Filing a Vandalism Claim for Your Property in Florida

If you live in South Florida, you may be concerned with your home’s ability to sustain damage if a natural disaster hits or you experience a burst pipe or leaky roof. However, there is one more troublesome issue you should consider that is fairly common in our region — vandalism.

Vandalism may include broken glass, graffiti, arson or more. When this occurs to your property, you want to get it repaired as quickly as possible, and you may need to file a homeowners’ insurance claim with a company like ASI Preferred. However, there are a few things you need to consider before doing so.

First, it’s important to know that there are criminal and legal concerns when it comes to vandalism in Florida — mostly related to who committed the act in question and filing a police report. Unlike other types of damage, vandalism is also a criminal matter, which can complicate the claim you file with your insurer.

Unfortunately, you cannot necessarily count on ASI Preferred or other private insurance companies to help you through all of these details. Given the 28 formal complaints ASI in particular had in 2012, policyholders should think twice about the quality of service they can expect when they need to file a vandalism insurance claim in Florida. The following are two common issues related to these situations:

• Tenant eviction: Property owners who rent out homes or spaces to tenants, and then use their right to evict those tenants, are at higher risks of vandalism. Angry former tenants may harbor resentment towards the property owner and vent their feelings by causing intentional property damage.
• Theft: If you are a business owner or homeowner with items of value that are known or possibly visible to others, the vandalism done to your property may be related to an attempted or successful theft.

Of course, there are some environmental and even random acts that may lead to vandalism on your property, including graffiti, broken glass and other forms of damage falling under the definition of “malicious intent.” Regardless of the circumstances, you should be sure to carefully document all of the damage done to your home or building.

South Florida public adjusters are valuable assets in these situations because they can help you collect and record the vandalism that has occurred to your property, help you with filing a vandalism claim for your property, and working with your insurance company to secure the highest amount in compensation possible under your policy. The next time damage occurs to your home for any number of reasons, consider seeking the guidance of a West Palm Beach public adjuster.

Advocate Claims Public Adjusters work with home and business owners across the state of Florida, including West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Wellington, Hollywood, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and the surrounding communities. Call us at 888-433-4403 or contact us online today.