Five months in, the claim had not moved. Appraisal moved it.
The loss
A water supply line failed inside a West Bloomfield kitchen island in January 2024. Five months later the claim had gone nowhere, and the estimate on the table was $5,631.
By the time the homeowners called us, the loss was half a year old. That is later than anyone would choose, and it did not turn out to be too late.
The first pass
- An estimate of $5,631.
- Five months without movement.
The full claim
- The damage the water actually reached.
- Vendor pricing for the repair.
- Appraisal, once negotiation stalled.
- A final replacement cost of $170,160, with interest.
What we did
We documented the loss with DocuSketch and had vendors price the work as cash-out estimates, so the scope was backed by the people who would have to stand behind those numbers.
Negotiation still went nowhere. So we invoked appraisal, which is the provision written into the policy for exactly this situation, and the step most policyholders never take because nobody tells them it is there.
The outcome
The appraisal panel resolved the claim, including the vendor pricing and interest for the delay. A claim that had sat untouched for five months was settled about a year after we were brought in.
Identifying details are limited to protect client privacy. Figures are the insurance company's documented position and the final settlement on that claim. Every claim is different, and past results don't predict the outcome of any future claim.
Related
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