TRAVERSE CITY — Parts of Northern Michigan are still reeling from severe weekend ice storms that downed power lines and battered property.
Local insurance agents are now giving advice to homeowners on what they should do if their house has been damaged.
“First and foremost is document everything,” said Aaron Benso, owner of Michigan’s Best Insurance in Traverse City. “So whatever you can — document pictures, document items that might have gotten damaged, damage to homes, property, anything like this, before you touch anything. Document it heavily."
Benso says that homeowners should keep records of their conversations with insurance providers to ensure proper coverage.
“Document who you talk to, when you talk to them, what they said, and then that way you can keep — really a flow of what you’ve talked about, so that you can keep them accountable to what they’re telling you,” he said.
Linda Fisher, CEO of Cardinal Insurance Group, also in Traverse City, advises homeowners to get in touch with their insurance immediately.
“Make sure that you call your insurance agent, you let them know what’s happened, and you find out before you start hiring people on your property — what do you have covered? What do you have coverage for? And what do you not have coverage for?” she said.
Fisher says any permanent repairs should take place only after your insurance agent has been contacted.
“Your insurance adjuster is going to let you know how much money you have, and how much money do you have to take a tree off the house,” she said. “How much money do you have for debris removal?”
Homeowners are able to make temporary repairs as necessary, like boarding up windows or stopping leaks.
“Make sure that you’re making temporary repairs to keep the water from coming into your home. And just keep receipts, take photos, take documentation, and keep receipts of everything that you’re spending because of that claim, so that you can turn that into the adjuster to get reimbursed for those expenses,” she said.
Agents also warned homeowners to stay vigilant for post-storm scams.
“A lot of clients are anxious to get the trees removed or get the damage repaired; they want to do what’s really quick and what’s fast,” Fisher said. “And you really need to work with your adjuster to make sure that you are hiring an insured and bonded contractor.”
More information on post-disaster scams can be found with the Michigan Attorney General’s office.