"Storm Chasers" Part 2

At Servpro of Ravenswood we prefer to work directly with insurance companies and their independent adjusters. We have built good relationships with both local agents and also with their corporate offices. In fact, a portion of our calls and business come directly from some of the largest insurance providers in the country.

We have handled jobs that were signed but for whatever reason the homeowner cancelled the work so we stopped and simply left the job site. We understand that homeowners should be comfortable with the people and company working in their home or business. The homeowner is always right and in the end it's their home. 

Servpro of Ravenswood isn't going anywhere and were looking to build on our reputation (check out our Yelp rating and Better Business Bureau) as trusted fire and water restoration professionals. We realize that chasing and pressuring vulnerable and possibly traumatized homeowners after a disaster isn't going to further our reputation. I have seen fire losses in the city with three to four public adjusters and restoration companies literally circling the home waiting to talk to the homeowner or insured with a clipboard in hand. Meanwhile the people who lost their home are staring at their loss and should really have time to think about their next step and most likely call their insurance agent for direction. I've also seen restoration contractors  walking on the street towards a still smoldering fire with fans in hand ready to set up. The firemen weren't even finished!

We value our partners in the insurance industry and want to keep that relationship open and trustworthy by performing a valuable service for their homeowners. Period. 

"Storm Chasers" Part 1

This recent USA Today article on storm chasers was very interesting. The Iowa legislature is considering a bill that would provide homeowners the power to cancel and protect themselves against "storm chasers" as the article calls them. Basically homeowners would have the power to get out of contracts that may have been signed on site shortly after damage to their home.

Here in Illinois we have a similar bill that was passed into law last fall. For an overview click here. House bill 3034 enables the homeowner in Illinois to:

• cancel a contract up to 10 days after signing with a refund from the contractor.
• contractor must provide information and a form to cancel services
• roofing contractors especially must provide their license number on all paperwork and bids. 

What is a "storm chaser"? 

Basically someone who targets an area that recently experienced a storm that may have caused damage such as roof damage, siding damage or flood damage among other types of damage. Storm chasers usually knock on doors with the intention of signing restoration contracts. Usually these are public adjusters (insurance adjusters that are not affiliated with any insurance company) or contractors that want the homeowner to sign a contract with their company before the homeowner has a chance to contact any other contractor. The homeowner has the right to choose whoever they would like to handle the repairs however if their insurance policy does not cover the loss or only parts of the claim then the homeowner could be stuck with a bill at the end of if all.

Don't know about you but I would want to talk with my insurance provider so I understand what is covered under my policy then make sure a reputable contractor is referred to do the repairs.

In part 2 learn how Servpro of Ravenswood works with adjusters, insurance companies and homeowners.