In September, 2010, John Minor, of Complete General Contractors, was retained to provide a professional estimate of damages suffered by a Holiday Inn Express in Houston, Texas. This property was damaged by wind, and resulting water damage, from Hurricane Ike in September, 2008. With over a decade of expertise as a general contractor and having provided estimating services on countless losses, Mr. Minor conducted a thorough examination of the building and its components. A comprehensive report detailing the structure’s property damage associated with the effects of wind and resulting water damage was delivered to Counsel.
The structure consisted of three floors with thirty (30) rooms per floor, minus ten (10) rooms on the ground floor which represented common areas. The total interior space was approximately 45,000 square feet, exclusive of the exterior portico. In order to provide an accurate estimation of the damages/repair costs, Mr. Minor conducted three separate inspections of the property beginning on September 22, 2010:
- The first inspection involved the interviewing of hotel owners, as they remained in the property during the storm event. Information such as building component shifts and areas of initial water intrusion was conveyed which was instrumental in determining the timing and impact of initial damages.
- The second inspection, in October, 2010, included a room-by-room inspection of the property, during which approximately 90% of the guest rooms were evaluated. The negligible percentage not inspected was a result of occupancy of the rooms by patients of nearby hospitals.
Following these inspections, Mr. Minor submitted his findings in a report noting the roof, window damage, and exterior walls were the three main components damaged as a result of openings created by Hurricane Ike. Subsequent to the submission of Mr. Minor’s report, a favorable settlement was reached and the ownership of this hotel successfully avoided litigation and were awarded the monies they were entitled to under the policy based on the estimates detailed in Mr. Minor’s documentation.
