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Vandalism Insurance Claim for Commercial Property in North Palm Beach
Advocate Claims Public Adjusters Helps Property Manager After Hate Crime
The commercial real estate located at 101 Castlewood Drive in North Palm Beach, Florida experienced property damage to its interior and exterior on December 4, 2015. The Islamic Center of Palm Beach was the victim of a growing trend of hate crimes in our country when their mosque was vandalized.
The building suffered extensive damage to its interior and exterior including broken windows, shutters and doors, carpet that had to be replaced from blood stains, along with destruction to contents and equipment inside. The perpetrator of this hate crime was swiftly apprehended and subsequently sentenced to four years for his crime against a place of worship. While that gave the property’s manager some peace of mind, she still found herself in unfamiliar territory dealing with the complexities of the insurance claims process in order to restore her property and rebuild the mosque.
The property manager initially handled the insurance claim with her insurance provider herself, but manages other properties and was struggling to find enough time to do everything required to build her case with her insurance company. After a few months of delays and red tape, and only receiving a small settlement of $9,700 for some of the damage, she sought representation from a public adjuster at the recommendation of her son.
The property manager searched online for a reputable public adjuster that served the North Palm Beach area and after reading great reviews selected Steven David Venook and Advocate Claims Public Adjusters to represent her. Steven Venook was able to quickly substantiate the extent and amount of all of her damages after a thorough investigation of the premise and background claim work at $115,000.
The property manager said, “Steven was able to look at the building and see what really had to be done to properly restore it. The windows had special panes and the shutters were older so the old and new windows and shutters could not be matched. All of them needed to be replaced to restore the building’s exterior. I could never do what Steven did. He pretty much saved me.”
The property manager also sought legal representation in her battle with her insurance provider. Based on the extensive information compiled by Venook, the property owner’s attorney was able to file a suit immediately and secure a settlement of $80,000 along with her attorney and APCA’s fees. The outcome was more than eight times the original offer from the insurance company.
The property manager said, “Steven was fantastic and did a tremendous amount to help us get a fair settlement. In the end we feel we received enough to cover everything that needs to be done to restore the property properly.”
She continued, “If I were to experience another loss to my home or one of my commercial properties, I would never deal with the insurance company alone without a public adjuster. I wouldn’t think twice about hiring Steven again. He’s a really good one.”
While this loss claim does have a happy ending, so many others do not. It’s an important testimonial to share before a loss occurrence so you know who you can turn to for real help in an emergency.
If you experience vandalism or another form of property damage and need representation in dealing with your insurance provider, call Palm Beach based Steven Venook at Advocate Claims Public Adjusters at 561-962-0065 or Contact Us.
A Special Thanks
ACPA would like to extend a special thanks to our client for allowing us to share her story.