If your home was built before 1975, there’s a good chance your plumbing consists of cast iron pipes. Before PVC piping became commonplace, the majority of buildings were constructed using these materials. Unfortunately, if this is true for your house, you could be in serious trouble. That’s because cast iron pipes have a tendency to be far less reliable than their plastic counterparts. Especially as they get older, they can become weaker and prone to bursting. That can lead to significant issues for homeowners because water damage claims are among the types most frequently denied by insurance companies. With that in mind, it’s crucial to know the warning signs of any cast iron pipe problems your property may have.

What Causes Cast Iron Pipes to Fail?

The worst enemy of cast iron is corrosion. Over time, it can eat away at piping, causing it to crumble or burst under pressure. Any number of conditions can lead to your water mains and other conduits being exposed to rust, including:

• Flushing household chemicals containing caustic substances
• Using pesticides or other compounds on soil
• Clay soils and other natural conditions that create dampness
• Damage caused by nearby construction activity

What Are the Signs of Damaged Pipes?

Damaged mains can be a significant headache for a homeowner because the effects may not be felt until the damage to the home is catastrophic. That said, there are some situations you should look for to tell if your property is at risk. If you notice any of the following conditions, seek professional help right away:

• Warped flooring: If your wooden floors appear to be buckling or sinking, it could be an indication that a pipe is leaking underneath it.
• Stained carpets and ceiling tiles: The evidence of water damage is obvious in many cases. Any staining that appears to be caused by leaks inside your walls or floor should be dealt with as soon as possible.
• Loose tiles: Bathroom or kitchen flooring that starts to become loosened or uneven should be taken as a serious warning that your pipes are failing.
• Pests: Infestations of roaches, silverfish and other vermin could occur because there’s an available source of moisture for them. This is very likely to be caused by holes in your plumbing.

What Should You Do Next?

If you notice any of these red flags around your house, contact a licensed professional to inspect it. Then, if you determine you want to file an insurance claim, get in touch with Sunshine Property Claims. We will walk you through all of the necessary steps for filing and help make sure your provider does what’s right, given the circumstances.

If the title of this post caught your interest, you are likely a step ahead of many of your neighbors that are still waiting for any kind of response from their insurance company.  Upon receiving the insurance claim settlement check, you will likely find that they included your Mortgage Company as a payee on the check…what now?

Welcome to round 2 – Getting your mortgage company to endorse the check and give you your money!

As Public Adjusters, we have been through this process enough to know that mortgage companies can be difficult to work with when trying to get them to endorse or release your money.  I wanted to share a few tips that we have found to be helpful over the years.

1.  Do Not Send the Endorsed Check to your insurance company until you know exactly how the process is going to go, we prefer to get this in writing when possible.
2.  If your mortgage company has local branches, go in and sit down with them and try to get the check endorsed.  If you have a good relationship with the bank, they may be able to assist in the process.
3.  If no local branches, call your mortgage company and let them know that you have received a claim settlement check with their name on it.  They will typically refer to this as the “Loss Drafts Dept.”
4.  When you call into your mortgage company, the first person you will likely speak with will take your information and respond to you exactly as directed by their computer.  They should then send a package explaining the procedure and what is required from you and/or your contractor.  Do not waste much energy arguing with this person as your efforts will likely go unrewarded.
5.  When the repairs have already been done, you should never have to send an endorsed check.  Request an inspection immediately.  Once passed, you should be able to mail in the unendorsed check for the bank to sign and send back to you for you to deposit.
6.  If not satisfied with what your being told by your mortgage co, request to speak with a “Specialist”.  Once you get to this person, be very nice as they are the one that may be able to actually help you!
7.  Ask for an “exception” to their standard procedures.  When asking, remember that their main objective is to protect their investment.  Do not exaggerate the damages as that will only make them more skeptical and less likely to try and help you.

If you follow these tips, you should be on your way to getting your mortgage company to endorse your check or at least understand how they are going to be releasing your money.   When all else fails and you are forced to go through the process, read the documents very carefully.  If there is anything that you do not completely understand, get answers before sending anything.  When submitting the documents double check that you are giving them everything that they are asking for.  If there are documents that they are requesting that you are having difficulty in obtaining, contact the specialist and discuss the issue.

Need help with your case? Call us today @ (754) 456-7897 for free consultation.