All post loss appraisals are personally conducted by Stuart P. Schlem. Mr. Schlem spent more than twenty-three years engaged in litigating insurance coverage disputes and now devotes his time exclusively to serving as an appraiser.

    Mr. Schlem attended the George Washington University in Washington, DC, where he earned a degree in Political Science in 1976. Mr. Schlem also completed the requirements for a second degree in Urban Affairs. After graduating George Washington University, Mr. Schlem attended the John Lord O’Brien School of Law at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he earned his juris doctor degree in 1979.

After serving as an associate for seven years at several New York City law firms specializing in handling insurance coverage disputes, Mr. Schlem established his own firm, maintaining offices in both New Jersey and New York. The focus of his practice continued to be first party fire and casualty claims, as Mr. Schlem handled several hundred insurance disputes.

    Mr. Schlem has also written several articles on the appraisal process that have been published in the Advocate, a newsletter issued by Policyholders of America, a not-for-profit organization that addresses insurance issues.

    At Post Loss Appraisal, our focus is on results. In an appraisal involving a 17-story building in Corpus Christi, Texas that suffered substantial water damage when a pipe burst in the middle of the night on the 16th floor. The independent adjuster estimated the loss on behalf of the insurance carrier at $327,000 and steadfastly refused any further payment. A hostile Proof of Loss in the amount of $1.8 million was filed on behalf of the insured. Fearing litigation, appraisal was demanded by the insurer in February of 2003. The building owner appointed an appraiser who had little experience with the appraisal process.

    By February of 2005, the appraisal had stalled. The appraisers had not even selected an umpire to decide the issues in dispute. After two years of inactivity, Mr. Schlem was appointed to replace the insured’s appraiser. Once again, an attempt was made to further delay the claim. When asked by Mr. Schlem to identify individuals who could serve as an umpire, the insurer’s appraiser suggested an engineer who was employed by the same firm as the insurer’s mold remediation expert. The internet biography of another suggested individual claimed authorship of a program designed to reduce insurers’ repair costs on building losses. Obviously, neither could be considered fair or impartial. The only alternative was to apply to a local judge for the appointment of an umpire.

    In September of 2005, the umpire rendered an award in excess of $1.6 million, less than seven months after Mr. Schlem’s appointment as appraiser for the insured.

    At Post Loss Appraisal, we treat small claims in the same manner as large claims. For example, in a recent appraisal involving a loss in Virginia, the insured homeowners not only suffered significant water damages while they away for several days, but did not have a single invoice or receipt to support their contents loss. As a result, the insurer objected to making payment for most of the insureds’ claim. In addition, there were significant disputes between the insureds and the carrier over the Loss of Use claim. The insureds initially submitted a claim for additional living expenses, not being aware that their policy afforded them a choice of fair rental value coverage in lieu of their additional living expense claim. As expected, the insurer’s appraiser objected to the insureds’ changing their method of calculating their claim long after the loss was sustained.

    At the appraisal hearing, Mr. Schlem went to great lengths to have the insureds present their loss to the umpire in great detail and with such care that their credibility would be enhanced, while the prior conduct of the insurer’s adjuster was demonstrated to be biased against the claimants. Their contents claim was thus demonstrated based upon the insureds’ testimony, without the benefit of a single receipt. In addition, Mr. Schlem utilized his experience as a litigator and expert in insurance policy interpretation to demonstrate that there was nothing in the policy that prevented the insureds from amending the method of presenting their claim, so that they were absolutely permitted to collect under their policy based upon the fair market value of their property, rather than the additional living expenses they incurred. In the end, the decision of the umpire resulted in a significant award in light of the total absence of any supporting documentation demonstrating ownership or value of the damaged property, and an almost complete recovery for Loss of Use.

    Whether the loss is a multi-million dollar commercial building or a single family home, each loss is appraised with the same attention to detail, regardless of the amount of the claim.

    Why should you retain the services of Post Loss Appraisal to serve as your appraiser? Our appraiser, Stuart P. Schlem, utilizes a unique approach in handling all appraisals, combining more than 20 years of litigation experience with an extensive background in dealing with insurance coverage disputes. Mr. Schlem believes that the parties to the insurance contract should have an equal footing when it comes to appraisals.

    When Post Loss Appraisal is your appraiser, we will utilize all available resources to obtain the most information that best establishes the value of the damaged property. All documents are examined, all experts are consulted, and all necessary research is performed so that a complete and thorough profile of the loss can be compiled for presentation. In addition, the work-product of the opposing appraiser is examined in great detail, with all questionable positions challenged to the fullest extent allowed by the umpire. While the process is informal in nature, Mr. Schlem believes that neither side should trample upon the rights of the other in addressing the issues of appraisal.