Providing proof of repairs to insurance after hurricane damages

[Sam Leon]

I have a kind of an odd questions for fellow landlords or if anyone is in the insurance side.

Last year when Irma hit South Florida, I suffered quite a bit of damages on a number of my rental.

A particular one is a multi family building - I had fence damages, tree branch fell on roof, poked a hole through the roof, through the ceiling, debris everywhere inside, outside...so I filed a claim to my windstorm insurance carrier.

I was lucky that the apartment the branch went through, was vacant at the time.  So I had time to deal with the mess.

Right after the hurricane, it was a total chaos.  Power outages, flooding, it was difficult if not impossible to get any contractors to come do any repair or clean up.  The contractors I do find, those that would even answer their phones, want cash payment, no receipt...my cell phone was running out of juice, and no power at home or rental to charge.  So I hired a contractor to come clean the 40' long 10" diamater tree branch off the roof and numerous other branches leaning collapsed fences, I hired another contractor to come fix the roof leak.  I then repaired the sheet rock, texture and painting of the ceiling myself.  I also rebuilt the fence myself.

About a week after the damages, the insurance adjuster came by and documented all the damages.  He then gave me an estimate which stated that I am under the deductable.  Pretty much standard windstorm insurance is about 5% so that would be about 20K.  My repair estimate was about 12K so no luck.  Turned out all my properties I was under my deductable so that was a unexpected 16K expense thanks to Irma.

Two weeks ago I got a notice from my insurance carrier notifying me come October my insurance will no longer be renewed due to lack of documentation that repairs had been made.

I called my agent and apparently there has been some mix up on their end.  Even though I was below the deductable, I had to show proof to them that the repairs have been made so that they can be assured I won't accumulate repairs and pile them up on the next hurricane.  The agent was supposed to tell me to submit documents but since I was under the deductable, they didn't say anything and I didn't either.

Now they told me I need:

(1) before/after pictures;

(2) PAID IN FULL receipt showing licensed specialty contractors on work performed;

on:

(a) roof repair

(b) ceiling drywall work

(c) ceiling texture and paint work

(d) fence repairs

(e) fallen, hanging, damaged tree branch removal and pruning

After some calls and elbow twisting, I was able to get the roofer to give me a retroactive receipt now on work done in September of last year even though I paid him cash.

I was not able to get the debris removal cleaning company to give me a receipt.

I did the sheetrock, texture and painting myself so that was my time & cost.

I have pictures of everything.

So now my windstorm insurance may cancel because I can't provide receipts of licensed specialty contractors on sheetrock/texture/painting work performed.

Kind of surprised that simple sheetrock repair work would need licensed specialty contractor.  Electrical, plumbing, framing, roofing I understand, but debris pickup, texturing and painting?

Any suggestions on what my options are?  Is this a standard insurance thing?