Pre-Purchase Inspection Reports – Why They Matter When You Have A Property Damage Insurance Claim

Living in South Florida provides wonderful opportunities for potential property owners. When you locate that perfect property, you should always hire a reputable property inspector to perform a thorough inspection.
 
Whether it’s for a commercial or residential property, an inspection will show the condition of the property prior to your purchase. If there are any issues found, the inspector will provide repair options in the report and the seller will have the opportunity to make the repairs prior to closing.
 
There are times when the seller is not in the position to complete repairs, and they will provide a credit to the purchaser for an agreed amount so the purchaser can make the repairs.
 
If this is the case, it’s important that the repairs are completed and you maintain all the invoices as proof of repairs.
 
Why is an inspection report important when you have property damage and need to file an insurance claim?
 
When filing an insurance claim, you want to make sure that the damage you are claiming is covered under your insurance policy, but more important, that the damage is not pre-existing.
 
Recently contacted by a property owner who was unsure if the damage they had to the interior of their property or the damage to their roof was covered. After inspecting the damage inside, I got on the roof to finish my inspection.
 
I did see prior repairs, and an area with some damage. In my nearly 20 years as a licensed public adjuster, and a certified appraiser and umpire, I know the difference between new and old damage. To me, the roof damage didn’t appear new.
 
The property owner said they purchased the property approximately two years ago, so I asked if they had a property inspection report. They did and while I was on the roof, I was viewing the report.
 
As I suspected, the roof damage was exactly the same in the inspection report as the damage I was viewing.
 
Here are three important takeaways:
 
1.  Your insurance policy does not cover pre-existing damage
2.  Always have a property inspection done when purchasing property
3.  Make sure that repairs mentioned in an inspection report are completed
 
Before filing an insurance claim, you should have an experienced and knowledgeable  public adjuster inspect the damage and review your policy to see what the policy coverages, or if you should even file a claim. Not all damage is a covered damage.
 
At Reliant Insurance Adjusters, we treat every client’s claim as if it were our own. We always put our client’s interests before our own, but we will never represent a client for an uncovered loss.
 
If you are unsure if you have a covered insurance claim, or you have a new, underpaid or denied insurance claim, we are here to help. Contact us today.