disaster ever strikes.
含羞草研究社淭hey say a picture is worth a thousand words, so a video of your home and its contents is probably worth a lot more than a thousand words. Just keep a record of it in 含羞草研究社榯he cloud含羞草研究社� or somewhere outside of your house.含羞草研究社�
