Texas Windstorm Association Extends Deadline for Post-Harvey Appraisal Requests

As of Oct. 4, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), the insurer of last resort for wind and hail along the Texas coast, had received 68,861 claims related to Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall near Rockport, Texas, in late August.

Affected policyholders, should have received or will soon receive a claim disposition letter from TWIA outlining the amount the insurer will pay for losses covered by their policy, the association reported.

Policyholders who want to dispute their claim payment amount are urged to first contact TWIA so the company may attempt to: address any unmet needs; provide a timely resolution; and prevent any out-of-pocket or additional costs associated with a formal claim dispute process.

Under normal circumstances, policyholders have 60 days from the date they receive their claim disposition letter to request appraisal. However, TWIA recommended more time be granted to policyholders and the Texas Department of Insurance has extended the deadline to 120 days for claim arising from the Hurricane Harvey weather-related event, which occurred Aug. 25 through Aug. 31.

Insureds who do not meet the deadline to request an appraisal waive their right to dispute the amount TWIA has agreed to pay for their loss. Insurance Code §2210.574(c) allows a policyholder to request an additional 30 days to demand appraisal. This request must be submitted to TWIA no later than 15 days after the deadline.

TWIA reported on Oct. 2 that it had transitioned from mobile claims centers to more permanent ones in Corpus Christi, Port Aransas and Rockport. The association said its mobile claims centers had served more than 10,000 TWIA policyholders since opening at the end of August.