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Sinkhole Investigations

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Your Investigation

When you file a sinkhole claim, you will be assigned an adjuster who will serve as your primary contact for questions about your claim. Your adjuster will meet with you to gather information about your claim and inspect your property.

Your adjuster also may enlist a structural engineer and/or a professional geologist to help complete the claim investigation:

  • It can take up to six weeks for the structural engineer to complete testing and forward the report to Citizens.
  • It can take up to two additional months for the geologist to complete testing and forward that report to Citizens.

Investigation Results

Once the investigation has been completed, your adjuster will discuss the results of the investigation with you.

If Citizens determines there are covered damages, Citizens will resolve your claim according to Florida statutes by:

  • Establishing estimated cost for stabilization of the sinkhole activity and repair of covered building damages
  • Making an initial payment for the actual cash value of the estimated damages, excluding sinkhole stabilization costs
  • Monitoring the stabilization and repairs, and paying the repair costs as they are incurred by the contractors you select
  • Inspecting the work once stabilization repairs have been completed to ensure that no additional covered damages resulted from the stabilization repairs

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Disputes

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If Citizens inspects your property and denies your claim without conducting testing, you may demand testing by notifying Citizens in writing within 60 days of the denial letter:

  • You will be responsible for paying 50 percent of the testing cost, up to $2,500.
  • If additional testing reveals that covered damage to your principal building was caused by sinkhole activity, Citizens will reimburse you for the costs you paid for additional testing.

Neutral Evaluation

If you disagree with the findings of our professional engineer or professional geologist, or if you and Citizens cannot agree on the method of repair and sinkhole remediation, you can request a neutral evaluation through the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS).

Refer to the following brochure for more details:
Settling Your Sinkhole Claim - Where to Find Help