GB Claims serves Sullivan County and the Catskills — Monticello, Liberty, Fallsburg, South Fallsburg, Woodbourne, Woodridge, Kiamesha Lake, Loch Sheldrake, Swan Lake, White Lake, Bethel, Rock Hill, Wurtsboro, Livingston Manor, Roscoe, Jeffersonville, Callicoon and Narrowsburg — from our office in Suffern, about an hour and a quarter up Route 17. We represent homeowners, bungalow colony and summer-home owners, landlords and business owners against their own insurance companies after fire, water, storm and theft losses.
Sullivan County has a housing stock unlike anywhere else in the region: thousands of seasonal homes and bungalow colonies, many owned by families from Rockland County and Brooklyn, that sit empty from the fall until Memorial Day, alongside year-round homes on lakes and wooded lots, older main-street buildings in Monticello and Liberty, and camps, shuls and hotels that open for the summer. Vacancy, winter and distance are what make Sullivan County claims different — and what carriers use to deny or underpay them.
What a public adjuster actually does for you
Your policy is a contract, and proving what you are owed under it is your responsibility, not the insurer’s. That burden falls on a homeowner at the worst possible moment. We take it over: we document the damage, measure and scope the repairs, prepare the estimate, submit the claim, answer the carrier’s questions, and negotiate the settlement. The insurance company’s adjuster works for the insurance company; we work only for you.
After a serious fire or a large loss, every room, every item and every hour of displacement has to be documented from day one. See how we handle those on our Fire & Large Loss Claims page.
Common Sullivan County and Catskills property claims
- Frozen and burst pipes in seasonal homes and bungalows found when the family comes up in the spring, with months of water damage, mold and collapsed ceilings.
- Roof collapse and structural damage from snow load and ice dams on flat-roofed bungalows and older camps.
- Fires in summer homes, colonies and camps, including total losses where the fire department had a long way to travel.
- Wind and fallen-tree damage from storms across heavily wooded lots, and damage from the power outages that follow.
- Water damage from failed water heaters, well-pump and supply-line failures, and sewer or septic backups.
- Theft, vandalism and break-ins at unoccupied property during the off-season.
Seasonal homes, vacancy clauses and off-season losses
Most homeowner policies restrict coverage when a home has been unoccupied for a set number of days, and carriers lean on those vacancy and ‘freezing’ provisions to deny off-season losses in the Catskills. Whether a house was legally ‘vacant’ or ‘unoccupied’, whether heat was maintained or the water shut off, and when the damage actually began are all questions of fact that have to be documented properly. We inspect, document the cause and timeline, read the policy language against the facts, and respond to the denial.
For a bungalow colony or camp, the loss is often spread across many small buildings under one policy. We document each unit separately, so the total scope — structure, contents, the lost season — is on the claim in full.
Our licence
GB Claims LLC holds New York Public Adjuster License PA-1988333, issued by the New York State Department of Financial Services under Section 2108 of the New York Insurance Law. Licensed sublicensee: Benzion Goldman. We are based in Suffern, Rockland County, and are also licensed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
Related help: fire damage claims, smoke and soot damage, burst pipe and large water losses, denied or underpaid claims, commercial property claims and our public adjuster FAQ.
Frequently asked questions
Do you come up to Sullivan County, or do you work from photos?
We come up. A claim is only as good as its documentation, so we inspect the property in person, photograph and measure everything, and meet the carrier’s adjuster on site when they inspect.
My summer home froze over the winter and the insurer says it was unoccupied. Is the claim dead?
Not necessarily. Vacancy and freezing provisions have specific definitions and specific exceptions — for example, where reasonable care was used to maintain heat or shut off and drain the water. The facts and the exact policy wording decide it, and we review both before the carrier’s denial is accepted as final.
We own a bungalow colony. Can one claim cover several buildings?
Yes, if they are insured under the same policy. We document each building and each family’s contents separately so that nothing is averaged away in a single lump estimate.
Is GB Claims licensed in New York?
Yes. GB Claims LLC holds New York public adjuster license PA-1988333, issued by the New York State Department of Financial Services.
Can a public adjuster help if the insurer already paid?
Often yes. If damage was missed or underpaid, the claim can usually be supplemented within the policy’s time limits. Cashing the check usually does not close the claim unless you signed a release.
Talk to a licensed public adjuster: 845-456-6699 — or request a free claim review. Already have an estimate or an offer from your insurer? Send it over for a free second opinion.
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