Property Insurance Appraiser and Umpire

Jonathan Alden has extensive experience with property claims as a public adjuster. In a single year, he adjusted over 1,000 hurricane-related claims in only six months. He has adjusted claims in Louisiana, Georgia, Indiana, and North Carolina. He currently uses his public adjusting experience to provide insurance appraisal and umpire services throughout the Gulf Coast in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

 

Jonathan Alden is an Insurance Appraisal and Umpire Association (IAUA) Certified Appraiser and Umpire as well as a Windstorm Insurance Network Certified Appraiser and Umpire.

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What is an IAUA Certified Appraiser and Umpire?

Those who hold an IAUA certification have passed an examination administered by the IAUA, an organization that exists to maintain the highest level of professional standards and services for the purposes of protecting the rights of the insured and insurers in the appraisal process.

 

What is a Windstorm Insurance Network Certified Appraiser and Umpire?

Those who hold a Windstorm Insurance Network certification have completed a program that focuses on ethics and professionalism, process, case law, and the “how-to” of acting as a property insurance appraiser.

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How does the insurance appraisal process work?

According to the Insurance Appraisal and Umpire Association, the insurance appraisal process is a policy provision found in the Loss Settlement section. It is a form of alternative dispute resolution, which can resolve a disagreement when the carrier and policyholder do not agree on the amount of loss.

 

Once the insurance appraisal clause is invoked, the insured's appraiser and the insurance carrier's appraiser will estimate the damage and try to come to an agreement on the amount of loss. If the appraisers fail to agree, they will submit their differences to the umpire.

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What does an insurance umpire do?

When a property owner has filed a claim under their property insurance, but the property owner’s appraiser and the insurance company’s appraiser cannot come to an agreement, an insurance appraisal umpire is called in to resolve the dispute. Both parties must agree on the appraisal umpire. Once agreed upon, the appraisal umpire will decide between both positions.

 

According to the Insurance Appraisal and Umpire Association, an itemized decision agreed to by two of these three will set the amount of loss. Such award shall be binding. Each party will pay its own appraiser and bear the other expenses of the appraisal and umpire equally.