Raising From The Ashes - Lessons In Recovery

Last January I started a journey that I never expected to take.  I recieved a call from my tenant in New Paltz, NY saying that the house was on fire.  The shock I felt when I saw the house after racing from my home to see it can not fully be described.  My tenant had lost everything and the insurance company determined that the electrical fire had caused a total loss. 

The first lesson I learned was to be thankful that my rental property was insured properly as a rental property.  Without a landlord policy the rented status at the time of the fire would have caused the claim to be denied. If you are renting a property you need to make sure it is insured as a rental. Don't take chances. 

The second lesson learned was to put my trust in a recommended Licensed Public Adjuster.  I thank my PA David Catanzaro of Dalan Adjustment for all of his help in working through the insurance claim process. If you are ever faced with a fire or flood please do yourself a favor and find a good public adjuster to help you.  They are paid out of your claim but I believe using our adjuster resulted in less stress and a higher selttlement amount then we would have gotten if we had tried to settle on our own.

Many lessons were learned during the renovation process but we have finally come to the end of the road and have out new Certificate of Occupancy from the town of New Paltz. I am really proud of results of our labors.  Now the house is ready for a new owner.