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Property & Casualty Insurance/Questions Answered by Expert James R Carrier

Subject	Date Asked
water surge	11/1/2011
Q: I live on a lake in MN. We had several inches of rain this summer, causing the lake to rise. On Aug ... A: Jill, Flood insurance is not very common. Especially if you don't and it's practically non-existent ...
Unused Settlement Funds	7/28/2011
Q: I live in Ohio and my house sustained substantial damage due to hail. The insurance company ... A: Jimmy, Technically, no you can't use extra money on an insurance job for extra's. In reality though ...
replacement from house fire	7/13/2011
Q: Recently our house sustained what the insurance adjuster told me was a total loss to which I have ... A: Ed, Let me start out by saying that the insurance company, the contractor, and yourself are all ...
In-Ground Pool liner damage	6/21/2011
Q: Here is an odd situation. We closed our in-ground pool last fall and everything was fine. Winter ... A: Don, To have an insurance claim you must have an event that caused the damage. Get out your policy ...
Water/Ice damage	5/29/2011
Q: Had water/ice damage on 1/19/11. Live in CT condo. My HO ins. refused any participation due to ... A: ang, It's time to get the agent that sold the policy involved. The fact that the adjuster did not ...
Water damage to condo below me	5/10/2011
Q: I hope you can help me. Last week the water was out in my building. I inadvertently turned the water ... A: Marge, Your neighbor below must file his own claim. Your insurance covers your claim, and if the ...
Roof Damage Assessment	3/16/2011
Q: I am a roof contractor and have dealt with many adjusters even one just this morning and he was ... A: Russell, You may want to contact the adjusters boss discretely, introduce yourself let him know ...
condo water leak	3/11/2011
Q: I live in a condo. my neighbor's reverse osmosis water filtration system had a leak. he was not home ... A: P, The liability portion of his policy would cover your damage. Unfortunately, it may take a ...
Commercial Claim	2/24/2011
Q: I am an agent in Colorado dealing with a sticky situation on a claim for an HVAC Contractor and ... A: JP, This is a bit outside my expertise, as this is a liability type issue. As an adjuster I don't ...
content depreciation	2/5/2011
Q: As we are filling out the inventory sheets for coverage of contents, we are supposed to fill in the ... A: Sandi, Date of purchase is not as important as you may think, approximate age such as 6 months ago, ...
depreciation	1/28/2011
Q: With a house fire of over 60 % of the home, How is depreciation determined on structural parts of ... A: Rand, A replacement cost figure is put together based upon how much it will cost to put the home ...
Settlement for office breakin and theft	1/26/2011
Q: I am a small business owner. We recently had our office broken into and computers and other ... A: Chuck, Yes if the Policy is truly Replacement Value than there is no depreciation and you can demand ...
Settlement for office breakin and theft	1/21/2011
Q: I am a small business owner. We recently had our office broken into and computers and other ... A: Chuck, Look in the section that says how a loss is paid. If you see that Replacement cost less ...
Valuation of Personal Items -Home Theft	1/10/2011
Q: Five days ago, our home was broken into, thoroughly ransacked and robbed. In addition to the things ... A: Christy, I realize putting together your contents claim seems daunting. The insurance company makes ...
interior claim	12/22/2010
Q: Does homeowner insurance assist with interior sheetrock repair after slab repair? A: Jennifer, I would have to know what caused the damage to answer your question. Please let me know ...
commercial carpet	12/19/2010
Q: What is an accepted life expectancy of a high quality commercial carpet. One which is well ... A: Jon, Although depreciation is frequently used in determining actual cash value (ACV) in insurance ...
Hail Roof Damage discovered after changing Insurance companies	11/19/2010
Q: I live in Missoure and I voluntarily changed homeowners insurance companies in September. Today ... A: Douglas, Good Luck. Your old insurance company would be liable, you have to have a specific date of ...
damaged roof	11/8/2010
Q: I live in NY and the roof in my house had roof damaged with missing shingles after a storm in May. ... A: Carol, Your insurance policy has a stipulation that you call in your claim at your earliest ...
NC Condo water damage	11/3/2010
Q: I have water damage from upstairs unit in a four unit building. HOA determined that it was due to ... A: Charles, Living in a 4 unit building usually the HOA has a policy for the outside shell along with ...
water damage	10/19/2010
Q: Let me thank you in advance for your assistance. I purchased a Florida condo. Shortly after the ... A: Joe, I don't have enough information. Basically if you had no insurance where did Citizens come from ...
Storm Damage Whose Liable	10/8/2010
Q: I live in AZ. Two days ago we had a storm which produced a Micro-burst. I live in a mobile home ... A: Sandra, It is covered under your neighbors homeowners however you will have to make your own claim ...
Value of personal property	9/25/2010
Q: I recently had a water leak which flooded approximately. half of the basement. I had boxes of ... A: Pamela, Your looking at the cost of film along with getting the film developed for a Replacement ...
Salvage Title	9/24/2010
Q: My insurance is wanting to pay me my policy limit for a sinkhole loss. They stated that i will have ... A: Bob, I can't say I've had any experience with this type of situation. My general knowledge of how ...
Salvage Title	9/24/2010
Q: My insurance is wanting to pay me my policy limit for a sinkhole loss. They stated that i will have ... A: Bob, I don't think I understand completely your situation but I will answer based on what I think ...
Water damage	9/19/2010
Q: We have water damage in our 10 year old home which has hardwood floors. The oak flooring is 3/4” ... A: Rodney, To answer your question about whether the depreciation seems excessive yes definitely. ...
responsibility water damage	8/31/2010
Q: Due to cracks in tiles on the bathroom wall in tub and possibility of poor drainage in bath tub my ... A: Lea, No you don't have to have a licensed plumber to do the work, the insurance company cannot ...
Pool Burst, I'm the neighbor	8/25/2010
Q: James, I am in a similar claim situation as your question from Deborah in May 2010, only I'm the ... A: Ryan, I understand your concerns. The claim is always made with your own insurance company, ...
Fire restoration chemicals and autoimmune disease	8/25/2010
Q: My house had an extensive fire on June 14th. It started in the garage, and is currently of ... A: Lisa, I truly feel for you. It sounds like you are at your limits. I don't think I have anything to ...
HVAC Overflow damaged floors	8/20/2010
Q: On Saturday last week, I cleaned our hardwood floors on the 1st floor of the house and noticed the ... A: Lisa, Hi, sorry about your predicament. Allstate is notorious for not paying claims. The only thing ...
Shingle and Siding Claim--Tornado	8/15/2010
Q: Recently my community was hit by a tornado. I have replacement insurance. I have damage to 3 sides ... A: Tammy, The insurance company certainly is responsible to make sure your home is done with ...
house fire	8/9/2010
Q: We had a fire in the basement two weeks ago. It was electronics, so there was a horrible burning ... A: Lee, The smoke from electronics is especially acidic, it makes a real mess. You definitely have to ...
Hail Damage Claim	8/6/2010
Q: Recently my area was struck by high winds and hail. Along with many others I had hail damage to my ... A: Charlie, Your adjuster owes you for all sides of the house, if it is a reasonable argument that ...
In-ground Pool disaster	8/4/2010
Q: We currently have a disaster in our back yard. 6 weeks ago I awoke to a half empty pool. Upon ... A: Dustin, Some background of a claim. You need a loss causing event. With certainty the pipe itself is ...
Depreciation schedule for building comconents	8/2/2010
Q: Where could I find a depreciation table for building components such as roofing, drywall ?l, A: T.J., Your not going to find any depreciation tables. In general you can take the replacement cost ...
water damage from faulty shut off valve	7/16/2010
Q: Our air handler is in the attic, directly above the master bdrm. The drain pan became full and ... A: Lydia, All condominiums have different policies of what's required of the condo owner and what's ...
Condo in AZ leaked into downstairs unit	7/13/2010
Q: I am getting conflicting information on the coverage of my Association's insurance coverage ... A: JDB, All condo policies are written different. Although all the policies for each unit of a given ...
fence	7/5/2010
Q: Wind storm blew down 2/3 of fence, remainder not as strong, has a little bit more play than before. ... A: David, There not refusing to pay for the fence it is standard for them to depreciate and then pay ...
lost rings	6/28/2010
Q: While tubing, I was thrown over a rock and went down what "they call the hole", many tubes came over ... A: Peggie, Yes this would be what is call a covered peril. Look it up on your policy. It is considered ...
storm damaged gutters	6/23/2010
Q: I've been banging in the ferrules on my gutters for the last 3 years. within the last month a ... A: Errol, What the contractors are saying is that the fascia has water damage and could use ...
toilet overflow	6/19/2010
Q: My upstairs toilet overflowed ruining laminate flooring etc. upstairs. The insurance company has ... A: Carol, Ceramic tile is replaced all the time, but only if it is damaged. If the sub floor is ...
fire loss to golf car used to service premises	6/13/2010
Q: will HO policy cover damages to golf cart as personal property due to house fire? ANSWER: John, It ... A: John, you use the golf cart to transport mulch or any landscaping materials for the maintenance of ...
Pool Collapse	6/10/2010
Q: On The morning of May 29 2010 we removed our pool cover to begin opening our swimming pool for the ... A: Deborah, Based on what your saying you are obviously correct. Check your policy though, even if rust ...
fl condo insurance situation	5/25/2010
Q: First - thank you for your help . I don't know where to turn .. I own a condo outright in ... A: Donna, I'm basing my answer on limited knowledge. Typically the condo is responsible for the walls, ...
Fallen tree, who is responsible (Ohio)	5/19/2010
Q: I have an Oak tree that is aprox 5 stories high and 3 or 4 feet round. It is toward the rear of the ... A: Michele, The person responsible is, who has most of the base of the tree on there property. It ...
floating dock	5/5/2010
Q: I have sent you several messages private and at this web site but I haven't got a reply. You said if ... A: Tommy, Your now it a different situation, they've denied your claim. You have no choice but to hire ...
Replacing computers not made anymore	5/2/2010
Q: My insurance adjuster and I do not agree on what should replace four Apple Macs. My adjuster got a ... A: Rod, I see your logic and sure these upgrades you made should be included however I think the claim ...
floating dock	4/27/2010
Q: I have sent you several messages private and at this web site but I haven't got a reply. You said if ... A: Tommy, Sorry for not getting back to you all I can think is that it ended up in Junk and I missed ...
personal tools used and stored on work truck	4/22/2010
Q: my husband had to buy his own tools for work and would like to know how to insure them so that in ... A: Brandy, Your homeowners insurance would not cover them. They could only be covered on your ...
Rental property loss	4/12/2010
Q: I recently rented an additional storage unit at my apartment complex. During this time, the front ... A: Teresa, Again I find this to be so repetitive with insurance company adjusters dealing with honest ...
follow up from floating dock question	4/2/2010
Q: You said if I would give you the area that I was in you would direct me in the right direction for ... A: Tommy, sorry for not responding, I've just returned from a vacation. This is more private if your ...
floating dock	4/2/2010
Q: I have a floating dock that was torn up in a wind storm where winds were gusting up to 50mph. I ... A: Tommy, My saying your right and there wrong, unfortunately doesn't get your claim paid. If the ...
How to become appointed P&C	3/29/2010
Q: I am an independent life/health insurance agent and am currently studying for a property %26 ... A: Jill, The test I took to get my license was not all that difficult, you learn more in a week of ...
pool cover collapse	3/24/2010
Q: My pool cover collapsed in the recent snow storms we had in the mid-atlantic, due to the weight of ... A: Jim, It sounds like you would have no coverage for your contents items. There has to be a covered ...
pool cover collapse	3/24/2010
Q: My pool cover collapsed in the recent snow storms we had in the mid-atlantic, due to the weight of ... A: Jim, Your going to have to pull out your policy and then call them and have them tell you where the ...
Agreed amount	3/24/2010
Q: If I insure a building with agreed amount, do I have to pay that agreed amount if there is a total ... A: Ck, I'm not familiar with agreed amount on a building loss. On a rider for say jewelry or fur ...
Depreciation	3/22/2010
Q: I had significant water damage in my home. I have submitted the personal property quotes and a ... A: Gordon, What the insurance company is determining is the Actual Cash Value (ACV) of your property. ...
Fire Loss	3/10/2010
Q: I have a pending claim involving a fire loss of an unoccupied house. The policy was written as ... A: Angela, If you have an Actual Cash Value (ACV) policy or you plan on not at all taking advantage of ...
Homeowners insurance	3/1/2010
Q: We live in Philadelphia and have had Allstate for our homeowners insurance for many years, without ... A: Marie, You are absolutely right, I too would be furious. These adjusters called "Cat" (catastrophe ...
Water Damage from heavy rain	2/12/2010
Q: About 2.5 weeks ago, I and my husband came home to find inches of water in most of our house. The ... A: Daniela, The insurance company will cover all the resulting damage from the leak, but won't pay to ...
fire loss	2/10/2010
Q: What if you have a total loss from fire and your policy states that you are within 4 miles of a fire ... A: Kathy, That is an underwriting issue, for the insurance company underwriters to investigate. If not ...
pool cover collapse	2/6/2010
Q: WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A HUGE SNOW STORM AS I WRITE THIS QUESTION. THIS AM WE WOKE UP TO 30" OF ... A: Teresa, You have a coverage B called Appurtenant Structures on your policy the limit should be 10% ...
coverage	2/4/2010
Q: I have a property I rented to a commercial business.When the tenant refused to purchase liability ... A: Judy, As to the first part of the question, the wording is wrong the premises is not rented to you. ...
water damage	1/25/2010
Q: Last April, I noticed water dripping from the ceiling in my garage. Due to my limited financial ... A: Kathy, You may have a slight problem. The fact that you were in there previously doing work might ...
Building Glass Coverage	1/22/2010
Q: is Graffiti on the building considered as VMM? Can i claim it to the Carrier and ask for payment to ... A: CK, Usually there will be a separate glass coverage on that policy. You mentioned looking and not ...
Graffiti	1/19/2010
Q: is Graffiti on the building considered as VMM? Can i claim it to the Carrier and ask for payment to ... A: CK, Vandalism should be covered on your policy, if it is no problem. You got to check your ...
NC Homeowners Policy Claim	1/11/2010
Q: Recently our home was completely destroyed by fire. We are not sure how the insurance will payout ... A: Scott, You have replacement cost on your dwelling. This means you have a requirement to either ...
fire loss	1/1/2010
Q: The building was very old and I carried replacement value insurance on it. I thought that meant the ... A: Paul, The insurance company owes you for "like kind and quality". The key word you use is your ...
Appearance adjustment for text books etc	12/30/2009
Q: Due to a water leak some books and periodicals were damaged. What method is used to determine value ... A: Dean, Happy Holidays, if your asking in regards to an insurance claim if the books or periodicals ...
house insurance	11/13/2009
Q: I am shopping around for a new policy. Can I just order up a certain amount of money for ... A: Susan, Replacement Cost insurance policies are standard today for homeowners, you couldn't even ...
self-contracting major loss repairs	11/9/2009
Q: It's me again, sorry. re: "Your on my most passionate subject so lets get down to brass tax. If you ... A: Kimbrell, Holding the "lien on the house" I'm assuming to mean your basically the mortgage company. ...
depreciation/replacement value	11/9/2009
Q: the 'story' House Fire and I had Full Replacement Value Expert: James R Carrier - 5/20/2009 ... A: Kimbrell, Your on my most passionate subject so lets get down to brass tax. If you don't have an ...
home vandalism	11/8/2009
Q: I live in Chicago. THREE times kids from the train tracks behind my house have thrown rocks. Glass ... A: Sandi, A little out of my comfort zone, my familiarity with your insurance company and your ...
Ceiling damage due to storms	10/22/2009
Q: Carrier, I'm located in Florida and I own a rental property (a triplex) that suffered water damages ... A: Lindsay, One of the requirements of a policy is to notify your insurance carrier in a timely ...
Toielt malfunction	10/22/2009
Q: We just bought a home 2 years ago. Sunday we were gone all day and we came home the how was ... A: Brenda, The toilet itself is not covered, however the resulting damage is covered. In this case the ...
Personal Property-fire	10/11/2009
Q: What is the depreciation formula for personal household property. Such as, appliances, furniture, ... A: Depreciation is deducted from the replacement cost of all non-listed personal property. Listed ...
wind damage	10/2/2009
Q: I recently put a claim into my insurance for damage to my house. Two trees fell ,one on my house ... A: Bon, It is impossible to tell which is the truth. Unfortunately the insurance company is going to ...
water damage	9/29/2009
Q: we were gone a week on vacation and when we got back we noticed the floor in the kitchen felt ... A: Joanne, Your adjuster is obviously misinterpreting your policy. A slow leak, a fast leak, any kind ...
Retaining wall issue	9/24/2009
Q: My home in Georgia has a 20 ft high timber retaining wall in the rear, which leads up to a home and ... A: Brian, Your homeowners policy will cover any damages in the scenario you described. The issue of ...
contractor	9/20/2009
Q: I recently had a pipe break and cause significant damage to my home. I then found a contractor and ... A: David, Sorry it took so long to get back, I have been out of town. The situation you find yourself ...
Homeowners Insurance Coverage	9/13/2009
Q: My family was forced out of our home to to wind bring huge amounts of PM 10 dust and sand that ... A: Richard, I have been out of town I'm sorry not to reply sooner. I would need your documentation, ...
depreciation	8/31/2009
Q: You mention a depreciation guide that you use. I am working on a case wherein the depreciation ... A: Paul, I don't have a guide, generally items fall into categories in which depreciation is ...
Wildlife Removal and Clean-up	8/28/2009
Q: Do homeowners policies cover the cost of removing raccoons from a home and then for an expert to ... A: Sharon, I've never had this question, and I have to research the answer. The damage that the ...
Camper insurance	8/14/2009
Q: Our truck camper recently got totaled after an accident on the Highway. We had included the camper ... A: Julie, I believe that one of the companies will take the lead, and act as the only insurance ...
Camper insurance	8/10/2009
Q: Our truck camper recently got totaled after an accident on the Highway. We had included the camper ... A: Julie, Good question, not going to like the answer. You must make both insurance company's of each ...
Lifted shingles	8/4/2009
Q: Jim, I was disappointed to see your answer regarding the "lifted" shingles question. As you being ... A: Preston, Take care and good luck in your career, consider jumping to my side of the fence truly ...
Lifted shingles	8/3/2009
Q: Jim, I was disappointed to see your answer regarding the "lifted" shingles question. As you being ... A: Preston, I appreciate your position. Repair the shingles that have lifted and call it a day. What I ...
Property Damage	7/22/2009
Q: I recently had $5000 in damage from faulty line connection on electrical service. I called Duke ... A: Josh, This is a liability claim for Duke Energy. It is different from a claim that I handle. If I ...
Insurance clain	7/20/2009
Q: I had a water pipe that burst in my bathroom. I was told that Allstate does not pay to have it fixed ... A: Latasha, Man you got a lot of things going on with this question. Allstate is correct in stating ...
Wind Damage, Lifted Shingles	7/2/2009
Q: Would lifted shingles call for an insurance company (State Farm, Illinois) to replace an entire ... A: Jim, Since the roof had separate slopes with missing shingles, you have a strong argument to ...
Home Insurance (Barn Fire)	7/1/2009
Q: We have a house in Goochland County in Virginia and our barn burned due to recent lightening. Beside ... A: Ali, Although RC on the house can go to 125% or 130% of the amount listed, each policy differs. ...
Damage to Floor and Value	7/1/2009
Q: We had an oven repaired and in doing so the repairmen damaged our hardwood floors (about 8 inch ... A: Julie, I feel the ultimate number is very fair 4k how it was arrived at is a bit crazy but 4k is ...
Home Insurance (Barn Fire)	6/30/2009
Q: We have a house in Goochland County in Virginia and our barn burned due to recent lightening. Beside ... A: Ali, Sorry about your loss. The building coverage is usually 10% of the coverage of the main ...
home owner's claim	6/15/2009
Q: Quickly, I have a family member who has had multiple problems from 'possible' lightening strikes at ... A: The only reason the claim was termed Catastrophic was there had to be a substantial amount of claims ...
Erie Insurance Group - Homeowners	5/27/2009
Q: I am currently looking at a declaration page from Erie Insurance Group for a home policy in the ... A: Erie insurance group would either be an agency or a underwriter, not an insurance company. I would ...
House Fire and I had Full Replacement Value	5/20/2009
Q: I had Farmers Insurance in NC. I had replacement value on everything. They only paid me for ACV and ... A: Lynne, Sorry it took so long to get back to you, for some reason your question went into my junk ...
question	5/9/2009
Q: Tom have a homeowner policy,when he die.the policy continue or stop A: The policy is in affect after Tom's death. The policy is good and paid for, it would be to your ...
finish on wood flooring	4/23/2009
Q: I am a claimant on an ins claim. A contractor damaged the finish on my solid oak wood flooring. ... A: 50% depreciation is excessive. Your argument that the life of the wood floor is shortened is not ...
property damage depreciation	4/6/2009
Q: When adjusting a loss involving depreciated materials, is depreciation applied only to the materials ... A: Paul, I guess I should have referenced my answer. I'm an advocate for the homeowner, business owner, ...
FROZEN PIPE BURST	4/2/2009
Q: WE HAVE RECENTLY DISCOVERED WATER DAMAGE TO OUR BATHROOM. WE CALLED IN A CONTRACTOR TO SEE HOW MUCH ... A: You may use my reply with any attempt to get your insurance company to realize the error the 1st ...
property damage depreciation	3/30/2009
Q: When adjusting a loss involving depreciated materials, is depreciation applied only to the materials ... A: you can expect the entire operation to be depreciated, the rate depending on factors such as market ...
Home Insurance	3/29/2009
Q: We have a home in Maine. It's on a dirt road off of a dirt road. Needless to say the roads are in ... A: I'm going to try to answer this question, it is on the fringe of my expertise, I'm an adjuster I'm ...
Wind Damage	3/8/2009
Q: I have filed a claim due to wind damage. The adjuster met with my roofer on a day that there was ice ... A: It sounds as though the insurance company did what they do best and deny your claim. An insurance ...
contents insurance list	2/17/2009
Q: we have recently suffered complete loss of every item in our home and sheds due to bush fire here in ... A: Barry, now this is a question right up my alley. The key to a successful inventory of personal ...
CO-INSURANCE ACV VS. REPLACEMENT COST	1/28/2009
Q: I have a small portfolio of rowhouses in Baltimore city and have been advised that the 80% ... A: Stan, To meet co-insurance issues, which in practice rarely raise there head. If the policy would ...
Payment for Loss - personal property	1/27/2009
Q: We suffered a total loss of our home and all contents in a house fire during the summer. The ... A: Troy, The adjusting process is a negotiation between the insured and the insurance company. It is ...
web sight	1/26/2009
Q: where can i find the web sight for auto club property casualty ins co. i have ins threw you all and ... A: AAA.com is the website for Automobile Club Insurance. Each state however will have a link off the ...
contractor advice	1/25/2009
Q: We are a wood flooring and remodeling contractor located in Texas. We would like to pursue ... A: David, If you can write an estimate of damage with the software the adjuster uses and your prompt, ...
Coverage for boat lift	1/22/2009
Q: I recently had a claim for a stolen boat lift. The lift was literally disconnected from the dock. ... A: The position of the insurance company is when in doubt deny, deny, deny. The least ambiguous ...
ServPro damages to my property	1/20/2009
Q: Who handles ServPro's corporate liability? I have been damaged by ServPro and it is almost ... A: I only chose to answer this question so you don't waste more of your time. Without really knowing to ...
home robbery	1/16/2009
Q: my home and truck was robbed when i was out of state my truck was found at a local park by my home ... A: Your homeowners policy should cover any damage to your home and pay for stolen items. The catch is ...

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James R Carrier

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Expertise

I'm an insurance adjuster. If you have had an insurance loss your in the right place. Insurance coverages is not my forte, you would want to ask one of the other experts who are insurance agents. I'm able to answer questions regarding coverage, damage valuation, basically anything to do with property & casualty. My expertise is accessing damage putting a valuation on that damage and proving damage to an insurance company adjuster on behalf of a homeowner or business owner. I'm able to answer or get the answer regarding underwriting. Please no questions on automobile coverage you know more than me in that area.

Experience

20 years as a licensed adjuster, handling 1000's of homeowners and commercial claims in Michigan, Louisiana, and Florida. I own a Public Adjusting Company, Advanced Adjusting LLC in Milford MI. Our website is advancedadjustingmi.com.

Education/Credentials
Business degree with an emphasis on accounting from Arizona State University, graduating in the Fall of 1984. I have taught and participated in continuing education courses in the field of property and casualty.

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