More help on the way for Sandy victims

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. - Aug. 4, 2013 - PRLog -- One local public adjusting firm has decided to go above and beyond in their efforts to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.  ACI Adjustment Group, Pennsylvania and New Jersey’s premier public adjusting agency, has committed to providing Hurricane Sandy victims with FREE property inspections as a part of “Project Rebuild.”
As you may have read in your local newspaper or seen on your local TV news station, hundreds of thousands of homeowners have been left without adequate relief for their property losses.  To ACI’s CEO, Peter Guzzi, the stories seem endless.  “Every day we hear another story from another customer who wasn’t treated fairly by their insurance company.  It breaks my heart.”
A home owned by Mr. Guzzi’s mother in Ortley Beach, New Jersey is unfortunately one of those stories.  The structural engineer, who was sent from her insurance company, suggested the house should be “glued back together.”  Needless to say, the insurance company’s offer was nowhere near adequate and Mrs. Guzzi has been without a home ever since the hurricane.
What most of these homeowners don’t know is that stories like these can have a happy ending.  Most homeowners don’t realize that there are professionals who are licensed by the state to fight on behalf of homeowners to ensure they get a fair settlement for their claim.  These heroes are called Public Adjusters, and chances are you know someone who has used one to get a fair settlement.
ACI Adjustment Group is launching “Project Rebuild” on June 15 in an effort to help restore the millions of dollars’ worth of property lost as a result of Hurricane Sandy.
“Project Rebuild is about two things,” says Taylor Law, one of ACI’s All-Star Public Adjusters.  “It’s about making sure the people who have paid thousands and thousands of dollars for their insurance get what they deserve, and it’s about restoring our communities back to the way they were before the storm.”
ACI has an uphill battle ahead of them, as the insurance companies fight tooth-and-nail against Public Adjusters who have the best interests of the homeowner at heart.
“Insurance is a business, and unfortunately, the bottom line is the top priority,” says Divisional President Rick Ashley.  Rick knows all too well how the insurance companies can place profits over people.  In 1990, Rick was just couple of years into starting his first business, a construction company based out of Chalfont, Pennsylvania.  It was his life-long dream.  
His business was really taking off when his daughter, Lisa, was born with congenital heart disease and went through her first open heart surgery before she even left the hospital.  Rick and his wife, Kathy, tried to get coverage for their daughter from every insurance company, but every single one turned them down.  The insurance companies knew that Lisa would need another operation in order to survive.
Rick did as any loving father would; he gave up his lifelong dream and returned to his job as a union ironworker so he could get healthcare for his daughter through union benefits.  “My daughter was born with a hole in her heart, but luckily the doctors could fix it.  Unfortunately, no technology in the world could fix the hole in the insurance companies’ hearts.”
When it comes to Hurricane Sandy victims, nobody has a bigger heart than ACI Adjustment Group.  
“We love our customers and our customers love us,” boasts ACI President, Pete Guzzi.  “That’s why we’re giving away free property inspections.”  
These inspections are limited and in high demand due to the sheer number of homeowners who were treated unfairly after Hurricane Sandy.  You don’t need to go far to see the destruction.  “It’s everywhere,” says Mr. Guzzi.  “Just look around you.  It’s still here.  Most of the claims we filed in July were still from Hurricane Sandy.  Some people got low-balled by the insurance companies and we had to take over the negotiation in order to get a fair settlement, and some people were just too scared to put a claim in before the claims process was explained to them by a Public Adjuster.”
Putting in claims is a common fear for homeowners.  With millions of dollars of advertising spent on television and radio commercials depicting insurance fraud, it’s no wonder why homeowners are afraid to put in claims.  “There’s almost a stigma about putting in a claim,” says Mr. Guzzi.  “And that’s just the way the insurance companies like it.”
Another common misconception is, “it’s not worth it.”  Many homeowners believe a small leak from the roof is not worth claiming, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.  “That leak had to get there somehow,” says Bill Roberts an ACI Regional VP .  “In order for water to get through the shingles, insulation, plywood, and all of the other preventative measures in the roof, there’s got to be a significant amount of damage.  You can’t just paint over the stain and expect it to go away.  It won’t.”
“Won’t my rates go up?” is the most common question asked by homeowners.  The sad truth is that most homeowners aren’t educated on how their rates increase.  Most policies work based on a discount or surcharge that could be as low as $45.00 per year.  And, just like auto insurance, that increase isn’t permanent.  The increase is well worth it when you’re talking about the replacement value for the roof, siding, or another damage portion of your home.
The ACI family knows firsthand how tough it can be to deal with the insurance companies.  That’s why they’re offering  FREE inspections to homeowners affected by Hurricane Sandy.  
Unsure whether your damage is worth claiming?  Don’t feel like dealing with the stress of arguing with your insurer?  Afraid to say the wrong thing to your insurance company?  Do you just want fair treatment for your claim after spending thousands and thousands on insurance?
Become a part of ACI Adjustment Group’s mission to restore New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  Get a FREE home inspection from one of our licensed professionals! Visit Http://www.aciadjustment.com to sign up for a FREE inspection.