Wind Mitigation

[Alfred L. Pelletier]

The wind mitigation program will be the end of some inspection companies when mother nature attacks Florida with a major hurricane.

This program from the beginning had to many flaws and always was invented for the insurance companies to have grounds to set premiums for insurance only. When a storm hits will see where the blame will fall and how many mitigations reports will be up for lawyers to recover from home inspections.

The forms have been changed and reworked and no-one can make any sense out of them which is all part of the game.

Russian roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which participants place a single round in a revolver, spin the cylinder, place the muzzle against their head and pull the trigger. "Russian" refers to the supposed country of origin, and roulette to the element of risk-taking and the spinning of the revolver's cylinder being reminiscent of spinning a roulette wheel.

[Michael J. Meeker]

Fred,

They cannot get blood from a stone

[Blaine Wiley]

I have said from the beginning that these forms will be used by the insurance companies to get out of paying claims. They'll look for one truss that is missing a clip or wrap, and point to the form that says "every truss".

We can always move to Costa Rica after a big storm hits!

[Michael J. Meeker]

Originally Posted by bwiley

I have said from the beginning that these forms will be used by the insurance companies to get out of paying claims. They'll look for one truss that is missing a clip or wrap, and point to the form that says "every truss".

That is exactly what they will do any chance they get. They are in business to make money for their investors. To do anything else would be bad business for them. If I were in their shoes I would make as much money as possible as well. They are masters at playing within the rules and making the rules. Sad but oh so true. They tell the OIR how to operate when it should be the other way around.

[Eric C. Van De Ven]

Originally Posted by bwiley

I have said from the beginning that these forms will be used by the insurance companies to get out of paying claims. They'll look for one truss that is missing a clip or wrap, and point to the form that says "every truss".

We can always move to Costa Rica after a big storm hits!

I asked John S about this very thing. I'll let him answer.

Say the roof blows off and the attached picture is on the wind mit report.
Is the inspector liable?

[Michael J. Meeker]

The wind mit inspector is never going to be liable.

Just my opinion. The system and requirements are way to screwed up to nail us on anything.

[Blaine Wiley]

I am really only concerned about a customer not getting covered for a loss.

Remember, insurance companies are just the new mafia...

[Michael J. Meeker]

That will happen any chance the insurance companies can.

They have been abusing pictures since they were required on rev 2/10

I have heard many horror stories about them busting balls for items seen in pictures.

Pools, dogs, trampolines, tree-houses, etc...

They will use the rules that they make to screw the client EVERY chance they get. Make no mistake about it.

They are not your good neighbor and you are not in good hands.

[Glenn Fricke]

I will interject my 2 cents here on this subject, and I am only doing so as I used to be the head underwriter for Mercury Insurance and then a data analyst and quasi assistant to claims legal for Travelers of Florida. Insurance is governed by state statutes. The basic tenet is the insured must fill out an application for insurance, which the company relies on to be accurate and will provide the client insurance if they meet criteria set forth on the application. If the insured lies on the application, an insurance company can go back and not provide coverage if it is a material misrepresentation of the truth. There is no liability on an inspector for coverage determination as far as 4 points, roof certs, or wind mits. It is ancillary 2nd party information used to make a decision but bears no legal recourse. As an example to this, I was working claims in 2004 and came across a house in Pt Charlotte that was heavily damaged, the insured kept calling and harassing to get a large settlement as he was losing clients...apparently the insured was running a fortune telling business out of the house where people came and went all the time for money and failed to mention this to the agent. The application asks if any for profit commercial business is ran out of the house....long story short, the insured had their policy cancelled back to the day it was wrote and their premiums returned and were left without coverage. To sum up, the application is the only truth an insurance company can rely on for cancelling/not paying claims, any other documentation we provide is ancillary information and nothing more.

[Michael J. Meeker]

Thanks for sharing your expertise

[Robert R. Hanson]

Great info, thanks

[John Shishilla]

Originally Posted by gfricke

I will interject my 2 cents here on this subject, and I am only doing so as I used to be the head underwriter for Mercury Insurance and then a data analyst and quasi assistant to claims legal for Travelers of Florida. Insurance is governed by state statutes. The basic tenet is the insured must fill out an application for insurance, which the company relies on to be accurate and will provide the client insurance if they meet criteria set forth on the application. If the insured lies on the application, an insurance company can go back and not provide coverage if it is a material misrepresentation of the truth. There is no liability on an inspector for coverage determination as far as 4 points, roof certs, or wind mits. It is ancillary 2nd party information used to make a decision but bears no legal recourse. As an example to this, I was working claims in 2004 and came across a house in Pt Charlotte that was heavily damaged, the insured kept calling and harassing to get a large settlement as he was losing clients...apparently the insured was running a fortune telling business out of the house where people came and went all the time for money and failed to mention this to the agent. The application asks if any for profit commercial business is ran out of the house....long story short, the insured had their policy cancelled back to the day it was wrote and their premiums returned and were left without coverage. To sum up, the application is the only truth an insurance company can rely on for cancelling/not paying claims, any other documentation we provide is ancillary information and nothing more.

Thanks Glen, there is a few here who think that every insurance company can cancel a policy or not pay a claim if someone sneezed wrong. It is just not the case.

[Robert Sole]

Originally Posted by bwiley

I have said from the beginning that these forms will be used by the insurance companies to get out of paying claims. They'll look for one truss that is missing a clip or wrap, and point to the form that says "every truss".

We can always move to Costa Rica after a big storm hits!

That is the reason I have disclaimer on my form that says that I check the roof in 2 areas and do not represent that the entire roof is done that way. If they accept the form they can not come back and say that I indicated that every truss was strapped.

[Michael J. Meeker]

Originally Posted by rsole

That is the reason I have disclaimer on my form that says that I check the roof in 2 areas and do not represent that the entire roof is done that way. If they accept the form they can not come back and say that I indicated that every truss was strapped.

Thats a damn good idea. I suggest everyone does similar things.

Be careful a few around here are giving it their best to control how you do everything. Just sit down shut up and do it how we say. Not me and those who do are fools.

[Jay C. Murray]

Disclaimer at the bottom of all Insurance Inspections:

By utilizing this report, Homeowner agrees to hold Inspector and JCM Building Services, LLC harmless for the results of this report or the consequences of the report's findings. The ratings & life expectancies are Professional opinions based upon observed conditions at time of inspection and understood industry standards. Life expectancies & ratings are not a guarantee or warranty. No warranty or guarantee of items inspected, the strength or effectiveness of windstorm features, or of insurance coverage or discounts, is expressed or implied by the signing Inspector, JCM Building Services, LLC, or its employees.