At 3:23 am, police automobiles stopped on my East Harbor Island Bridge. They have been shining lights into the water on the windward facet of the bridge after which rapidly on the leeward facet of the bridge. I used to be sipping the final of a 1966 classic port after efficiently stopping water from coming into the primary ground of my condominium. My unit is on the tenth ground and in any other case far-off from the devastation that my household was struggling in different components of Tampa Bay throughout Hurricane Helene on Thursday night time. I gave a thumbs-up to the officers. Police reciprocated. It didn’t happen to me what they have been on the lookout for till the morning.
3:29 am. Congratulated associates for avoiding electrocution from inside wires after saying they have been “shocked” earlier than leaving their flooded house.
5:19 am, and the primary calls got here in on my silly Apple watch. My mom warned me about Dick Tracey. Folks have been calling and texting me about being secure after which asking me to allow them to know if I wanted assist with claims as a result of they have been the perfect. Is each estimator so determined for work, and who’s the perfect estimator?
6:07 am. Took Donice to indicate her how our Merlin Legislation seaside towels and my exterior door tape saved us from having water enter the primary ground of the condominium and keep away from devastation. Instructed her how my wading via the water and in some way prevented electrocution had saved the day. She requested how a lot was saved by delaying my eventual loss of life and avoiding electrocution as the results of having a brand new insurance coverage coverage offering incentives for preserving insured property.
6:50 am. Espresso and the Day—a whole lot of texts and emails wishing me security.
7:03 am. Observed individuals on the lookout for boats that have been not in slips by the condominium complicated throughout from the bridge. The place did the boats go? Get cup for espresso.
7:10 am. Watched individuals go on condominium boat ramp on the lookout for boats and looking out and looking out. Sipped espresso whereas considering, “How did a dozen boat slips turn out to be vacant in a single day throughout a hurricane?” Went to sleep.
8:05 am. My watch rang waking me up. Spoke with Kim, my former spouse, via my watch about her flood insurance coverage declare. Good discuss the way to make a declare. Defined what her coverage declarations meant.
8:17 am. Thought of 3:29 am feedback as to what police have been on the lookout for underneath the bridge. Guess there could also be a dozen good boats in Davy Jones Locker underneath that bridge.
Then acquired messages about CBS 60 Minutes calling for data previous to operating a televised report this Sunday at 7:00 pm.
8:47 am. Calls from Austin about photographs wanted to be preserved concerning harm to her and my grandchildren’s house for flood protection functions.
9:00 am. Name with physician about lacking blood testing because of hurricane. Kidded with Physician Worth’s assistant in regards to the brown water and why storm surge water was so black.
It’s now 10:00 pm, and I’ve just a few strategies after being on a whole lot of calls in the present day.
- Policyholders ought to be careful for social media scammers. One individual lied a couple of public adjuster’s credentials, and that public adjuster instructed us that he would take Dallas-based attorneys’ contracts to us as a result of ‘Chip Merlin runs a mill with a telephone financial institution.’ I’m going to report that faux public adjuster and lawyer to the Florida and Texas Bar and Workplace of Insurance coverage Regulation.
- Don’t rely solely on social media suggestions when hiring professionals. Sadly, scammers have realized that utilizing fraudulent “phrase of mouth” suggestions is one of the best ways to win new purchasers, and are utilizing this “phrase of mouth” rip-off on social media.
- Don’t pay or conform to pay for all the development undertaking till it’s carried out and accredited by an architect, engineer, or licensed proprietor’s consultant. This one step stops most policyholders from turning into a claims sufferer.
- Get the water and flood-damaged objects faraway from the construction and documented. Exhibit you’ve got mitigated future loss to broken and undamaged property.
- Doc every thing with photographs and videotape. It must be of the broken and undamaged property.
- Notify the service in regards to the loss.
You possibly can appropriately think about that I’ve had a variety of carefully held discussions after posting CBS 60 Minutes to Run Story Relating to Altered Insurance coverage Estimates Leading to Fraudulent Underpayments to Policyholders. The reality is that one story results in one other, and on this case, I count on that many will need to inform all the reality. If you would like or have a confidential story about insurance coverage claims administration altering estimates or the hiding of this observe, my cell quantity is 813.695.8733.
My hat is off to Steven Bush of Merlin Legislation Group and Doug Quinn of the American Policyholder Affiliation for his or her effort and time in exposing this scandal and fraud.
I hope that each one applaud those that have come ahead with the reality. Those that preserve silent about this observe…
Thought For The Day
When insurers manipulate estimates to scale back payouts, they’re not simply dishonest policyholders, they’re undermining all the insurance coverage system.
—Amy Bach, Govt Director of United Policyholders