Mission Statement
“Reserve Capital LLC’s mission is to help fairly indemnify credible property insurance claims.”
Scope of Work
Reserve Capital LLC’s network of public adjusters and insurance appraisers has extensive experience with claims related to Hail/Wind, Fire, Water, Weight of Ice & Water, Business Interruption, Catastrophic Events, and other covered perils contained in commercial and residential policies. Reserve Capital LLC provides either public adjusting OR appraisal services depending on the context and timeline of claim(s).
ABOUT PUBLIC ADJUSTING
What is a Public Adjuster (PA)?
An individual who is licensed and regulated by the State department of insurance to help indemnify property owners per their insurance policies and damages incurred. Aside from attorneys, Public Adjusters (PAs) are the only individuals that can legally represent policy holders on their insurance claims. Unlike contractors or roofers, PAs are licensed to interpret policy language as well as negotiate claims amounts for insureds. PAs are also bonded, insured, and knowledgeable in policy language and construction methodologies.
Why would I need a Public Adjuster?
PAs advocate for consumer rights under their insurance policies. PAs facilitate the claims process for insureds by handling all inspections and correspondence throughout the duration of their claim(s). PAs help ensure that policy holders have necessary funds to restore their property to pre-loss condition and that all coverages within their policies are fairly addressed. Not to be confused with Insurance Adjusters (IAs), Public Adjusters do not work for any insurance company but instead represent the interests of policy holders.
When to involve a public adjuster
Although PAs can become involved during any phase of the claims process, it is best to involve a PA from the beginning to ensure claims are adequately documented and presented to the carrier. Typically, PAs become involved when there are disputes in coverage and/or scope. It’s especially crucial to involve a PA if an insurance company is denying a valid claim or failing to sufficiently address costs associated with a valid claim..
How much does a Public Adjuster charge?
Public Adjusters charge a percentage of claims proceeds. Since Public Adjusters work for the public rather than the insurance company, they are also paid by the policy holder rather than by the insurance company.
What happens if a PA and carrier cannot agree?
There are various alternatives that can be pursued if a PA is unable to form agreement with a carrier regarding amounts of loss. Appraisal is typically invoked when there are disputes strictly related to amounts of loss opposed to coverage issues. Although it should never be the intention from the onset of a claim, filing suit may need to be considered if egregious errors or actions have occurred during the claims process.
Do PAs perform construction?
NO. Public Adjuster are not contractors, their sole purpose is to represent policy holders during the claims process to ensure fair amounts of loss are awarded. Public Adjusters work strictly for policy holders, not for either contractors or insurance companies.
ABOUT APPRAISAL
When to Involve an Appraiser?
Appraisal should be considered after a loss has been inspected, perhaps multiple times, and a carrier’s and insured’s estimates have established irreconcilable differences in amounts of loss. Appraisers are required to be independent, disinterested, and impartial. Therefore, appraisers charge on an hourly basis for time and expenditures.
What else to know about Appraisal?
Appraisers nominate an umpire before meeting to ensure achieving agreement is still possible if the appraisers cannot agree. Umpires usually charge $1,200 to $1,500 which is split between the insured and insurance company. An appraisal demand letter, signed by the insured, commences the process which takes approximately 1-6 months to complete depending on the claim’s context.
CONSUMER RESOURCES
About the Owner
Steve Ziegler grew up in Broomfield, CO and attended Legacy High School, graduating in 2007. He won back-to-back 5A State Golf Championships in his junior and senior years and finished with the third highest GPA in his class of over five hundred students. His athletics and academics in high school earned him a scholarship to play golf for Stanford University, which he began attending in the fall of 2007.
At Stanford University, Steve earned four All-American awards: two as an athlete (’09, ’10) and two as a student (’10, ’11). In his senior year, he was elected captain of the Stanford Men’s Golf Team and in his four years on the team he participated in over 95% of the tournaments in which the team participated. Steve graduated in August of 2011 with a B.A. in Science, Technology, and Society.
Upon completing his undergraduate degree, Steve chose to pursue a career playing professional golf with sights set on the PGA Tour. He formed an LLC in the beginning of 2012 to help fund his pursuit. By early 2013, despite some success professionally, Steve decided to repay those who invested in his golf career and in May of 2015 earned his MBA with concentrations in Real Estate and Construction Management at CU-Boulder's Leeds School of Business. He’s operated his public adjusting and insurance appraisal business Reserve Capital LLC since December of 2013.