Category Archives: Mold Remediation
Insurance Claim Recovery
According to the Associated Press/WABI the Maine Bureau of Insurance recovered the following for Maine’s insured-
Insurance Bureau Recovers $970,000 For Consumers, Businesses
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Dealing with auto, life and other kinds of insurance can be a headache, and one Maine agency is dedicating to helping Mainers sort it out.
The Maine Bureau of Insurance said Mainers made 6,007 calls last year and filed 790 complaints on issues related to insurance. All told, Maine residents and businesses recovered nearly $970,000 last year with the agency’s help.
Mainers lodged 254 written complaints and made about 2,800 inquiries to the bureau’s property and casualty division, which includes auto and homeowners insurance.
Another 636 written complaints and 3,213 inquiries were directed to the consumer health care division, which includes health, life and disability insurance.
___
More information: http://www.maine.gov/insurance
The Bureau of Insurance is diligent in assisting policy holders-
State Insurance Regulators Assist Consumers in Recovering Money
Maine insurance regulators say they helped consumers in the state to recover more than $3 million owed to them during the past year. Insurance Superintendent Eric Cioppa says nearly $2.2 million was recovered by the Bureau’s Consumer Health Care Division, and almost $950,000 was recovered by the Property and Casualty Division. Cioppa says most insurers operating in Maine pay claims properly and quickly. But when individuals or business owners contact the state because of a dispute with an insurance company or agent, the state can often provide assistance. Cioppa said the Insurance Bureau fielded almost 9,000 inquiries and more than 900 complaints during 2012.
Investigating Insurance Company Profits
Maine insurance adjusters, are generally honest and credible. NPR is broadcasting a shocking and informative investigation of gross malfeasance under the flood insurance program, which the U.S. taxpayer subsidizes if there are not enough funds to cover large scale catastrophic losses.
Sept. 20: Business of Disaster
Who profits when disaster strikes? FRONTLINE and NPR investigated the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy — revealing that private insurance companies working for the government have made hundreds of millions of dollars at the same time that thousands of homeowners are claiming they have been underpaid. “We found that disasters like Superstorm Sandy aren’t a disaster for everyone,” says NPR reporter Laura Sullivan, who along with FRONTLINE producer Rick Young and his investigative team spent a year digging into how Sandy recovery dollars were spent.
“In 2009, a Government Accountability Office audit told FEMA to figure out how much profit the flood insurance companies are making off the flood program and take that into account when it paid them.
But Wright, who took over the flood program for FEMA last year, says he doesn’t know how much money the insurance companies make from the program.
“I’ve never looked at the book of business to understand their profits,” he says. “So you’d need to go specifically to the companies to understand those numbers.”
The nation’s largest insurance firms declined to disclose their profit margins on the flood program.
However, every year the insurance companies report what it actually costs them to do their flood work to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, an industry association of government regulators. And every year, FEMA reports what it pays insurers who participate in the flood program. With both numbers, you can do some math. Government auditors used a similar method in 2009.
Based on the latest figures, that analysis shows the insurance companies together made anywhere from $240 million to $406 million a year just on their flood work since 2011 — without having to pay any claims.”
Real Estate Ethics
Property inspection is fundamental to successful real estate purchases. A competent inspector, completing an objective assessment, will identify apparent/potential deficiencies and save prospective buyers untold future expense and lingering unhappiness.
Competence and unbiased opinion is also a quality cornerstone in selecting a licensed real estate agent for representation. Truthful disclosure is absolutely necessary to protect all parties, including the realtor.
Realtor Mag from the National Association of Realtors offers the following-
“Dilemma 1: Should I Disclose That?
“REALTORS® shall avoid exaggeration, misrepresentation, or concealment of pertinent facts relating to the property or the transaction.” (Article 2)
The scenario: Your seller client tells you that a home inspector recently was suspicious of insect damage when he saw the home’s damaged siding. However, the seller disputes that notion, saying he’s never had an insect problem in or around the home.
The risk: Withholding pertinent facts from buyers.
What to do: Disclose anything that affects the value or desirability of the home, says Bruce Aydt, ABR®, CRB, general counsel and senior vice president of St. Louis-based Prudential Alliance, REALTORS®. That may include insect damage, water leakage, structural problems, and more.
Otherwise, you’re putting yourself at risk of serious legal action. “I think some agents are unaware of the potential liability and might agree with the home owner and keep quiet,” Aydt says.
Practitioners may be stumped because they don’t know whether or not a particular fact is important enough to share with prospective buyers, Aydt says. If you find yourself in this situation, it’s best to err on the side of disclosure.
You’re not the expert; the home inspector is. So if a home inspector says there’s a problem, but the seller disagrees, you have to stick with the assessment of the inspector.
What if sellers refuse to disclose, and urges you to do the same? It’s the safest practice to surrender your listing, Aydt says. The legal risks to you are simply too great.“
Salvaging Books, Records, and Photographs
Records Solutions (207) 942-4545 of Bangor, Maine offers document restoration service statewide.
From their website-
Salvaging Memories. Saving Records.
Remediation. Reclaiming. Restoration
“Records Solutions specializes in reclaiming paper documents which are water soaked, stained, or contaminated with mold or mildew. Whether your books, photographs, or documents are damaged by floods or sitting unprotected in a moist environment growing mildew and dangerous mold, Records Solutions has the capability of reversing the effects of water damage. Document mold remediation will protect your health and restore contaminated documents.
Beyond office files, film-based documents, such as X-rays, and documents that have been damaged by sewer water or gray water may also be recovered and restored.”
Humidity and Mold Growth
The arrival of warm summer weather provides opportunity for fresh air through screened windows and doors. Summer breezes are refreshing. Remember to close windows and doors when outdoor humidity levels rise. Basement windows should remain closed as well to keep humid ambient air out and to prevent mold growth. Dehumidifiers and air conditioners should be evaluated for maintenance and repairs prior to operation.
Water, Mold, & Building Materials
Building Science Corporation is a credible resource with unbiased factual information.
BSI-027 is a fascinating examination of the prevalence of microbial growth in new buildings. This excerpt is interesting and the photographs included in the article are truly remarkable.
