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Irene and Bob, dimechimes is Debbie who is from white sands of FL and has a site as well at www.claimsmentor.com

 

FL is small in size but has a lot more claims than FL adjusters. TX is big but has a lot more adjusters than claims. As to TX adjusters being less competent than FL adjusters I will not touch for health reasons. It could be that the adjusters in FL know what some home owner association presidents are like so they let fools rush in where they dare not tread. There are adjusters out there not from TX. Are all association presidents in FL into burning their bridges as you seem to be?

You can say they are not insults, just observations. But they certainly sound like insults to me. Since when is calling someone incompetent not an insult? I am not from Texas, not an ex-contractor or roofer, and they still sound like insults to me. Some of us are even from north of the Mason Dixon line. How do you feel about Yankee adjusters? Your insurance commissioner has proposed that teachers be used as adjusters during the summer months (God forbid you should get a hurricane in October). Do you believe that teachers are more qualified to assess the damage to your buildings than are ex-contractors and roofers? The assumption that you will get along with a Florida adjuster any better is a bit of a stretch. By the way, many of them are ex-contractors and roofers as well. If you had taken a couple minutes to actually check out the site, you would have found the resumes of many competent people. You would have discovered that not all of them are from Texas. You would have discovered that Debbie Moroy at Dimechimes has an ad on the website and is respected by many in the field.

You had four major hurricanes in Florida in 2004 and three in 2005.  Since there are not enough Florida residents who choose to be claim adjusters for a living to handle the volume of claims this generated, here are your options:

1.  Wait until an Florida adjuster gets around to you sometime in, say 2008 or so.

2.  Hire every unemployed Hoober Goober, unskilled laborer, and ne'er-do-well hanging around at the Seven Eleven in Orlando, throw them in a three day training course, grant them an emergency license, and send them out to handle your claim.  They'll be from Florida, so they'll be competent to handle your claim - right? 

3.  Deploy adjusters from other states who have some experience in construction, roofing, and insurance adjusting.  Many of these people will be from Texas.  Some will be Yankees like me.  I guess, since you don't like this option, you're stuck with the other two.

Now, I have a few question for you? Why is it every time I have a claim with a homeowners' association, they don't want to supply me with their by-laws until I've jumped through hoops to get it? It is basic information needed to determine who is responsible for what building elements. Why, when the by-laws plainly say the association is responsible for something, do association presidents so often deny that they are responsible and try to pass the costs onto the individual homeowner? Why do they want to charge me a ridiculous fee, sometimes more than $50.00 for this document? And why, when I deal with homeowners' associations, is there always someone who is suing the association and/or the association suing someone it purports to represent? Can't we all just get along?

Now theres a kick in the gut. As a Texas adjuster, yes adjuster, not a roofer or contractor, but an adjuster I'm a little hurt.......Not really, as a Texan and an adjuster I've learned to have thick skin. While I was in Florida (Broward County), I did notice a lot of Texas adjusters working the same area. What I also noticed is that most of the Floridians I met were for the most part not from Florida! I met great folks from Boston, Queens, 'Jersey, Germany, Italy, Dominican Depublic, Jamaica, and countless other places, but very few that were born and raised in Florida. Now as an adjuster with 17 years in the insurance industry I do not get to pick and choose who I deal with.

Now I'm sure there is incompetence out there from all 50 states, even Florida. In year like we had in 2005 it is inevitable that many folks "became adjusters overnight. I know some who did. I know many who are now doing other things since no hurricanes hit this year. In short a lot of folks were "weeded" out.

I hope I get the chance to go back to Florida, maybe work Orange County. Hopefully I could change these folks mind about Texas adjusters, and I'm sure there are many other great adjuster from Texas who could.

Just a side note, If you get to Dania Beach Fl., try to go eat at Paolo's Threes Company restaraunt, on Dania Beach blvd. Some of those fine Italian folks I met there, some of the best food you'll eat. Also the Hollywood Diner, I think they were from Hungary.

Wishing everyone a great holiday

JWG

I know how condo Presidents get elected. I watched that episode on Seinfeld!

Nice. Thanks for the input. That should go a long way towards dispelling the notion that Texas adjusters are incompetent.

Although those adjusters who have experience and trainning are aware for the Florida statutes, we are instructed by the Insurance Companies to get of copy of the CCRs; some want the entire book(s) other just the sections dealing with insurance.

Interesting question to see upon coming in to view the forums after driving in to TN for the holidays!

You can read the ABOUT US tab at www.dimechimes.com. We are a staffing/recruiting firm who proudly sponsors ClaimSmentor at www.claimSmentor.com. Our background prior to this has been in Claims in the Property and Casualty field for over 30 years.

While our corporation name seems strange to many, there is a very emotional family sentiment to the name conceived after the death of our father. He served in the US Navy for 35 years.We were a poor family growing up on military bases. We had 10 members of our family. We never had riches or fame yet the 10 of us together and the lives we had with the dimes our parents lovingly saved together provided a blessed life for all of us as well as our children and grandchildren today. Everyone including our mother began finding bright shiny dimes in the strangest of times after his death. This lead to a long story written about him and the difference he made in our lives with his dimes that will chime in our lives forever. It also lead to the creation of our non profit- Destination Dimechimes about what a difference each of us can make in the lives of others by throwing our dimes in together to help others as he did.Thus the Dimes that Chime in the lives of others. (throw a few in a jar and you will hear...they really do!). You don' t have to be rich to help others- and thus also ClaimSmentor was born. You see, our father was also my mentor and my friend helping me through every step of my journey in claims. We started ClaimSmentor in his honor- to pay it forward and pass on what he so willingly did in our lives.

There is some concern this isn't written by
"a Homeowner's Assn board member" but out of respect for William Robert Kane,SR, I appreciate the opportunity to once again mention and honor him by passing on his story of helping others. After a year when many adjusters have suffered the lack of income this storm season, they too may feel there isn't one more dime to share to help others...but collectively, our dimes together can make a difference...just as collectively in these forums, we do try to make a difference in each others lives helping others with their questions and sometimes to just  enjoy the need for companionship with fellow adjusters that live this life we know as catastrophe adjusting.

 

We look forward to meeting many of the CADO participants at the upcoming NACA convention on 01/10/07 at the Sponsor booth event! We'll be in booth 41!

Bob and Irene, as a fellow Floridian and the member of a community with numerous Condo Associations on our islands, we welcome with open arms the extra help in our community during times of disaster. Adjusters coming in to new storm operations are normally required to go through carrier induction centers where they are provided state specific information to be sure they handle claims according to the state requirements. We would hope that policyholders in our state be more courteous to these out of state adjusters who sacrifice their family lives to help disaster victims. In addition, there are members of our communities who are injured yearly falling from roofs, encountering illnesses such as the Katrina cough,etc.Let's please give them our thanks, not  drive them away from our state.  

Frasier had a similar episode. Has anyone seen any spoofs on homeowner assoc. on any other sitcoms ?

Who left door open and let another( I'm reminded of Shakespeare-"Like a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." )from the public sector in?

Bob and Irene do you have a website we can crash every Blue Moon?

Tiger,

Many states have laws regarding condo associations and homeowners associations.  I usually familiarize myself with these as soon as I encounter a claim involving these, especially if I am in a state I haven't worked in awhile. 

Despite this, I have never encountered a claim where the carrier did not require at least some portion of the condo/homeowner association docs.  Even when I have sent in a report quoting the law and informing the carrier that it will cost $65.00 to obtain a copy of this document, I have been instructed to pay the money and obtain the documents.  I wouldn't pay $65.00 for the complete works of Shakespeare leatherbound, but somehow these precious condo/HOA documents are guarded like they contained the Holy Grail.

Steve:

I can tell you I have handled hundreds of Florida condo claims both CAT and non-CAT since the law was changed and never once been asked by the carrier to provide condo docs. The carriers I deal with are all acutely aware of what they now owe for on a condo loss and they couldn't care less to have to review obsolote condo docs - especially when they are overwhelmed with claim volume.

I have been contacted though by the carrier to explain why I allowed for drywall in my estimate to which I had to bite my tongue and try to politely tell them to go back and read the report that explains that the allowance was for an alteration to the original condo unit made by the insured and should be covered under their policy according to the new law.

But I do agree it was like pulling teeth to get the docs when they were required and it continues to amaze me how many condo commandos are still not aware that the new law supersedes the condo docs. Wish I had a nickel for every business card I left with the "Florida Statute 718.111" written on the back for an insured unit owner to go back and argue with his HOA board about.

Having worked many Condo losses in Florida, I can't think of one bad or arrogant President. Maybe I was lucky, or perhaps presented the request in  a manner that they understood. I have been asked, very few times for paying the expense of copying the Docs. I explained to them that the claim could not move forward without the Condo Docs prior to inspecting and scope. As the adjuster, if you have not read the docs, you don't know what to properly scope, so why waste time without them.

I always, strongly suggested, that only the President of the board walk out the scope with me and if that person could not, for him or her to appoint one board member to do so. It is extremely difficult to have the President and board members follow you around while scoping. I did that once during Hurricane Andrew and some of the board members actually got into a physical fight. I vowed to never let that happen again.

I am very glad Florida standardized the docs. That will make it much more appealing to adjust the claims.