Wow what a great time we all had together the last week of May.  The folks from Haag were on hand for a CEA (Earthquake) Training Class.  About 40 adjusters attended this full day certification course.  The following day Mariposa held an open house and party later on the  afternoon.  Here are some photos of the day.  If you didnt attend this year, we hope to see you at the next one in 2009.

Kurt, Cody and David

Stacey and Scott

Mariposa Old Time Adjusters

Erin having a really good day

David and Scott


Pat, Scott and Susan

Party time on the dock

Mariposa has contracted with Haag Education to hold a California Earthquake Certification Course.

7 Hours (CE credit available)
Only $150.00 (Recently reduced)
Includes color reference materials + morning & afternoon snacks

JOIN US!

8 am - 4 pm
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Holiday Inn
10630 Fremont Pike
Perrysburg, Ohio 43507 (Near Toledo)

Register now- space is filling up fast!  Click her to register or call 800-527-0168 and ask for the Education Department.

The Holiday Inn has a special room rate of $99.00 per night.  To book, call 419-874-3111

On Thursday, May 29th Mariposa is going to have an open house in the morning and some party fun .. adjusters are welcome to attend.  Mariposa Managers will be dancing on the grass or swimming in the pond.  Come and meet some of our partners from Columbus.  Details will be posted soon, but if you are thinking about attending the party, please send an email to Erin Chandler Erin@Mariposaltd.com. 

May 29, 2008
1pm - ?
4160 LaPlante Rd
Monclova, Ohio 43542
(Home of David Swank and Scott Lenz)

Our location is about 1 hour south of Detroit Airport, 1.5 hours from Cleveland, 2 hours from Columbus, 3 hours from Cincinnati, 4 hours from Chicago.  We are 5 minutes from the Toledo Airport I80/80 exit.  There is a Days Inn at the Toledo Airport if you want to hang out close by overnight.  Ask Erin for the details.

Hope to see many of you here.
David Swank and Scott Lenz

What's Yours?

FUNNY STORY
About ten years ago there was a bad storm that blew through North Georgia.  The storm did extensive damage throughout the area.  I was assigned a claim about a tree on a house.  When I arrived at the property I found a two story colonial garrison built in late 1800's.  The home as on a city lot of approx 100' x 100' with a detached two car garage, a large storage building and a stockade fence surrounding it.

During the storm a huge oak tree was hit by lightning and half the tree fell on the dwelling.  The damage was extensive, the building was wracked; the structural integrity was compromised leaving it uninhabitable and un-repairable a total loss.  The contents of the building could not be removed due to safety issues.  There was absolutely no damage done to the fence, garage or storage building.  The tree was removed from the building.  However, the other half of the tree was left standing and the insured wanted the insurance company to pay to have it removed.  After a great deal of explaining that the policy would not cover the removal of the standing tree; the insured insisted on speaking with a supervisor.  I scheduled a meeting the next day with my supervisor and the insured.  The meeting was pretty cut and dry- we won't pay to remove the tree.  The insured was disappointed but accepted it.  That evening another storm blew threw taking down the standing half of the tree which landed on the garage, storage building and fence, all totally destroyed.   This left the whole property a total loss as contents in the garage and storage building could not be retrieved.

                                          - Hugh Q., Adjuster

SANTA CLAUS ON MY ROOF
Being an experienced property adjuster we run into may different circumstances that we always remember.

One claim that stands out is inspecting a chimney for lighting damage and the days before cell phones were popular.  I was inspecting a chimney late in the afternoon and was wearing a red shirt.  Mrs. Insured was watching me. Mr. Insured came home very drunk.  He saw me up on the roof and immediately went into the house and grabbed his shotgun.  He came outside, took my ladder away from me and started aiming the shotgun at me.  He thought I was Santa Claus coming down the chimney to fool around with his wife.  As I was hiding behind the chimney, his wife was trying to calm him down.  After about one and half hours, Mr. Insured finally fell asleep.  Mrs Insured had a hard time putting the ladder back for me so I could get down.  If I had a cell phone I could have called the fire or police department to get me down.  The following day after speaking with the insurance company they canceled the policy.

The moral of the story when inspecting a roof is to carry your cell phone and do not wear a red shirt.

                                             - Bob Y., Adjuster
BATS RUNNING WILD
I was in Florida a few years back doing a big old mansion colonial that sit right on an inlet on the east coast.  While doing my inspection, the insured was really scared. She said she had birds or something in her ceiling attic space.  All of a sudden about 15 bats flew out of the fireplace; she was freaking.  I proceeded to grab the bats by the wings one at a time when they landed on curtains, tables, etc., and took them outside and let them go.  She was amazed.  Being from Texas and dealing with bats from childhood, I knew they couldn't hurt me if I captured them by there wings.  Anyway the insured had had a pest control company come out the day before and they told her it would cost $1500 because of the danger of unknown birds, bats with rabies and such.  It took me about one hour to remove all the flying rodents and she was very pleased.  The pest company was very upset. All I could say was there are those who talk about it and those who handle it.  Just goes to prove that during a storm people try to make as much as they can off other peoples misfortunes.

                                             - Richard S., Adjuster

UNSURE MOTORIST COVERAGE
A legal clinic in East Los Angeles sent us an inquiry about our insured's unsure motorist coverage.

I guess there are a lot of those in that area!

                                             - Chuck H., Claims Manager

Do you have an interesting or funny claims story?  Tell us all about it!  Send an e-mail to "Story" at Scott@Mariposaltd.com .  Not only will we post many of the stories at the Mariposa website.. Mariposa will award several lucky winners with a $25.00 gift certificate to a restaurant of your choice.

"Letting go of the old to make room for the new" A cliché yes, but one that has significance when deciding to outsource your subrogation files.

With a tight economy and possible recession looming, Insurance carriers need solid options to stay ahead of the game and be leaders in the marketplace.  Their customers need to feel that their carrier is financially strong while at the same time they need to perceive there is value in the premiums they pay.

A carrier has much to be focused on-Investment incomes, reserves, expenses, and most importantly, their customer.  How can you meet these challenges along with the pressure of losses, customer satisfaction and the need for customer retention?  When it comes to subrogation, they can do this by recognizing the value that a subrogation outsourcing partner can bring to their "subrogation house".

An in-house subrogation unit's pressures are not unlike the carrier's.  The average experience level of staff adjusters has declined while the average workloads have increased.  While the "old" claims continue to age, the "new" ones keep coming in the door.  Being able to work each claim in a timely fashion can be a daunting task due to lack of time but also a lack of resources and technology.  Engaging an outsource partner will mean increased recoveries for you and increased satisfaction for your customer.  Higher profits, higher satisfaction all can mean a higher market share for you.

But there are plenty of "collection companies" out there and they almost all work on a "no recovery - no fee basis" right?  This is true and that's why it's important to choose a partner wisely.  You want an outsource partner that is experienced in handling subrogation claims, not just a debt collector.

Claims experience in your outsource partner is invaluable!  A debt collector doesn't typically have the knowledge base to argue factual or legal issues that can arise.  An outsource partner with claims experience will recognize issues of spoliation or perhaps the need for further investigation to solidify your position.  Does your outsource partner have the technology and tools necessary to achieve results?  Can you easily monitor your claims or do you have to wait to hear from them?  Lastly, do they really "partner" with you?  Having your outsourcing partner easily accessible and responsive builds a positive relationship that is working for a common goal; higher recoveries handled in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Lorrie Burkes, Manager
Mariposa Recovery Services

Mr. George Kapcar, AIC

Mariposa recently added a new team member- please welcome George Kapcar-

George will be in charge of all commercial accounts.  With over 30 years at Allstate Insurance Company, he has worn many hats, titles and seen it all.  Here is a snap shot of his background and experience.

• 1969-1980-Casualty and Liability Adjuster. Worked as supervisor in liability unit from 1972-1973. Investigate and determine liability on Casualty and Liability claims including commercial and residential claims. Work with claimant attorney to reach agreed settlement. Attend pre-trials and trials when required.

• 1980-1982-Theft Unit Adjuster-Investigate and adjust theft claims exceeding $5,000.

• 1982-1992-Large Loss Property Adjuster- Investigate and adjust Large Loss claims. Developed Quality Vendor Program and completed re inspections of vendors estimates. Worked several Catastrophes including hurricanes, earthquakes and mudslides.

• 1992-1997- Casualty Litigation Unit-Worked as adjuster and liaison to council for all casualty and liability claims which were sent to litigation.

• 1997-2000- MIST Specialty Unit-1 of 5 adjusters in specialty unit working low impact/soft tissue claims where the majority of the claims were litigated. Attended pre-trials and trials, made offer settlement recommendations and worked with defense council in defending Allstate’s interest.

Feel free to drop him a line and find out what is happening on our commercial side of the business.  George can be reached via email- George@MariposaLtd.com

Dam! Ice Dam that is! It's winter and the snow and ice will try to find it's way in through roofs. It may happen due to  improperly installed sheathing that has left gaps. Or you may find ice dams that are caused by in adequate attic insulation, improperly ventilated attics, thermal bi-passes or gutters that do not drain properly. Why is this important? Subrogation of course! Please do your best when inspecting these types of losses to see if we have a viable subrogation claim. Good pictures are essential and the client may want to hire an engineer. Good luck out there!

Figure 1. Cross section of a one-and-a-half story house with an ice dam.

Ongoing education is a key factor to your continued success as a professional claims adjuster.  A sense of community is also important.  We have found both at ClaimsMentor (www.claimsmentor.com).  If you are not a registered member we highly recommend you do that before the end of the year.

Whether you are new to the business or an old hat with years of experience, ClaimsMentor is the place for you to visit and then call home.  Mariposa has been involved with this great website for adjusters since its beginnings.  Today it is a robust, well rounded community website  space that provides a significant amount of online training for the fraction of the normal costs.  For those of you who have tons of experience it is a good way to start sharing it as a mentor to those who really want to learn.  At this adjuster community you will find support and answers to questions.  It is not a community of argument and fights- tolerance and respect for each other is required.

Here is what is coming up the first week in January-

What a year this has turned out to be.  Is it because we have been naughty or nice!  I think we are all being naughty so we should now have lots to look forward to in 2008 because we are putting out all those good thoughts and nice feelings about doom and destruction.  Right? Or maybe we will be getting coal again next year.  Well lets think about disasters and how many we can handle at one time.

For Mariposa it has been a year of controlled and measured growth.  Over the past 8-10 months, Mariposa has developed some awesome marketing materials and a complete reface of the Mariposa website.  With a new logo, new sales material and an updated fresh website, Mariposa team managers have been successful in finding new carriers who have expressed a solid interest in working with us in 2008.  Our daily territory has expanded from 14  to 28 states.  Hopefully by the end of December we will be in the majority of the states.   We are always looking for qualified adjusters who truly can be daily adjusters and not run off for the first storm.  Our clients are primarily commercial carriers and the work includes a mix of commercial property, casualty and liability assignments.  With our new list of clients in place, Mariposa is strategically positioned to be available to handle CAT work for any region in the USA.  Here is the new list of clients:

CAT
Aspen Specialty- Nationwide- Commercial
Catlin and Cathedral- Nationwide- Commercial
First Protective- Florida- Residential
Seibel's Bruce Group (5 carriers) Florida- Residential
LA Citizens- Louisiana- Residential
Ohio Fair Plan - Residential and Commercial
Argonaut - Eastern Region - Commercial
Federated Mutual - MN -Commercial
EMC- Louisiana - Residential and Commercial
Indiana Fair Plan- Residential
Illinois Fair Plan- Residential and Commercial
Pennsylvania Fair Plan- Residential
Minnesota Fair Plan- Residential
Kentucky Fair Plan- Residential
New York Fire Mutual- Residential
Middlesex Mutual- CT, ME, MS, NH, RY, NY, VT - Residential and Commercial
Philadelphia Indemnity- Western Region- Commercial
Western Mutual- Nationwide- Commercial
Michigan Fair Plan- Residential
Mid-Continent Insurance- PA, OH, MD-
Pacific Specialty- Nationwide- Residential
Guide One
Church Mutual

DAILY
Aspen Specialty-Nationwide
Ohio Fair Plan
Claim Net- Michigan
EMC Louisiana
Great American - Nationwide
Philadelphia Indemnity-Western Region
Mid-Continent Insurance- PA, OH, MD
Guide One

And with these carriers it is only the beginning in terms of our marketing engine.  All our managers are working hard to get more business so we can keep you busy all year around.  Lets hope for the best and a better 2008.

From Scott and myself along with the Mariposa Team we wish you all a wonderful, safe and enjoyable holiday and look forward to working with you in 2008 and beyond.

David Swank
Senior Partner