GB Claims serves Wayne Township and the rest of Passaic County from our office in Suffern, New York — about thirty-five minutes via Route 287 and Route 23. We represent Wayne homeowners, landlords and business owners against their own insurance companies after flood, fire, water, storm and theft losses.
Wayne is a township of about 55,000 built around its lakes and rivers: the Packanack Lake, Pines Lake and Lionshead Lake communities, Preakness, Mountain View, Point View and Hoffman Grove, with ranches, split-levels and colonials from the 1950s through the 1980s and a commercial corridor along Routes 23 and 46 near Willowbrook Mall and William Paterson University. The Passaic and Pompton Rivers run along the township’s east and north, and Wayne is one of the most flood-prone communities in New Jersey — the 1999 (Floyd), 2011 (Irene) and 2021 (Ida) floods each put parts of the township under water. Flood, water and storm claims here are frequent, and they are the claims carriers argue about most.
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 Wayne property claims
- Flooding along the Passaic and Pompton Rivers and in the lake communities, including repeat losses at the same property.
- Basement flooding, sump-pump failures and sewer backups after heavy rain.
- Water damage from burst pipes, failed water heaters and roof leaks.
- Wind, nor’easter and fallen-tree damage to roofs and siding on wooded lakefront lots.
- Kitchen and electrical fires, with smoke damage through the house.
- Ice dams and frozen pipes in winter, and theft or vandalism at vacant property.
Flood claims and the ‘which policy pays’ problem
In Wayne, a single storm often produces two claims: a flood claim under a separate National Flood Insurance Program or private flood policy for rising water, and a homeowners claim for wind, roof and interior water damage, sewer backup or sump failure. Carriers on each side tend to point at the other. We identify the actual cause of each part of the damage, document it, and present each claim to the policy that owes it, so nothing falls into the gap between them.
Flood policies also pay on a different basis than homeowners policies — often actual cash value for contents and finished basements, with strict limits on what counts as covered below grade. We document everything that was actually damaged so the claim is complete under the rules that apply to it.
Our licence
GB Claims LLC is licensed as a public adjuster in New Jersey and in New York (New York Public Adjuster License PA-1988333, issued by the New York State Department of Financial Services), as well as Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Licensed sublicensee: Benzion Goldman. We are based in Suffern, New York, a few minutes from the Bergen County line, and work only for policyholders — never for insurance companies.
Frequently asked questions
Do you handle flood insurance claims, or only homeowners claims?
Both. Flood policies have their own rules, deadlines and proof-of-loss requirements, and we prepare and document the flood claim alongside the homeowners claim after the same storm.
Which parts of Wayne and Passaic County do you cover?
All of Wayne — Packanack Lake, Pines Lake, Lionshead Lake, Preakness, Mountain View, Point View, Hoffman Grove and Pompton Plains border areas — plus Pompton Lakes, Little Falls, Totowa, Woodland Park, Clifton, Paterson, West Milford and the rest of Passaic County.
The insurer says the damage was pre-existing or due to maintenance. What now?
Carriers use ‘wear and tear’, ‘maintenance’ and ‘gradual damage’ to deny storm and water losses on older homes. The question is what actually caused the damage, and that can be shown. We inspect, document the cause, and respond to the denial.
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.
Nearby Areas We Serve
- Public Adjuster in Passaic County, NJ
- Public Adjuster in Bergen County, NJ
- Public Adjuster in Teaneck, NJ
- Public Adjuster in Englewood, NJ
- Public Adjuster in Suffern, NY
- Public Adjuster in New Jersey