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DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE NECESSARY
TO PROVE YOUR FLOOD CLAIM
FEMA has identified the following list of documents that your insurance company or FEMA may request that you produce in order to prove your loss:
¨ Your insurance policy and its declarations page;
¨ A copy of everything you sent to your insurance company or to FEMA about your claim;
¨ A copy of the notice you sent to the insurance company or to FEMA that notified them that you had sustained a loss;
¨ A copy of everything your insurance company or FEMA has sent you about your claim;
¨ A copy of the insurance company’s written denial or disallowance, in whole or in part, of the claim;
¨ A copy of the signed, notarized Proof of Loss submitted to the insurance company or to the National Flood Insurance Program, as required in the policy;
¨ A copy of any proof of transmittal of the Proof of Loss. This can be a certified mail green card (return receipt), copy of a fax transmittal showing that the document was successfully transmitted, etc.;
¨ Room-by-room itemized estimates from the adjuster (including contractors’ estimates), detailing unit costs and quantities for the items needing repair or replacement;
¨ Replacement cost Proofs of Loss;
¨ Adjuster’s Preliminary Report;
¨ Adjuster’s Final Report;
¨ Detailed damaged personal property inventories, including approximate ages of the items, purchase price, and replacement cost;
¨ Completed Mobile Home Worksheet;
¨ Mobile home title, including salvage title;
¨ Real estate appraisals, excluding land values
¨ Advance payment information;
¨ Clear photographs (exterior and interior) confirming damage that resulted from direct physical loss by or from flood and loss due to other causes;
¨ Proof that prior flood damage has been repaired;
¨ Elevation Certificate, if the building is elevated;
¨ The community’s determination concerning substantial damage;
¨ Zone determinations;
¨ Pre-loss and post-loss inventories;
¨ Financial statements;
¨ Tax records, lease agreements, sales contracts, settlement papers, deed, etc.;
¨ Emergency (911) address change information;
¨ Salvage information (proceeds and sales);
¨ Condominium association by-laws;
¨ Proof of other insurance, including homeowners or wind policies, and any claim information submitted to the other companies;
¨ Waiver, Letter of Map Revision (LOMR), or Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) information;
¨ Paid receipts and invoices, including cancelled checks, that support your out-of-pocket expenses pertaining to the claim;
¨ Underwriting decisions;
¨ Architectural plans and drawings;
¨ Death certificates;
¨ Last Will and Testament;
¨ Divorce decree;
¨ Power of attorney;
¨ Current lienholder information;
¨ Current loss payee information;
¨ Paid receipts and invoices documenting damaged stock;
¨ Detailed engineering reports specifically addressing flood-related damage and pre-existing damage;
¨ Engineering surveys;
¨ Market values;
¨ Documentation of Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) dates;
¨ Documentation concerning substantial improvement, including documents that reflect date(s) of construction;
¨ Loan documents, including closings and settlement sheets;
¨ Evidence of insurability as a Residential Condominium Association;
¨ Franchise agreements;
¨ Letters of representation, i.e., attorneys and public adjusters;
¨ Any assignment of interest in a claim; and
¨ Any other pertinent information that your insurance company or FEMA may request in processing a claim.
Obviously, not ALL of these documents will apply to your claim. But as you go through the list you should recognize those that do apply to your claim, and should be aware of those documents that are in your possession. Gather all of the documents that you have that are on this list and keep them together in one file for use as your claim is being processed. It is better to collect them now and put them in a safe place where they can easily be retrieved. It is much better to set them aside now, rather than having to search for them in a panic the day before a hearing or deposition.
Please keep these documents where you can easily get to them in case they are needed on short notice in connection with proving your claim.