Michaelson & Messinger Insurance Specialists, LLC - Hinsdale, Illinois

Ibrahim R.

My garage had burned down completely from a electrical fire in June of 2023, damaging parts of my house resulting in a large loss. Stan approached me as a public adjuster the day after the fire and we signed up with M&M Insurance to restore our house. It took about 14 months for the restoration but our house looks very nice. Our garage is a attached garage, there was fire damage to parts of our house and smoke damage to the whole house. Within a week of the fire, Stan was able to get a cleaning company to get all of our contents and clothing out for cleaning and storage. Him and a M&M's adjuster met with State Farm's adjuster to get a good estimate and it ended up at the max allowed. Then Ray was sent to do a inventory of the content that could not be cleaned or saved and the list was very precise.
Re-construction:
Dan and Arek had managed the construction aspect of it and nearly replaced everything. We had requested a architect for new drawings and the changes we wanted. They stripped the house down completely and it was sprayed with odor killing primer to the undamaged areas, which meant all the insulation and the drywall had to be replaced. All the electrical work was brought up to code, work that was probably done in 1973 is now completely new. Electricians were very good and their work was quality. We made some changes to our master and lower bath, they were also gutted and turned out amazing. They added a new walk in closet to our master bedroom since we had the space for it, much better than what we had previously. Our kitchen was completely renovated to a open concept kitchen, from the countertop to the cabinets all of it turned out very nice. We had laminate flooring on both floors, they replaced it with waterproof flooring. All of our windows were replaced, since some were damaged in the fire. All of the siding was replaced but, out of all the work done, subcontractor for the siding performed low quality work. I was not too fond of the waviness across the house and the poor finishing touches to the siding. For our roof, shingles and the plywood was replaced for the whole house. My garage is 4 car deep and heat had damaged the concrete in some areas. Per my request they epoxied the floor and now the concrete looks brand new. Again, because of this fire M&M Insurance Specialist gave me a brand new better house.
The reason for my 4 star and not 5 is because there was a lack of organization and representation. I did have to give a lot of my time for certain things. M&M needs to set goals for themselves and for their clients because it took 14 months for me to get back into my house. I mentioned representation because I should not have had to deal with State Farm's adjuster once M&M was representing me. I had to deal with State Farm for a lot of the stuff.
Overall I am happy with the end product, all the changes and addition I asked for; Stan, Dan and Arek made them happen. Stan said "We are gonna make your house look beautiful" and they did! My family and friends give a lot of compliments whenever they are over. Its a lengthy overwhelming process, took a lot my patience but the house turned out beautiful.

mark K.

I’m the owner of Calumet Fisheries Inc in Chicago and in November 2023 we had a devastating electrical fire. We hired Michaelson and Messinger for auditing and reconstruction. They did a fantastic job dealing with the city and getting us up and running. Our entire interior was rebuild along with a new roof and exterior. Great office people and field personnel( Dan Maka)i also want to mention my first contact with M&M was Claudia Renteria who was awesome at calming me down and getting the ball rolling to reconstruction. She was always available when I had questions and concerns. Thank you all at M & M

Daisy

Fantastic, high-quality job! The worst thing occurred when our family's home caught fire in February 2023. We were well taken care of by Stan and their team. They were really helpful when it came to calming us down or simply explaining the process to us when we were vulnerable and didn’t know what the next steps were. Treated us as family. Therefore, we knew that Michaelson & Messinger LLC would be able to assist us when we experienced some plumbing problems. We anticipated that they might not be able to make it because it was Friday and it was the weekend, but they managed to get someone here early the next morning. Handled every task that day! I would absolutely use them again and strongly recommend them to people I know!

L. G.

EXCELLENT experience thanks to Stan M and Dan M. Very PROFESSIONAL and RESPONSIVE throughout the entire ordeal. My parents' house was destroyed after a bad house fire and Stan helped to put my parents at ease and ensured that they understood what to expect throughout the process of the insurance claim and reconstruction project. Dan was in charge of the reconstruction and did a WONDERFUL job putting the house back together and MUCH BETTER than it was before. They both went ABOVE AND BEYOND, I would even say WAY BEYOND to help my parents and provided them with a PERSONABLE experience. Dan also handles real estate sales and helped my parents get a great return on the house after it was sold. Very smart company to hire these two individuals who represented them to a very high caliber. I would definitely recommend this company whether your project is big or small. Ask for Stan and Dan! You won't be disappointed!

Thuan T.

Words cannot descript enough how grateful and happy with this company. After the fire, we didn’t know where to start with repair process except to call the insurance and made the claim. We signed the initial company that was on the scene. Only to find out from a
previous client that they had this company was not the company that would take care of us. Fortunately, I met Aldo Lanto from M&M few days after. We met with Aldo in their office, he was able to help us terminate our contract with the other company and explain
everything in details with us. They were very transparent unlike the other company that just had us sign the contract and never disclosure anything information to us. They took care everything from A to Z. They worked directly with the insurance company, contactors,
article restoration companies, village permits, etc. I was assigned a Project Manager that oversees the project and keeps us up to date. The Project Manager we had was Dan. He was terrific. Between Aldo, Dan and the construction contractor manager Arek, not only
our home was rebuilt but it was rebuilt beautifully. Our new home is 100% more beautiful than we had before. The workmanship is top notch. I hope we never have to go through a tragedy like this again in our lifetime, however if we do, we would definitely go with M&M
again. We had friends and family over and everyone was amazed at the quality of the work. Almost everyone that went into the house told us how beautiful this house turned out after fire. M&M has made everything seamless for the whole year that we were under
construction. The owner was constantly in communication with us to ensure that everything was going great. Communication was great with this whole process. I couldn’t have ask for anything else, everything was perfect with this company.

Amber G.

From the start this company has been a blessing!
I was contacted right away in my time in need. Ed was very patient with me and helped me understand what it is they do!
The repair team was professional and timely. When the fire happened we were under the impression it would be a 6+ month project but they repaired in less than 3 months. I would definitely recommend the house is beautiful!

Norma B.

I was referred to Michaelson & Messinger Insurance Specialist by a friend. I setup an appointment, Dan came out & the rest is history. I am very pleased with their work & would highly recommend Michaelson & Messinger Insurance Specialist.

Chris L.

At first, I thought they were an ambulance chaser, but wow was I wrong. Dennis Byrd and his crew were out on the night of my fire. They were quick to approach and offer help in boarding up my windows. I had not called them, nor had a need for this type of service, so obviously I was skeptical.

I signed off on the window boarding, and accepted their informational pamphlet. Over the next two weeks, I had every and any construction and restoration company contact me, even stand in my front lawn, begging me to open the door and talk to them.

Dennis sensed, my apprehension and just remained available to answer any questions, and to know that he and Michael and Messinger were available anytime I need. I honestly spent the next couple weeks researching and trying to find a reason why I should not go with this company. It just seemed too good to be true.

Still skeptical, I went through the contract in detail with Dennis, he was very open, upfront, and receptive to the restoration project, and additional needs I may have in the restoration .

The Next eight months have been the most wonderful and easy-going experience I have ever had. Dennis has remained in contact every couple weeks to know how the project is going. The Construction crew is top-notch.

If you Read nothing else, READ THIS , having a public adjuster on your side, with a large insurance company is detrimental. Dennis is a public adjuster, and was able to argue and win multiple disagreements on coverage, and the amount to be paid out. I honestly would not have been anywhere near the Restoration I am at today if it wasn’t for Dennis on my side.

I am about two weeks away from the finish line of my project, and have nothing negative to say. The construction crew backs up their work with a three year warranty, and has always been available when needed. They have also been receptive to different designs, ideas or material when discussed.

Do yourself a favor, it’s a lot to navigate through. Hire a public adjuster (Dennis) and Micheal Messinger as your restoration company. Not only will they be able to fight for more coverage than you ever can, they get you in contact with a qualified Construction crew, and back you up if there’s any concern whether it’s with the insurance company or the contractor.

Dennis you are my brother man! Sorry I gave you such a hard time. You and your family are welcome over anytime you’re in the neighborhood Thank you for helping me out in such a difficult time. I could not have done it without you!

Photos will follow to back up my review. I’m simply grateful and amazed.