WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:04.080 KFI AM six forty. You're listening to Dean Sharp The 2 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:10.439 House Whisper on demand of the iHeart Radio app. Hey, 3 00:00:10.519 --> 00:00:12.599 did you know that this very program is also the 4 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:16.359 House Whisper podcast that you can listen to anytime anywhere 5 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:20.559 on demand, including today's program, today's episode. If you missed 6 00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:22.679 any of it, you need say what did he say 7 00:00:22.760 --> 00:00:25.760 about this? In regards to fire? As well? About an 8 00:00:25.800 --> 00:00:28.519 hour after we go off the air of our live broadcast, 9 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:32.200 that episode is Boom, part of the House Whisper podcast 10 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:36.960 and it lives in perpetuity wherever your favorite podcasts are found, 11 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:42.880 of course on the iHeartRadio app, but also Apple Podcasts, Spotify. 12 00:00:42.920 --> 00:00:45.119 Wherever you listen to your podcast, you can find us. 13 00:00:45.399 --> 00:00:48.679 You just search for Home with Dean Sharp, or you 14 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:50.840 can search for The House Whisper. You're gonna find us. 15 00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:53.159 You're gonna find me. There you will find it, and 16 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:59.759 you will find eight seasons, eight years, hundreds of episodes, 17 00:00:59.799 --> 00:01:03.159 all all listed by topic, all waiting for you when 18 00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:07.120 you want to hear them. And if you're thinking, well, 19 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:09.280 that's all great, but what we really need is Dean 20 00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:12.359 and Tina in our house. And you're joking about that, well, 21 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:14.959 you can do that too. You can book an in 22 00:01:15.159 --> 00:01:18.480 home design consult with me and Tea. You just go 23 00:01:18.519 --> 00:01:22.599 to house whisper dot Design. There are contact forms there 24 00:01:22.599 --> 00:01:26.400 to fill out very easily, very quick, and more information 25 00:01:26.519 --> 00:01:30.239 for you house whisperer dot Design. All right, I want 26 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:35.359 to take one, maybe two more calls from our callers 27 00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:39.959 today and then move on to how do you rebuild 28 00:01:39.959 --> 00:01:42.920 and what the expectation is after a whole neighborhoods have 29 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:46.560 been wiped away? So for now let's talk to Richard. Hey, Richard, 30 00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:47.439 welcome home. 31 00:01:51.480 --> 00:01:56.760 My question today was about the water curtains, and you 32 00:01:56.879 --> 00:02:00.680 kind of answered it, but John brought up about the 33 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:04.400 limitations of a private water system, which I could actually 34 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:06.000 give you some numbers on that. 35 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:12.840 Okay, So do you have a question left about the 36 00:02:12.879 --> 00:02:16.520 water curtain idea around the house or I. 37 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:18.560 Was actually interested in your opinion at them, but you 38 00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:20.159 kind of gave it during the program. 39 00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:26.400 Yeah, I mean so again real quickly again, like John said, 40 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:28.960 is it a bad idea? No, you know, I mean 41 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:32.360 the idea of a curtain of water falling from the 42 00:02:32.639 --> 00:02:35.319 eaves of your home all around it, the idea of 43 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:40.360 a water curtain. But I will tell you this, that's 44 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:45.680 not how fires are most effectively fought with a wall 45 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:47.400 or a curtain of water. I mean, if it was 46 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:49.759 you know, Niagara Falls, that would be one thing, clearly, 47 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:53.080 But a wall or curtain of water it's not the 48 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:58.000 most efficient use of water because water is really If 49 00:02:58.039 --> 00:03:00.960 you ask any firefighter, you know they constant trade those 50 00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:04.800 streams of water, not on the tops of upper flames usually, 51 00:03:04.919 --> 00:03:07.439 but at the base of the fire where it's actually 52 00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:12.719 uh you know, where where the actual consumption of materials 53 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:16.639 is taking place, the actual ignition is taking place, and so, 54 00:03:17.639 --> 00:03:19.639 you know, a curtain of water again, it's sort of 55 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:24.759 like our previous caller talking about an automatic system too, 56 00:03:26.039 --> 00:03:31.240 to spray the gel fire gel on the house. A 57 00:03:31.319 --> 00:03:36.240 water hose in the hands of a of an experienced 58 00:03:36.360 --> 00:03:41.520 human being, focusing the water where it counts the most 59 00:03:41.719 --> 00:03:44.759 on a fire is going to be far more efficient 60 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:47.680 than a curtain of water. Now, could you get lucky 61 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:53.439 and turn that on before you evacuate and and not 62 00:03:53.560 --> 00:03:55.919 run out of water by the time the fire reaches Sure, 63 00:03:56.080 --> 00:04:02.080 that's all possible, but generally speak, we're talking about areas 64 00:04:02.120 --> 00:04:05.159 where there's a lot of cost involved. It affects the 65 00:04:05.199 --> 00:04:10.400 function of your home, undoubtedly on some level, and will 66 00:04:10.439 --> 00:04:13.639 it be there to help when the moment arrives. So 67 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:16.480 I'm not going to say no, I'm just going to say, 68 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:23.720 you know, be informed. I think far wiser is to 69 00:04:23.800 --> 00:04:27.240 listen to the advice of people like John White, experienced 70 00:04:27.480 --> 00:04:34.279 firefighters who are telling us that, hey, do those at events, 71 00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:38.920 clear the defensible space around your home, get the junk 72 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:41.360 away from your house, all of those kinds of things, 73 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:43.720 because this is the stuff they deal with all the time. 74 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:47.000 They see how it is that fires go down and 75 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:50.560 affect structures. So that's my encouragement to you, Richard. Thanks 76 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:54.519 for the question, Thanks for hanging in there. And yeah, 77 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:57.800 so that's where we're at. Everybody, all right, So here 78 00:04:57.959 --> 00:05:04.040 is where we turn next. It's an interesting situation. Interesting. 79 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:08.000 I don't mean that to downplay the situation at all. 80 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:13.800 It's interesting and a very different kind of scenario when 81 00:05:13.920 --> 00:05:16.959 you've had a wildfire that has done something like the 82 00:05:17.040 --> 00:05:21.079 Palisades Fire and the Eaten fire have done like the 83 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:25.360 Paradise fire did just a few years back in Paradise, California. 84 00:05:25.399 --> 00:05:29.800 Any fire that gets into an actual residential and urbanized 85 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:34.920 area and clears it out what happens next, How does 86 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:39.720 that change the rebuilding timeline? What can you expect? So 87 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:41.639 I want to speak to that, and I also want 88 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:45.160 to speak to the basics of what do you do 89 00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:48.519 after you've evacuated and then you have found out that 90 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:52.839 you've lost your home to a wildfire? What is next? 91 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:57.240 You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from 92 00:05:57.319 --> 00:05:58.800 KFI Am six forty. 93 00:06:00.360 --> 00:06:03.160 We've just finished up talking about hardening your home. What 94 00:06:03.240 --> 00:06:06.040 those options are. Now I want to transition and talk 95 00:06:06.040 --> 00:06:09.519 about the very unique situation that the Palisades and the 96 00:06:09.560 --> 00:06:12.920 Eaten fire presented for us here in southern California. This 97 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:15.480 is not like it's unheard of. You know, Paradise fire 98 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:20.240 went through this entire town was essentially leveled in that fire. 99 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:24.240 What are the expectations. We've got kind of two prongs 100 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:27.040 on this fork. One is what are the normal things 101 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:31.319 that will happen by way of fire damage anytime anybody's 102 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:35.560 house burns to the ground. And number two, what happens 103 00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:39.079 when it's not just your house, but an entire neighborhood 104 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:42.040 or a region that has burnt to the ground. How 105 00:06:42.079 --> 00:06:46.120 does that affect the rebuilding process and all the decisions 106 00:06:46.120 --> 00:06:49.480 that come next. Okay, so let's start with that first 107 00:06:49.519 --> 00:06:52.759 of all, always first steps. I mentioned this yesterday. I'm 108 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:55.439 going to repeat myself here for those listening right now. 109 00:06:55.800 --> 00:07:00.959 First steps, get out, get safe, and get rested, and 110 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:03.720 take a breath. That's what you need. And who do 111 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:08.560 you have. You've got friends, You've got relatives, You've got 112 00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:13.040 loved ones who are reaching out and offering help. You 113 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:15.839 have FEMA. Make sure if you have lost your home 114 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:20.800 in these fires, that you have registered with and made 115 00:07:20.800 --> 00:07:25.399 contact with FEMA. There are potential money. Now, FEMA is 116 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:27.639 not there to rebuild your house, but they're there to 117 00:07:27.720 --> 00:07:34.399 help with emergency costs and expenditures along the way. It 118 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:40.240 will help. Nothing cures, but it will help. The Red Cross, 119 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:44.240 of course, is available. There are shelters, there's food, there's water, 120 00:07:44.519 --> 00:07:48.279 there's rest areas, there's medical attention. All of that has 121 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:52.920 to happen in order to get you, you and your 122 00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:57.199 loved ones safe and away from the danger. Okay, now 123 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:03.560 now comes insurance. Insurance is a sticky wicket. It just is. 124 00:08:04.199 --> 00:08:06.920 I've spoken on this before and we're going to be 125 00:08:06.920 --> 00:08:12.319 speaking about it again in the next few weeks. Insurance 126 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:18.600 is a strange thing. Because you enlist the help of 127 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:21.759 an insurance company to protect your home and your property, 128 00:08:23.079 --> 00:08:28.160 you pay them premiums. Those premiums sometimes are very, very costly, 129 00:08:29.240 --> 00:08:33.240 and then when the event happens, you know, it's kind 130 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:36.679 of like a legalized gambling situation when the event actually 131 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:41.559 occurs and the loss is suffered. And this is everything 132 00:08:41.639 --> 00:08:44.320 from you know, broken pipe in your kitchen to your 133 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:48.600 whole house burning down. When that happens, the insurance company 134 00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:53.000 who bet that nothing would happen to your house in 135 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:56.519 order to make the profits that they wanted to make 136 00:08:56.639 --> 00:09:02.440 from your premiums not going you know, unpaid. That company 137 00:09:02.519 --> 00:09:06.840 now has approached you from the perspective. Now I'm not 138 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:10.360 saying that they are that they're being nasty with you. 139 00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:14.559 I'm just saying that their perspective is their priority is 140 00:09:16.279 --> 00:09:21.879 minimizing loss, financial loss on their part. Okay, So does 141 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:25.679 that put you in an adversarial position with your insurance company. 142 00:09:25.720 --> 00:09:29.559 The reality is yes, yes it does, and at a 143 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:34.320 time when you need it, that situation laid on your 144 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:39.639 doorstep the least. But it's just the way this business works. Okay. 145 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:42.080 So here's the first thing that you need to know. 146 00:09:42.639 --> 00:09:46.840 You need to make a claim. And it's not about like, oh, 147 00:09:46.919 --> 00:09:49.720 there's plenty of time, nothing's happening over No, you make 148 00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:55.440 a claim, okay, especially in a massive disaster, because some 149 00:09:55.519 --> 00:09:58.960 insurance companies may not survive this disaster. They will pay 150 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:02.519 out until they can payout, and so you make your claim. 151 00:10:02.919 --> 00:10:06.679 Make your claim. That also gets certain balls rolling in 152 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:10.440 the state of California. It is my understanding, okay, and 153 00:10:10.840 --> 00:10:13.120 correct me if I'm wrong about this, but it's my 154 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:15.519 understanding in the state of California. If your house is 155 00:10:15.559 --> 00:10:21.159 completely destroyed in an event that resulted in a state 156 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:24.919 of emergency being declared, and which these fires were a 157 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:28.639 state of emergency officially declared by the Governor's office in 158 00:10:28.679 --> 00:10:34.360 the state of California, in those events, your insurance company 159 00:10:34.639 --> 00:10:38.879 is required to immediately pay you a minimum of one 160 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:42.159 third of the estimated value of your personal belongings that's 161 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:45.639 known as contents in your policy, and a minimum of 162 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:48.320 four months worth of rent for the local area in 163 00:10:48.360 --> 00:10:51.320 which you live. That's cash that's available to you right now, 164 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:54.919 and those payments are required of them, whether an adjuster 165 00:10:55.080 --> 00:10:58.000 has inspected your home or not. Do you understand that 166 00:10:58.320 --> 00:11:01.559 those are just automatic payments. So this is why you 167 00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:06.559 make your claim. Okay. You can also in some situations 168 00:11:06.559 --> 00:11:10.600 ask your insurance provider for cash advances for living expenses 169 00:11:10.639 --> 00:11:14.399 such as renting out furniture. And there are companies out 170 00:11:14.440 --> 00:11:18.000 there if you did not know, that can come to 171 00:11:18.039 --> 00:11:21.360 your temporary residence, your temporary home that you just rented 172 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:24.360 and furnish it, furnish it. I mean, if you've lost 173 00:11:24.360 --> 00:11:28.159 everything in the fire, you don't have much other than 174 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:30.679 maybe what you got in your car and the clothes 175 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:33.799 on your back. There are companies that will furnish that 176 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:38.080 rental home, that temporary residence, down to the towels and 177 00:11:38.360 --> 00:11:43.840 kitchen utensils, Okay, all the way through. Okay, so understand 178 00:11:43.879 --> 00:11:48.559 that that is at your disposal. Secondly, okay, the next 179 00:11:48.559 --> 00:11:51.080 thing that and I know this is a difficult thing 180 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:54.080 as well, especially in a time of stress, but secondly, 181 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:58.200 it's time to start what's called a recovery diary. Okay. 182 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:01.559 All I'm saying is it's not dear diary, I had 183 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:03.879 a bad day today. No. A recovery diary is just 184 00:12:03.960 --> 00:12:08.480 a book or a set of records in which you 185 00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:12.120 begin to take detailed notes on people that you've talked 186 00:12:12.120 --> 00:12:14.600 to when you talk to them, the phone numbers that 187 00:12:14.679 --> 00:12:19.279 you called, who has called you, what was said. Keep 188 00:12:19.320 --> 00:12:24.919 your paperwork organized. Take photos of receipts, hotel bills, you know, 189 00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:30.480 pet receipts, boarding receipts, so you can have them all accessible. Okay, 190 00:12:31.399 --> 00:12:35.279 now the other thing is this is no I know 191 00:12:35.320 --> 00:12:38.080 I've been talking about after you've left and your home 192 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:41.720 is burnt down. But one more item of advice for 193 00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:44.960 those of you who are in a you may evacuate 194 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:48.879 situation soon. You haven't been ordered to evacuate yet, but 195 00:12:48.919 --> 00:12:53.240 you've been told that it may be coming. You've got 196 00:12:53.320 --> 00:12:56.519 time right now to do one of the most important 197 00:12:56.559 --> 00:13:00.679 things for your financial future, and it's in your hands, 198 00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:04.440 probably in your pocket, your cell phone, your camera. If 199 00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:08.320 you have not evacuated yet but are on the edge 200 00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:12.679 of potentially evacuating, you need to take video and photos 201 00:13:12.840 --> 00:13:19.559 of everything everything. Everything in your home, your valuables, your electronics, 202 00:13:19.879 --> 00:13:25.240 stuff in your drawers, everything in the kitchen, all the appliances, 203 00:13:25.320 --> 00:13:30.759 everything inside the cupboards. I mean literally, somebody somebody video 204 00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:34.279 and the other person walk in front like a host 205 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:37.120 tour guide and just walk through the house and point 206 00:13:37.159 --> 00:13:40.320 out here are our two sofas. Here's our leather recliner, 207 00:13:40.679 --> 00:13:44.559 here's our seventy two inch flat screen TV. Here's this, 208 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:51.559 here's that, And document your possessions, everything that may not 209 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:56.559 survive that fire, because when it's ash, it's hard for 210 00:13:56.639 --> 00:13:58.799 anybody to walk up and say, oh, and I also 211 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:01.559 had a you know, five thousand dollars gold necklace in 212 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:06.799 this drawer. Uh, how do we know? Document it? Document 213 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:09.399 it all? Does that make sense? I hope? 214 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:09.519 So. 215 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:13.399 Okay, that's again I'm jumping back to before you've evacuated, 216 00:14:13.720 --> 00:14:18.240 After the evacuation, after you've learned that your home has 217 00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:21.360 been descinated, there's going to be a point in which, 218 00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:25.879 at some point you are allowed to return to the 219 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:34.200 property when you do photos and video. Again, what's the 220 00:14:34.200 --> 00:14:36.440 best way for me to communicate this. I want you 221 00:14:36.519 --> 00:14:43.279 to treat your property like a crime scene, Okay, like 222 00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:46.840 the police treat a crime scene. And what I mean 223 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:49.000 by that is, don't go in there and just start 224 00:14:49.080 --> 00:14:52.559 shoveling and removing stuff. Okay, there's going to be a 225 00:14:52.600 --> 00:14:56.600 time for that, but go in and simply, without disturbing 226 00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:02.519 as much as possible, go in and document everything you can, 227 00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:07.360 everything that you can on site. Without just starting cleanup 228 00:15:07.399 --> 00:15:16.519 and throwing stuff away. Okay, document, document, document everything possible, visibly, photographs, video, 229 00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:20.879 You get the idea. Okay. All of this leads up 230 00:15:20.919 --> 00:15:26.200 to the beginning of negotiations with your insurance company, and 231 00:15:27.240 --> 00:15:30.600 when we come back from break, I'm going to talk 232 00:15:30.600 --> 00:15:35.200 to you about what that expectation is going to be 233 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:41.320 and what other resources are at your disposal in order 234 00:15:41.399 --> 00:15:45.600 to make that as beneficial for you as possible, because honestly, 235 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:51.039 insurance companies make billions of dollars. I want to now 236 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:55.919 focus on you getting what you need out of that 237 00:15:56.120 --> 00:15:59.600 disastrous situation. And you may need some help. You probably 238 00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:03.120 will need some help. Where will you find it? Talk 239 00:16:03.159 --> 00:16:04.639 about that right after. 240 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:08.639 You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on Demand from 241 00:16:08.759 --> 00:16:10.240 KFI AM six forty. 242 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:16.720 I've been a general contractor and a builder for decades. 243 00:16:17.639 --> 00:16:20.440 I know your home. I know my home inside and out, 244 00:16:21.639 --> 00:16:24.799 and if I were to lose everything on my property 245 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:29.399 to a wildfire and had to deal with my insurance 246 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:33.679 company straight up, I would probably seek out this help, 247 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:39.279 even for myself. So that's the kind of underscore I'm 248 00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:42.279 placing under this advice, Okay, And what kind of help 249 00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:45.360 is available to you. Well, there's two kinds in general. 250 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:52.799 One is a public insurance adjuster. The other is a 251 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:57.879 attorney who specializes in damage law. How public insurance adjuster 252 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:01.639 is It sounds like they would not work for you personally, 253 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:04.880 but that's exactly what that title means. A public insurance 254 00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:09.440 adjuster is an experienced insurance adjuster, very likely somebody who 255 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:13.480 has worked as an insurance adjuster for an insurance company 256 00:17:13.759 --> 00:17:19.000 but now works directly with you for you, solely on 257 00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:22.319 your behalf. And it puts them in a position, because 258 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:26.079 of their experience, to negotiate with your insurance company on 259 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:30.440 your behalf. Now, what kind of value does your insurance 260 00:17:30.440 --> 00:17:33.119 company have to listen to them? Yes, if you sign 261 00:17:33.160 --> 00:17:35.880 a contract with a public insurance adjuster, who, by the way, 262 00:17:35.960 --> 00:17:43.000 gets paid a percentage of your recovery of loss, your 263 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:46.839 loss recovery, and by and large, in my experience, they 264 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:49.440 are more than worth it because the money that you 265 00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:53.759 will pay out to them will be from a return 266 00:17:54.200 --> 00:17:58.119 of lost value far greater than if you were to 267 00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:01.680 simply deal with your insurance company directly yourself right to 268 00:18:01.839 --> 00:18:05.920 well worth the money spent. It's kind of like, should 269 00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:09.079 I have an agent if I'm in the movie business 270 00:18:09.160 --> 00:18:12.319 or the entertainment business. Well, they cost money to have 271 00:18:12.359 --> 00:18:15.359 an agent, but they can get you a deal far 272 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:18.519 better than you can negotiate on your own. That's the idea. Okay, 273 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:22.880 So a public insurance adjuster has that experience, and yes, 274 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:26.480 your insurance company is legally obligated to deal with them 275 00:18:26.519 --> 00:18:30.160 because they become upon you signing that contract, they become 276 00:18:30.519 --> 00:18:34.839 your agent in regards to loss mitigation for your property. 277 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:39.799 The same is true of an attorney that specializes in 278 00:18:39.960 --> 00:18:43.279 damage law. They're not that common, to be quite honest 279 00:18:43.319 --> 00:18:45.200 with you, and you want to be careful, and you 280 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:47.319 want to make sure you're dealing with an attorney who 281 00:18:47.319 --> 00:18:50.160 really does specialize in I'm going to make a recommendation 282 00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:51.960 for you right now. If you live in the Greater 283 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:54.839 Los Angeles area, which you know, if you've been affected 284 00:18:54.839 --> 00:18:57.640 by these fires you do, I want you to go 285 00:18:57.680 --> 00:19:02.880 to my friends at Damage Law. This is a pair 286 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:06.160 of attorneys who decided that their entire practice is going 287 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:09.599 to be focused solely in this area. They are great guys. 288 00:19:09.720 --> 00:19:13.720 They're actually going to be on the show in early February. Okay, 289 00:19:13.720 --> 00:19:16.119 in just a couple three weeks. I'll have them on 290 00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:19.480 our Sunday program to talk at length about this, but 291 00:19:19.720 --> 00:19:21.359 just for the moment and let them know that I 292 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:27.279 sent you Damage law dot Com. What will an attorney 293 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:31.240 do essentially kind of fulfill that role of the public 294 00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:36.759 insurance adjuster, with the addition that there's one thing they 295 00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:39.319 can do that a public insurance adjuster can't do, and 296 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:41.920 that is they can threaten a lawsuit if they feel 297 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:45.000 like the insurance company is not treating you right. Okay, 298 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:50.319 and sometimes quite honestly, it's necessary. And so these are 299 00:19:50.559 --> 00:19:53.839 the two main forms of professional assistance that you can 300 00:19:53.880 --> 00:19:56.759 have that you're not left to your own devices. You 301 00:19:56.799 --> 00:20:00.839 don't need to just deal with the insurance companies recommended contractors. 302 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:03.160 And we've talked at length about that before. And I 303 00:20:03.160 --> 00:20:04.920 don't want to get into the weeds on that because 304 00:20:04.920 --> 00:20:07.839 there's more that I want to cover with you, But 305 00:20:07.960 --> 00:20:13.359 that's essentially where what you're looking at. These are the responses. Now, 306 00:20:13.400 --> 00:20:16.480 what's the expected timeline for all this? Well, if you 307 00:20:16.960 --> 00:20:21.960 just lost your house from a house fire and your 308 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:26.799 neighborhood is intact, then the amount of claim and the 309 00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:32.839 beginning to rebuild can happen almost immediately, almost immediately that's 310 00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:36.880 what's different about this situation, because we're not talking about 311 00:20:36.920 --> 00:20:40.440 just an isolated house lost in the middle of a 312 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:45.319 functioning neighborhood. How is the timeline affected when the entire 313 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:50.279 neighborhood goes down. It is affected in the extreme. And 314 00:20:50.359 --> 00:20:53.279 so that's why you do these things that I'm suggesting 315 00:20:53.319 --> 00:20:55.480 you get them moving as quickly as possible. But also 316 00:20:55.599 --> 00:20:57.359 I want you to realize, and this is why you 317 00:20:57.400 --> 00:21:01.240 get the adjuster and or an attorney really advocating for you, 318 00:21:01.799 --> 00:21:05.039 that there are some law you're going to need some 319 00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:09.599 long term payouts just in the area of you know, 320 00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:13.319 temporary housing when it comes to this, because this is 321 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:16.000 not a four month process. This is not a seven 322 00:21:16.039 --> 00:21:21.200 month process. This is going to be easily easily a 323 00:21:21.319 --> 00:21:25.359 year plus process of just getting to the point where 324 00:21:25.400 --> 00:21:29.920 rebuilding is feasible and you making the decision if you're 325 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:33.599 going to rebuild. Yet, are you hearing me? The reason 326 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:36.200 is this The very first thing that the city is 327 00:21:36.200 --> 00:21:39.319 going to have to deal with is they are very likely, 328 00:21:39.480 --> 00:21:42.160 in a devastating event like this, going to take point 329 00:21:42.200 --> 00:21:45.039 on general cleanup. Now I don't mean that they're going 330 00:21:45.079 --> 00:21:47.599 to be going in and cleaning every area of your property, 331 00:21:47.720 --> 00:21:51.680 but general cleanup from a devastation like this is something 332 00:21:51.720 --> 00:21:54.839 the city has an interest, a vested interest in handling. 333 00:21:54.920 --> 00:21:58.000 Number One, there's a lot of toxicity in those neighborhoods 334 00:21:58.079 --> 00:22:00.480 right now in the debris, because we're not just talking 335 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:05.400 about pine trees and chaparral brush burning in a brush fire. 336 00:22:05.640 --> 00:22:10.720 We're talking about chemicals and glues and furniture and clothing 337 00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:14.799 and synthetics and petroleum by all sorts of things have 338 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:18.200 been altered chemically as a result of the fire and 339 00:22:18.279 --> 00:22:21.119 exposed to the environment. And so there's going to be 340 00:22:21.160 --> 00:22:25.519 a cleanup effort not left to individual homeowners, and it 341 00:22:25.559 --> 00:22:29.119 could be limited or more extensive. We'll have to wait 342 00:22:29.160 --> 00:22:32.240 and see exactly what the situation calls for. But the 343 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:35.519 very first thing is that the city will likely take 344 00:22:35.559 --> 00:22:39.759 point on general cleanup. And then before you are allowed 345 00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:44.359 to even get started with anything, then there are infrastructure concerns. 346 00:22:44.359 --> 00:22:47.960 Infrastructure meaning not just your house being burnt to the ground, 347 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:51.279 but the neighborhood being affected. The heat of the flames, 348 00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:55.400 the amount of water poured upon them and gotten into 349 00:22:55.400 --> 00:23:02.799 certain systems, has likely affected roadwork, asphalt, It has affected 350 00:23:03.319 --> 00:23:06.400 all the visible structures clearly. But the heat from the 351 00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:11.960 fire has damaged power lines, water lines, gas sewer lines 352 00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:14.200 running in. All of these things are going to have 353 00:23:14.279 --> 00:23:21.519 to be pulled, tested, examined, repaired, replaced Before a single 354 00:23:21.720 --> 00:23:26.519 home gets reburnt. It gets reburned, sorry, rebuilt in a 355 00:23:26.759 --> 00:23:30.880 devastated neighborhood. In other words, imagine you've all driven by 356 00:23:31.119 --> 00:23:34.720 home developments before, right, just regular home developments where a 357 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:38.240 developer is building a new neighborhood full of homes. You've 358 00:23:38.279 --> 00:23:41.400 seen that for months. First there was grading and heavy 359 00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:45.680 equipment out there moving soil around. Then there were streets 360 00:23:45.720 --> 00:23:48.680 that got laid in, and underneath those streets were power 361 00:23:48.759 --> 00:23:52.200 lines and gas service and electrical service to those new 362 00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:54.839 homes that are about to be built. All of that 363 00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:59.279 infrastructure has to be done before a single house individually 364 00:23:59.319 --> 00:24:02.559 starts to be built in a new development. Well, here, 365 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:05.839 we've got all of that stuff in place, and yet 366 00:24:06.039 --> 00:24:12.039 it's damaged. And if you can imagine the likelihood of 367 00:24:12.279 --> 00:24:16.640 the city and all of the local power utilities jumping 368 00:24:16.680 --> 00:24:19.920 in and getting it all reworked in the first few weeks, 369 00:24:20.480 --> 00:24:23.440 you know that that's not the case. We have a 370 00:24:23.559 --> 00:24:28.480 long wait ahead. While just the basic cleanup and infrastructure 371 00:24:28.920 --> 00:24:34.079 gets rebuilt so that an individual home could potentially start 372 00:24:34.119 --> 00:24:36.559 that process, and then there are questions that people have 373 00:24:36.640 --> 00:24:40.839 about those individual homes. My home burnt to the ground, Okay, 374 00:24:42.039 --> 00:24:47.880 my slab seems to be intact. Can I rebuild my 375 00:24:48.039 --> 00:24:52.279 home on my old existing slab. I'm going to tell 376 00:24:52.279 --> 00:24:57.759 you that chances are eighty percent no, and eighty percent no, 377 00:24:58.359 --> 00:25:04.000 not because the concrete necessarily although concrete can be damaged 378 00:25:04.200 --> 00:25:08.200 from high heat exposure, but it's not necessarily that. But again, 379 00:25:08.240 --> 00:25:10.640 it's like I said out in the street, it's not 380 00:25:11.319 --> 00:25:13.519 just the fact that the slab and the footings are 381 00:25:13.519 --> 00:25:18.039 still intact. It's that there are plastic drain lines that 382 00:25:18.119 --> 00:25:21.920 run underneath your slab that the heat has melted and affected. 383 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:28.079 There are electrical conduits potentially running underneath your slab that 384 00:25:28.119 --> 00:25:31.400 have been affected. Now, if you look in any building 385 00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:36.759 code post fire in La County, building code is no 386 00:25:36.839 --> 00:25:40.200 exception to this. They'll say things like they may allow 387 00:25:40.359 --> 00:25:44.279 a conduit that underneath a slab that has been through 388 00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:47.440 a fire to remain in place and be reused, but 389 00:25:47.559 --> 00:25:51.319 the conductors, the wires themselves, they have to be pulled. 390 00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:54.599 They may have melted in place. There's all sorts of 391 00:25:54.680 --> 00:26:00.839 trouble that fires cause below ground where we can't see it, 392 00:26:01.079 --> 00:26:04.799 as well as above ground. So the likelihood of your 393 00:26:04.839 --> 00:26:08.200 slab being kept no, And this is another one of 394 00:26:08.279 --> 00:26:11.400 those areas where we make sure that that cost is 395 00:26:11.480 --> 00:26:17.039 being reimbursed in terms of insurance because most of these 396 00:26:17.119 --> 00:26:19.839 home slabs, most of these properties will have to be 397 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:25.079 scraped bare and started fresh and anew. And then if 398 00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:29.759 you think that for a thousand homes that the local 399 00:26:29.799 --> 00:26:32.119 building and Safety department is going to be able to 400 00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:38.000 expedite and get those permits done quickly, you need to 401 00:26:38.039 --> 00:26:41.079