UPDATE: On April 18, 2018, the deadline for TWIA policyholders to request appraisal on their Harvey claim was extended. The new deadline is 180 days from the day a policyholder received their most recent Notice of Claim Acceptance (in full or in part) letter.  

Note: Some commercial policies have a 150-day deadline. For more details, please refer to www.twia.org/extensionletter.

Dear Agent,

If a policyholder does not request appraisal by their Hurricane Harvey claim’s deadline, they waive their right to dispute the amount TWIA has agreed to pay for the covered portion of their loss.

What is the deadline for policyholders to demand appraisal for Hurricane Harvey claims? For Hurricane Harvey claims, the deadline to demand appraisal is 120 days from the date the policyholder receives their most recent claims notice letter* — "Notice of Claim Acceptance" or "Notice of Claim Acceptance in Part and Denial in Part" — from TWIA stating we accept their claim in part of or in full.

What if a policyholder needs more time? Texas Insurance Code allows a TWIA policyholder to request an additional 30 days to demand appraisal, if the request is made within 15 days of the end of their appraisal deadline. If the policyholder is at risk of missing the appraisal deadline, they can contact TWIA, demand appraisal, and ask us to postpone the appraisal process while we work with them directly to resolve the dispute. If we are unable to resolve the dispute, we can still proceed with the formal appraisal process at the policyholder's direction. Read TDI’s overview of policyholder options.

Is there anything else a policyholder can consider? If your client is considering demanding appraisal or pursuing litigation, please remind them they can contact TWIA at any time so we may attempt to address any unmet needs and provide a timely resolution before any out-of-pocket- costs are incurred through either appraisal or litigation. Policyholders and agents may learn more about the process and conditions for appraisal and litigation on our website. They are also provided in full in all TWIA policies.

This bulletin is available on our website here. If you have any questions or concerns, please call us at 800-788-8247, Option 1, or email claims@twia.org.

Sincerely,

Texas Windstorm Insurance Association
 
* TWIA uses the most recently sent letter to mark the beginning of the appraisal deadline. For example, if TWIA sent a Notice of Claim Acceptance letter in September, followed by another Notice of Claim Acceptance letter (for example, after a supplemental payment was made) in November, the deadline to demand appraisal would start the day the policyholder received the second notice letter in November.