Public adjusters in Orion Township, Michigan.
On November 19, 2024 an explosion at the Keatington New Town Condominiums on Waldon Road left 18 units destroyed or in need of significant investigation. More than a third of the village of Lake Orion's homes predate 1940, and the township has 42 lakes larger than five acres, so old framing and lake homes shape claims here.
AdjustFair works only for the policyholder, from our Ferndale office, about 22 miles south of Orion Township. We read the policy, document the full loss, price the repair the way a contractor would have to build it, and put that number in front of the insurance company with the proof behind it.
Where claims here get underpaid.
Three kinds of loss stand out on Orion Township and Lake Orion claims, and each one comes up short in a different place.
- Explosions in attached condos. At Keatington, 12 more units beyond the 18 the fire chief counted were checked for stability, and the wreckage sat for many months before it was cleared. In an attached building the loss is split between the association's master policy and each owner's unit policy. The money gets lost in the gaps: owner improvements, contents, units whose damage looks minor, and the cost of living elsewhere while the building is rebuilt.
- Fire in old village houses. On January 14, 2022 fire destroyed an 1894 boarding house at 35 N. Broadway in the village, the business next door took water damage, and the fire chief said the house's balloon framing let flames spread between floors. In old houses built that way, smoke and heat travel through open wall cavities into rooms the fire never reached, and an estimate that writes those rooms as a wipe-down leaves out the cleaning, sealing and replacement they need.
- Burst pipes in lake homes. Lake Orion's islands hold a mix of seasonal and year-round homes, and every island but Bellevue and Park can be reached only by boat. A supply line that freezes in a house left empty for part of the winter can run for days, and freeze coverage often turns on whether the heat was kept on or the water shut off and the lines drained. On an island, getting crews and materials to the house is a real cost that a standard estimate does not include.
Five months in, the claim had not moved. Appraisal moved it.
A supply line failed under the kitchen island, and the claim then sat for five months. Documented with DocuSketch and vendor pricing, and resolved at appraisal.
Questions we get here.
An explosion in the next unit damaged my Orion Township condo. Whose policy pays?
Usually both the association's master policy and your own unit policy, with the association's documents drawing the line between them. At least one Keatington owner kept getting association dues and assessments for a unit the explosion destroyed, so check your unit policy for loss assessment and loss of use coverage. Document your improvements and belongings yourself, room by room.
Does it matter that my house is on one of Lake Orion's islands?
It can. Most of the islands are reached only by boat, so crews, materials and debris all move by water, which adds labor and time that an estimate written for a mainland street will not show. Seasonal homes also raise freeze and vacancy questions under the policy. We document how the work actually has to be done and price it that way.
How soon can an adjuster get to Lake Orion?
Orion Township is about 22 miles north of our Ferndale office, so the village, the lakes and Keatington are all within an easy drive for us. Call the number on this page and someone will explain what to protect and photograph first, and when an adjuster can come out to walk the property with you.
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