Petition for an Umpire
Complete our easy form to compile all of the needed info to petition a court to select an umpire
Petition for Umpire
What is an insurance claim appraisal?
An insurance claim appraisal allows you to remove an uncooperative insurance company from the conversation and bring in third-parties to settle the cost to repair your property.
Claim appraisals are extremely effective against insurers who are not cooperating. Few contractors, and even fewer property owners, know that appraisal is an option built into most insurance policies to settle disagreements.
Whereas a typical real estate appraisal determines the value of your property from top to bottom, only the amount of loss suffered from the claim event is tallied during an insurance appraisal.
What is an appraisal umpire?
An umpire is essentially just a third appraiser. After each insurance contract party selects an appraiser, the two appraisers agree on this umpire.
This umpire is to be utilized only in the event that the two appraisers can’t come to an agreement. If the two appraisers can’t come to an agreement as to who the umpire should be (including when the insurance company wont select their appraiser) most insurance contracts state how “either party” can request that a judge from a court of record within the county where the loss occured select this umpire.
Umpires are critically necessary to the process, as any two of the three appraisal panel members can render a final verdict. If one is not cooperating, having access to the protects from the process being stonewalled.
What costs are involved?
Petitioning for an umpire requires an attorney in your state. The base cost to petition is $500 except in states or locales with uncommonly high court costs or attorney rates. The petition process is separate from the cost of hiring the umpire.
The average cost of an umpire is between $1500-2000 total, so $750-1000 for each party.
Most insurance policies explain that such costs are to be evenly split between insurer and insured.