Author Archives for Bryan Holtzman
About Bryan Holtzman
Bryan Holtzman is Vice President of Swerling Milton Winnick, with more than 15 years of experience helping businesses and homeowners navigate complex insurance claims. He specializes in building estimates and policy interpretation.
ITEL: Part II
July 11, 2023 12:59 pm Leave your thoughts We recently received a question about our ITEL blog from a subscriber in California: Q: I came across your website and was reading a blog post on how ITEL reports vary and how they don’t even use the same sample comparison. I wanted to see further blog posts on how your office dealt with that…. View More
If You Have a Hall of Claims Event, You Might Not Have Coverage At All
May 23, 2023 12:50 pm Leave your thoughts JK Simmons, we love you – but those TV commercials are going to drive us crazy! You know the ones: a national insurance carrier depicts an outrageous, catastrophic property loss. A dog starts a fire by playing with laundry detergent, for example. Or a mountain lion drags its claws extensively over a homeowner’s property –… View More
Condo Associations: Make Sure Your Building Code Coverage is Enough for Current Requirements
January 17, 2023 1:57 pm Leave your thoughts In a previous post, we recounted the mold exclusion challenges facing a condominium association after suffering a large fire. That property loss claim had an additional challenge, one that turned out to be a building code nightmare. The claim stemmed from a fire in a multi-structure condominium complex consisting of four older buildings. These condos… View More
Condo Associations: Be Aware of Mold Exclusions in your Insurance Policy
January 10, 2023 1:47 pm Leave your thoughts Recently, we handled a property loss claim stemming from a fire in a multi-structure condominium complex. The complex consisted of multiple identical buildings, each connected by a common wall. The fire burned one section of one of the buildings to the ground, while the rest of that building sustained extensive smoke and water damage. On… View More
Understanding Building Holdback Claims
June 7, 2022 1:36 pm Leave your thoughts In a recent post, we explained the elements of a “holdback” claim, including terms such as “Replacement Cost,” “Depreciation,” and “Actual Cash Value” (ACV). This explanation focused on personal property items such as furniture, clothing, electronics, etc. To round out the discussion, we wanted to give an example of how the Replacement Cost issue plays… View More
It’s All About (Builder’s) Risk
February 15, 2022 1:24 pm Leave your thoughts Builders, developers and businesspeople who “flip properties” are accustomed to taking chances. After all, the very nature of the real estate renovation business is speculative. So, they’re comfortable carrying some risk. That doesn’t mean these risk takers should take unnecessary risk, especially when their investments are on the line. And yet, when it comes to their “Builder’s… View More
Improvements & Betterments
January 11, 2022 1:47 pm Leave your thoughts Over the years, SMW has shared information with our readers about Improvements & Betterments coverage – a complex and important topic to understand when purchasing an insurance policy for your business. We were reminded of the importance of purchasing enough of this particular coverage while adjusting a recent fire loss in the Boston area. This… View More
Absolute Asbestos Exclusion
January 4, 2022 1:53 pm Leave your thoughts This week, we have a “Buyer Beware” reminder for those shopping for an insurance policy. SMW was recently retained on a major fire loss suffered by the owner of a 20,000 sq. ft. commercial property. We immediately got to work, completing a comprehensive policy review, followed by a walk-through of the loss site with the… View More