Somebody broke into your home and damaged most of your belongings? Remain calm, take your phone and get in touch with us! A-Z Claims Adjusters Florida will discuss all important details with you and help you with your insurance claim. It is important that you consult professionals regarding this matter given that it is the only way to be absolutely sure that you will have your damage covered. Filing out vandalism damage insurance claims yourself, you could have troubles with defining everything properly and receiving the maximum of compensation for the damage you suffered. This is why our vandalism insurance claim adjusters will handle everything professionally, with a full commitment to recovering your vandalized property.
What should you do in case of vandalism?
As we said, the first and most important thing is to stay calm. This will help you do everything important for the insurance claim. And that’s the following:
- Get a police report – This is an essential thing to do, so you would have a proof of vandalism.
- Get in touch with your insurance agent – Discuss the vandalism damage with insurance professionals, so you would be sure what is covered and what is not.
- Call us – As an insurance claims adjuster, our company will help you with vandalism damage insurance claims.
- Have the damage repaired -Hire professionals to fix the damage, but only after you have done everything above.
Every year, vandalism costs the country millions of dollars. Not to mention the emotional distress property owners suffer due to vandalism. Although some acts of vandalism could be interpreted as creative expression (and they can truly be works of art) doing it without the owner’s permission is still vandalism. Whether you are a tenant or an owner, realizing that your home has been vandalized is one of the worst feelings. No matter what they damaged or took, just knowing that someone tampered with your property is disturbing enough. Unfortunately, many homeowners end up covering the costs from their own pocket which is not fair. This kind of damage is not the homeowners’ fault, therefore, they should not be the ones who pay for the repairs.
What is considered vandalism?
We could define vandalism as an act of altering, destroying or damaging someone’s property, thus diminishing its value. We use this broad term for various types of behaviors. Different states often have different definitions of vandalism.
Many consider vandalism a non-violent crime that affects life quality in a negative way. We can often see the results of vandalism in public places such as parks, bus stops, cemeteries, tunnels, etc. Vandalism damage is also noticeable on street signs, vehicles, store windows, even websites. The word vandalism includes a number of offenses such as:
- Destroying lawns
- Digging up gardens
- Cutting trees and bushes
- Painting or marking property
- Puncturing tires and scratching vehicles
- Tampering with plumbing
- Defacing property with graffiti
- Burning property
- Gluing locks
- Breaking windows and outdoor lights
- Egging buildings and cars
Vandalism laws and penalties
The purpose of these laws is to protect the public as well as private property. Vandalism can be a felony offense or a misdemeanor, depending on the value of the property and the state’s laws. Even if no one catches the criminal while he/she is doing it, they can be charged with vandal behavior as long as there is evidence. State laws that cover vandalism sometimes try to decrease its impact by prohibiting vandalism to certain objects and buildings such as schools and churches. Furthermore, these laws may ban the sale of tools often used for acts of vandalism. Penalties for graffiti, breaking windows, and other forms of vandal behavior could include imprisonment, paying a fine or both. Furthermore, there is cleaning, replacing or repairing damaged property. Also, the parent of a minor may pay a fine for their child’s vandal behavior.
Know what to expect from your insurance policy
In case your home suffers vandalism damage, make sure you know what your homeowner’s insurance policy covers. Although many insurance policies cover vandalism damage, do not assume yours will be covered too. This is because there might be some restrictions to the policy. Moreover, the definition of vandalism varies with different insurance companies. For example, you may not get financial compensation if no one has been living in the house for a certain period of time. When it comes to vacation homes, the damage will not be covered unless you were in the house when the act occurred.
What to do after suffering vandalism damage
The first thing to do as soon as you notice that someone has vandalized your home is to notify the police. It is very important not to touch anything before their arrival. By leaving the crime scene intact, you help the police find the criminals. The police will investigate and write a report regarding what was stolen, destroyed or damaged. You should help them list all those items and call them to update the report if later you discover more damage.
Filing a vandalism insurance claim
- To get your money back, you need to call your insurance company. Ask about the procedure of filing a vandalism insurance claim.
- Take photos of the property that has suffered any damage as soon as possible.
- It would be ideal if you did not touch anything before the claims adjuster arrives. However, if you need to secure something so as to avoid further damage, do it, but take photos first.
- You will need to prove what you owned. You can do this by providing photos, warranties, bank and credit card statements, original packaging, receipts, etc. The more evidence homeowners show when filing residential insurance claims, the better.
- The insurers will contact the police and use their report to establish the amount of money you will get to cover the loss and damage. In case you update the report, you need to let the insurers know.
Settling a vandalism insurance claim
The claims department agent will take your statement, check your insurance policy and recommend a service provider near you for emergency repairs. Also, he/she will assign a claim number to you. Start with the repairs only when your claims advisor gives you the green light. If your insurance company is not willing to pay you what you deserve, there is still someone you can turn to.
Contact us to hire the best public insurance adjuster Florida has to offer to help you file your vandalism insurance claim and make sure all costs are covered. You need someone who is on your side to spare you the additional stress of not receiving adequate compensation. Once everything is taken care of, your claims adjuster will explain all the details of payment. Then, they will issue a cheque to cover the cost of repairs due to vandalism damage. The claim will be closed after the payments are received.