Want to know about vandalism? Vandalism is any violent act done with the intention to damage your property.
Vandalism includes but is not limited to graffiti, trash dumping, light smashing, removing/bending signage or decoration, breaking windows, or other defacing of property. Graffiti, in particular, is a pervasive type of vandalism experienced by retailers and commercial property owners. Vandalism also includes the damages inflicted on property by tenants who abandoned a half-done remodeling project, damages caused by squatters, or damages caused by those involved in the creation or mishandling of harmful and illicit drugs. Furthermore, evidence of drugs that may have left toxic chemical residue shows the property to be extremely dangerous for future residents and requires extensive and costly measures to mitigate!
Other examples of vandalism might also include damage to individuals’ outdoor property – especially in the state of Florida. Outdoor patios and lanais might be defiled after hours. Additionally, air conditioning units are mangled from their perch in the wall’s rectangular cutout year after year; some are even altered in ways to support the growth of marajuana plants. Keying a parked car, slashing someone’s tires, defacing street signs, and egging someone’s property are also considered acts of vandalism and destruction.
A standard homeowners insurance policy usually will cover most incidents of vandalism. That means if your home or personal property is vandalized, you’ll likely be able to file a claim for repairs.
As we mentioned before, some cases of vandalism are not what you would typically think of. One instance of vandalism we’ve addressed involves the property of a tenant and its absentee owner. The client kept renewing their lease, and the property owner lived out of state. This made it so they couldn’t check on the property in person. Additionally, they did not have a property manager onsite check in with this particular tenant. The tenant had become a hoarder of miscellaneous goods and animals. The tenant was eventually discovered and arrested after Animal Control discovered 48 cats onsite that were malnourished and neglected. In their findings, only 33 of the 48 cats were alive and living in a property that was completely trashed. In this case, the tenant obviously didn’t have permission to allow the property to fall into such disrepair. Adjusterman pursued this claim and recovered over $100,000 for the claimant.
In another instance someone had perished in a rental property. Before their passing, they became mentally incapable of caring for themselves and formed habits such as collecting their own urine and feces in jars and diapers. The property fell entirely to disarray and was covered in filth. Adjusterman faced this claim head on, and we recovered money for the claimant in this case, too!
When things go wrong with your property, don’t get mad – get paid! If you are having issues with vandalism or need to file a claim, the best thing YOU can do is call Adjusteerman Public Adjusters. We will make sure you get a full and fair settlement from your insurance carrier! We serve Oakland Park, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Pompano, Delray, Miramar, Hollywood, Hallandale, Wilton Manors, Emerald Isles, Aventura, Lighthouse Point, Weston, Tamarac, and more! Contact Adjusterman Public Adjusters to help with your claim at (954) 588-2160.
