When a disaster strikes—like a fire, flood, or hurricane—the instinct to start cleaning up and moving on can be overwhelming. But before you haul away a single damaged item, there’s something you absolutely must know: disposing of personal property before your insurance company inspects it can seriously jeopardize your claim.
I’m currently working with a client who learned this the hard way.
He had a large amount of personal property stored in a garage apartment—furniture, electronics, clothing, memorabilia, and more. After a devastating fire, he began moving the items at the scene, believing he had verbal permission from his insurance adjuster to do so. Unfortunately, he didn’t get that permission in writing. Now, the insurance company is challenging the existence and value of the lost items, demanding receipts, photographs, and even old social media posts to prove they were ever there in the first place.
This is a nearly impossible task, especially when items were accumulated over years and may not have been meticulously documented.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Never remove or dispose of personal property—damaged or not—until your insurance company has had a chance to inspect it and releases the scene in writing.
- Verbal conversations don’t count. If an adjuster says it’s okay to move forward, ask for confirmation in writing. Always.
- Photograph everything before touching a single item. Take wide shots, close-ups, and document the condition of each area affected.
- Don’t assume your insurer will give you the benefit of the doubt. Even in good faith claims, documentation is your best friend.
When you’re dealing with a loss, you shouldn’t also have to fight to prove what you had. The best way to protect your claim is to preserve the scene and keep communication documented in writing.
If you’ve suffered a loss and aren’t sure what steps to take—or if you’ve already made a move and now find yourself in a bind—don’t wait. The right guidance early in the process can make a major difference in your recovery.