This guy Elliot has no credibility. He claims that furniture placed on the street was not picked up. I left the area twelve days after Ivan and at that time everyone in my neighborhood, Grande Lagoon in Pensacola, had all kinds of furniture placed on the street. I later paid someone to go into my wreck of a house and move the furniture to the street. When I came back to the area in January, it, and all the other debris, had been picked up. Later, in April, my house was bulldozed and that debris was also picked up. By the way, I am still, nine months later, awaiting settlement from Citizens and the NFIP.
I agree, insurance fraud is running rampant in the aftermath of this catastrophe. I just think it is important to mention that the fraud doesn’t end there. Numerous claims are being denied by the companies or on the companies behalf in bad faith. There are many claims still unresolved with homeowners nearly a year after these storms. One of the primary reasons these claims remain unresolved is that these companies want to hold on to their money as long as possible and pay as little as possible for the resolution. Unfair claims settlement practices is a growing problem. Claimants are being victimized by their own ignorance of insurance law. Complaints are being filed with the Department of Insurance constantly citing the treatment they have received after having filed a claim. Purchasing a replacement cost policy only to be told during the couse of settlement “no, not really” Insurance fraud isn’t only a crime committed by those outside of our industry it is also a crime committed by the leaders in our industry. Former Oklohoma Insurance commissioner Fisher is facing up to 51 years in prison for his exploitation of his position. There is no basic trust that when you purchase insurance and you have a claim your company will pay you in a timely fashion without investigation or scrutinazation. Without that basic trust that our insured’s will only submit valid claims and upon submission the company will pay that claim without further question, insurance fraud will continue to spur out of control like a raging wild fire. There is no trust.
“Our goal was to confront criminal activity and create a presence,” Hughes explained. “We canvassed neighborhoods, gave out brochures about what to expect from companies, versus public adjusters, and were suspicious, for instance if we saw anyone with clean clothes on a roof we would ask to see his license.”
That’s a quote from a DFS fraud investigator. Their bias against Public Adjusters is remarkable. By the way, almost every single day I try to wear clean clothes.
When consumers find out that A LOT of insurers-insurance agents have used / are using Replacement-Reconstruction Cost Values for calculating homeowners policy’s, and then (unbeknown to customers and some adjusters), are using NEW construction cost values to “settle”-“close” (wind, flood, hail, hurricane, moisture, etc.) homeowner claims, other shock waves will ripple.
New Construction costs are commonly 35-50% lower that Replacement-Reconstruction costs.
Also, leaving out other prefactored premium costs-to-claim loss values (Primary-General-Sub Contractors overhead and profit dollars) can underpay a homeowners claim loss value by an additional 20-49%, and is unfair to insureds.
Utilize either or both of the two claim underpayment protocols to daily, or tens of thousands of catastrophe claims loss values, and the following can happen;
“Hughes described the numerous violations his department encountered, including contractors acting as public adjusters, roofers and electricians involved in estimating damage claims and kickbacks from homeowners involving claims.
He advised homeowners to report contractors involved in claims directly to Florida’s Insurance Fraud Unit.”
An insurance industry representative using trusted, state sanctioned fraud detection specialists to warn – admonish the public that [Roofing, Electrical, General, Etc.] Construction – Reconstruction business professionals who are needed by homeowners to establish 1.) damage scope, 2.) reconstruction scope and 3.) reconstruction costs with an insurer-insurance adjuster, are somehow to be suspected by a homeowner of intrinsic fraudulent business activity feels like amazing spin wizardry.
This same spin has been tried in Texas.
Also, some unscrupulous insurers-insurance adjusters are going to love showing that FRAUD article to claimants to ‘warn them’ about contractors and public adjusters (who explain, and prove to claimants, how damage scope is being overlooked, reconstruction processes are missing and the claim value is subsequently short per the insurer-adjuster).
Perhaps the investigator would like to be shown, from many first party (Allstate, etc.) insurer claims, how major insurers can use various approaches to manipulating their construction-loss estimating software programs so as to understate to claimants, (right under a claimants nose), what their claim is actually worth.
Perhaps the investigator would like to see proof that this is not a local Florida only problem, but a business pattern.
If one’s visiting this article have an issue with their particulart claim, we would be willing to hear from you. So would the state of Florida.
Leave it to Nationwide and the DFS.
It’s a dam shame, I remember watching TV in Pt. Charlotte 32 weeks after the storm and hearing an Allstate big Wig tell the reporter he did not know why anyone would hire a public adjuster , that Allstate alawys pays what they owe! Dam I would love top debate that fool on TV today. Every year and every storm we PS’s get our stones broke and when all is said in done I would match our record for customer satisgaction over that of ANY INSURANCE COMPANY of regulatory body!
“When confronted with such evidence, Elliott said a policyholder usually withdraws their claim. He also said that when such fraud claims are verified, the policyholder not only loses the fraudulent claim, but any and all claims for damage to the property”.
To Whom it may concern,
Many do not, and should not approve of blatant, or stealth, fraudulent activity of any flavor, or color.
Could you please explain how a separate-specific fraudulent (fence type) claim issue principle, cancels out the rest of the legitimate portion/s of a claim loss value owed – promised a claimant?
A claimant “cheating” on fencing damage, somehow lets the insurer off the hook for keeping prepaid coverage promises towards the rest of the torn up property!!?
Is that the type of business practice that Nationwide Insurance supports, represent’s and profit’s from?
How many desperate – financially poor, has that business practice been applied to?
They obviously could not (financially) fight the lopsided rationale that the rest of their claim is now “invalid” because of their poor judgement on another portion of their legitimate claim loss issue.
How is that fair and just indemnification practice?
An unbalanced perspective of what defines fair and balanced indemnification justice is a serious public concern.
Punish the wrong, but don’t condemn fraud, and then find an excuse to mirror it’s deceptive nature.
People catch on to those issues pretty quick nowadays.
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This guy Elliot has no credibility. He claims that furniture placed on the street was not picked up. I left the area twelve days after Ivan and at that time everyone in my neighborhood, Grande Lagoon in Pensacola, had all kinds of furniture placed on the street. I later paid someone to go into my wreck of a house and move the furniture to the street. When I came back to the area in January, it, and all the other debris, had been picked up. Later, in April, my house was bulldozed and that debris was also picked up. By the way, I am still, nine months later, awaiting settlement from Citizens and the NFIP.
I agree, insurance fraud is running rampant in the aftermath of this catastrophe. I just think it is important to mention that the fraud doesn’t end there. Numerous claims are being denied by the companies or on the companies behalf in bad faith. There are many claims still unresolved with homeowners nearly a year after these storms. One of the primary reasons these claims remain unresolved is that these companies want to hold on to their money as long as possible and pay as little as possible for the resolution. Unfair claims settlement practices is a growing problem. Claimants are being victimized by their own ignorance of insurance law. Complaints are being filed with the Department of Insurance constantly citing the treatment they have received after having filed a claim. Purchasing a replacement cost policy only to be told during the couse of settlement “no, not really” Insurance fraud isn’t only a crime committed by those outside of our industry it is also a crime committed by the leaders in our industry. Former Oklohoma Insurance commissioner Fisher is facing up to 51 years in prison for his exploitation of his position. There is no basic trust that when you purchase insurance and you have a claim your company will pay you in a timely fashion without investigation or scrutinazation. Without that basic trust that our insured’s will only submit valid claims and upon submission the company will pay that claim without further question, insurance fraud will continue to spur out of control like a raging wild fire. There is no trust.
“Our goal was to confront criminal activity and create a presence,” Hughes explained. “We canvassed neighborhoods, gave out brochures about what to expect from companies, versus public adjusters, and were suspicious, for instance if we saw anyone with clean clothes on a roof we would ask to see his license.”
That’s a quote from a DFS fraud investigator. Their bias against Public Adjusters is remarkable. By the way, almost every single day I try to wear clean clothes.
Horace Smith, Public Adjuster
When consumers find out that A LOT of insurers-insurance agents have used / are using Replacement-Reconstruction Cost Values for calculating homeowners policy’s, and then (unbeknown to customers and some adjusters), are using NEW construction cost values to “settle”-“close” (wind, flood, hail, hurricane, moisture, etc.) homeowner claims, other shock waves will ripple.
New Construction costs are commonly 35-50% lower that Replacement-Reconstruction costs.
http://financialservices.house.gov/media/pdf/041405sk.pdf
Also, leaving out other prefactored premium costs-to-claim loss values (Primary-General-Sub Contractors overhead and profit dollars) can underpay a homeowners claim loss value by an additional 20-49%, and is unfair to insureds.
http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/commish/bulletins/b-0045-8.html
Utilize either or both of the two claim underpayment protocols to daily, or tens of thousands of catastrophe claims loss values, and the following can happen;
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2005/06/09/55854.htm
Roger Poe
Reconstruction Specialist
insuranceclaimsandsettlements@hotmail.com
Why does the dog lick itself?
“Hughes described the numerous violations his department encountered, including contractors acting as public adjusters, roofers and electricians involved in estimating damage claims and kickbacks from homeowners involving claims.
He advised homeowners to report contractors involved in claims directly to Florida’s Insurance Fraud Unit.”
An insurance industry representative using trusted, state sanctioned fraud detection specialists to warn – admonish the public that [Roofing, Electrical, General, Etc.] Construction – Reconstruction business professionals who are needed by homeowners to establish 1.) damage scope, 2.) reconstruction scope and 3.) reconstruction costs with an insurer-insurance adjuster, are somehow to be suspected by a homeowner of intrinsic fraudulent business activity feels like amazing spin wizardry.
This same spin has been tried in Texas.
Also, some unscrupulous insurers-insurance adjusters are going to love showing that FRAUD article to claimants to ‘warn them’ about contractors and public adjusters (who explain, and prove to claimants, how damage scope is being overlooked, reconstruction processes are missing and the claim value is subsequently short per the insurer-adjuster).
Perhaps the investigator would like to be shown, from many first party (Allstate, etc.) insurer claims, how major insurers can use various approaches to manipulating their construction-loss estimating software programs so as to understate to claimants, (right under a claimants nose), what their claim is actually worth.
Perhaps the investigator would like to see proof that this is not a local Florida only problem, but a business pattern.
If one’s visiting this article have an issue with their particulart claim, we would be willing to hear from you. So would the state of Florida.
rogerpoe@acnet.net
Roger Poe
Reconstruction Specialist
Leave it to Nationwide and the DFS.
It’s a dam shame, I remember watching TV in Pt. Charlotte 32 weeks after the storm and hearing an Allstate big Wig tell the reporter he did not know why anyone would hire a public adjuster , that Allstate alawys pays what they owe! Dam I would love top debate that fool on TV today. Every year and every storm we PS’s get our stones broke and when all is said in done I would match our record for customer satisgaction over that of ANY INSURANCE COMPANY of regulatory body!
Elliot Quote;
“When confronted with such evidence, Elliott said a policyholder usually withdraws their claim. He also said that when such fraud claims are verified, the policyholder not only loses the fraudulent claim, but any and all claims for damage to the property”.
To Whom it may concern,
Many do not, and should not approve of blatant, or stealth, fraudulent activity of any flavor, or color.
Could you please explain how a separate-specific fraudulent (fence type) claim issue principle, cancels out the rest of the legitimate portion/s of a claim loss value owed – promised a claimant?
A claimant “cheating” on fencing damage, somehow lets the insurer off the hook for keeping prepaid coverage promises towards the rest of the torn up property!!?
Is that the type of business practice that Nationwide Insurance supports, represent’s and profit’s from?
How many desperate – financially poor, has that business practice been applied to?
They obviously could not (financially) fight the lopsided rationale that the rest of their claim is now “invalid” because of their poor judgement on another portion of their legitimate claim loss issue.
How is that fair and just indemnification practice?
An unbalanced perspective of what defines fair and balanced indemnification justice is a serious public concern.
Punish the wrong, but don’t condemn fraud, and then find an excuse to mirror it’s deceptive nature.
People catch on to those issues pretty quick nowadays.
Roger Poe
Reconstruction Specialist
therdp5@yahoo.com
If I were you, I would contact a Public Adjuster, and get your claim settled fairly and professionally.