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The big delay came between the Independent Adjuster and the Insurance Adjuster. Although the Independent Adjuster sent in the lease and all the necessary paperwork, the Insurance Adjuster had not processes the paperwork further nor had he sent it to home office for approval. I finally stopped calling the Independent Adjuster and started calling the Inside Adjuster, as he was the one slowing down the process. He stopped taking my calls and would never return any messages. I finally demanded to speak to his manager and “surprise” my Inside Adjuster was suddenly available to speak to me. We were supposed to move in on the 1st, but since the paperwork did not go through, the Housing Headquarters, who coordinated the temporary housing for insureds, had to cancel the delivery of furniture. We were an hour away from a second day waiting and they were about to cancel the delivery again. I called and had to have an emotional breakdown on the phone before the adjuster finally rose to his responsibilities and got the authorization for the lease and the furniture. Call it Maternal Instinct, but I had to have my family in a HOME. I know the insurance company must think I am a screaming maniac but I don’t care. Again, I must wonder how anyone gets through these claims without assistance. Where would I be if I did not know my rights and privileges within my policy and did not have the confidence to stand firm on my demands.

It is crazy how slow everything is moving even though both Ed and I know and understand the claims process. How does anyone do this on their own? If they get through it, they either have the patience of a saint and can wait for weeks and months for anything to happen, or they are lucky to draw the unlikely card and be assigned a “good” insurance adjuster who actually knows what they are doing and is truly an advocate for the customer. I know there are “Good” adjusters because Ed was a “good” adjuster. He won awards in customer service year after year in the 90’s, but then things started to change. The companies didn’t want customer service anymore; they wanted a positive bottom line. It was more about how many claims you could deny or how much money you could save minimizing the loss. He started to argue with his Managers and started getting written up because he continued to stand up for the customer. Finally he had no choice but to leave his role as an Insurance Adjuster working for Insurance Companies. Luckily he found his niche in his service as a Public Adjuster where there is never a conflict of interest and the needs of the customer always come first. He never has to explain why his estimate is so high or why he is extending coverage rather than limiting it. He is so much happier as a public adjuster and we know we are making a difference. Even with a Public Adjuster on your side, the road is still bumpy and the ride is not always pleasant, but at least you know your rights are being protected and you are getting a fair settlement. You shouldn’t have to worry about a fair settlement, while your trying to put your life and home back together… And with a Public Adjuster… you never will.

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Since the damages to our home are so large, our file has been assigned to an Independent Adjuster versus a staff adjuster from our Insurance Company. An Independent Adjuster is typically used when a claim is too large for the staff adjuster to handle or when a particular insurance company has too many claims. The only problem is although the Independent Adjuster does all the processing of your claim, the claim and payment still needs to be reviewed and authorized by your insurance adjuster. Unfortunately, the insurance adjuster is usually too busy or lacks the authorization to approve any of the payments. This means all authorization has to go through Home Office. In short, all of these extra steps in the process take time and create a lot of unnecessary delays. Some of our neighbors with minor damages are already scheduling their repairs. Even though we understand the process, it is frustrating and we still have to wait.

One thing we did not wait for is finding temporary housing. Since we understand our rights and privileges within the policy we began immediately looking for a rental home. One day after the Tornado hit, we contacted a local realtor and let her know our needs, while we scoured the internet for local listings. We needed a home that was big enough for our entire family and close to the schools. The rental property would have to allow pets and have an office or den that would allow Ed to set up the business operations typically housed in our home, including phone, internet connections, fax, and scanner. We started looking almost immediately after relocation to the hotel, but options on the market were limited. Fortunately, the Realtor called early in the week with 2-3 available homes to view and each day she has been working to find additional options. The first home was clean but very small. Not enough space for our entire family and a business. The second home had water leaking into the basement and the upstairs showed signs of water damage too. I didn’t need another house with problems. Finally we found two very nice homes that met our specifications. We decided on one of them, obtained the lease and sent it to our Independent Adjuster. From there, the lease had to be sent to the temporary housing division, who contacted both our realtor and our Inside Insurance Adjuster, and the negotiations began.

The insurance company wanted a short term lease and the option for a month to month after that. The homeowner was willing to be flexible but the monthly rate kept going up with every new option the insurance company demanded. I am trying to hurry the process by keeping all parties talking, versus letting our file just sit in a pile. I know that once the lease is final, we still need to order furniture and schedule a delivery. Again, everything takes time and because I understand the steps, I keep herding the process and am staying on top of everything. I am aware that the success of what has happened so far is due to our knowledge of the insurance claim process and this allows us to be proactive versus passive. I worry about the insureds who do not understand their rights and/or the process and sit in waiting for their insurance adjuster to help them. Nothing would be happening with a rental home much less a lease and the ordering of rental furniture, if both Ed and I had not stayed vigilant. My motivation is the knowledge of how important it is for me and my family to get out of this hotel as soon as possible and re-establish a semblance of a real home. Hopefully the lease will be accepted, the furniture will be ordered, and the move in date scheduled sometime this week.

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My husband and I looked at each other. Thankful and completely aware of how lucky we had been. Suddenly, we were also aware of the silence. Whatever had happened was over. We stood for a moment processing the silence then slowly each of us emerged from the basement. The children seemed excited and started recalling their escape, laughing about details of the story. I took a quick survey of the damages and became completely overwhelmed. The adrenaline was leaving my body and I was exhausted. I went upstairs to my bedroom and lay on my bed. I must have slipped into a moment of sleep because I remember waking to hear the children screaming that water was dripping from the ceiling. I jumped up and ran to the kitchen and garage to find buckets and large bowls. I began placing the buckets around the house where the water was coming in. I put one in my room and in my daughter’s room. Then I headed to the bedroom where Sophia and Gabriel usually slept and pushed open the door. Oh my God! There wasn’t a ceiling or a roof. I could see the sky! I yelled for my husband and heard at almost the same second, my husband yelling for me. Outside, my husband had been drawn to the lights that were coming in all directions across the park toward our house. It was our neighbors and friends. They were all coming for us. Calling out… “Is everyone okay?” My husband was stunned. “Yeah, we are all Okay” “Are you okay?” he asked in return. Only then did he look up at the house, now illuminated by the many flashlights coming toward it. Oh My God! The roof was gone!

Thankfully, as a trained insurance adjuster, my husband, Ed, knew exactly what to do. He called a friend in the Cleaning and Restoration business and told him he needed the roof boarded up and the house packed out immediately. Within the half hour the pack out company was there. Arriving before the police and fire department could close off the streets to commercial and residential traffic. After that, it was a blur of newscasters and radio interviewers and emergency personnel trying to get a handle on what had happened and what to do next. As seasoned insurance adjusters, we knew we needed to find temporary housing for our children and two dogs. I started making phone calls to local hotels and residence-type Inns, where I knew there would be a refrigerator and small kitchenette. I needed to find one close to the schools and one that would allow dogs. Otherwise, I needed to call the Kennel and arrange for temporary housing. The wheels were turning and thankfully I knew what to do and what to expect.

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