Matt Puzz, with SignDoxAZ, provides field inspections — a boots-on-the-ground service throughout the east valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area, including Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Ahwatukee, and surrounding areas. He is available to go to farther outlying areas (technically anywhere in Arizona), but those may require an additional mileage/travel fee.
A field inspection is an in-person visual confirmation and verification of property. It may include obtaining vehicle identification numbers (VIN) when applicable and taking photo documentation. If you are a lending institution, bank, insurance company, or any of the entities listed below, then a field inspection will help you verify the existence and condition of a place or thing, to which you have to assign a monetary value.
Any of the following organizations or individuals could find the field inspection service useful:
Insurance Companies
Certain items that are being insured may need to be photographed or independently verified to exist. Some areas of expertise may be required to fulfill this service.
Banks
Banks and private lending often lend money with a particular property as collateral. This property could be real estate or personal property, such as a vehicle. They would want visual confirmation and other documentation of the condition of the property from an independent third party to determine how much money they are willing to lend.
Private Lenders
They need to verify the existence and condition of an item secured by a promissory note.
Here is one example: A lending institution is about to loan money on a piece of construction equipment. The lender wants to know if the equipment works, is functioning properly to all its capacity, has the proper VIN or ID, and is licensed if necessary. They would hire a field inspector to go look at the vehicle, see that the license plate is intact, record the license plate number, potentially check the oil, perform other tasks and take photos of the vehicle.
Landlords
Some landlords have agreements with their tenants on the number of occupants allowed in a unit, the number of cars allowed, if RVs are allowed on the property, if the lawn will be maintained, etc. Photographs could be supplied to help those landlords.
Real Estate Investors & Property Management
Out-of-state investors especially need boots-on-the-ground service. This is often performed by Realtors and contractors, but I’m here as an additional resource as needed.
Manufacturers
A manufacturer receives a bid from an unknown vendor. They need to know if the vendor is legitimate. Do they have a storefront or do they work out of an office under the name of another company. A photo or additional in-person verfication could be what the manufacturer needs to make a decision.
Common Examples of Field Inspections & Tasks Performed
The following are offered as exemples of field inspections with the tasks that might be proformed:
A lending company has just repossessed a vehicle and wants that vehicle inspected at the earliest time possible to determine its condition. Is there physical damage, mechanical damage, or interior damage? Does it have all four wheels and are they holding air? Does the engine have all the fluids needed to operate and does the vehicle move? All of this information can help the lender determine the value of the vehicle and what damages may be owed by the borrower. They might determine that the vehicle is in such poor condition that it needs to be removed and towed to a repair facility or auction house location.
Insurance companies are often responding to claims for damage or writing insurance quotes, which, similar to lending institutions, requires some knowledge of the condition of the properties they are covering, whether it’s real estate, a vehicle, or other property. If they are writing a quote then they would certainly want to know that they will not be dispersing claim money for damage that existed prior to coverage.
Real estate firms, current or future real estate owners, including states and municipalities, and real estate investors especially love “boots-on-the-ground” services in order to remotely manage their property or assess property they intend to buy. They could use it to determine how much they will pay for a property or assess repairs for a property they already own. They may often have other members of their team who can perform this service, such as a Realtor, property manager, or contractor to do boots-on-the-ground service. But it always helps to have an additional team member, especially one who is familiar with the lending, insurance, and real estate industries (learn more about Matt and his background, he is also a Mobile Notary). The photography included with the service is also useful for them to do their own assessment and not solely rely on the verbal reports of other team members.
Manufacturers can be sensitive to whom they do business as vendors and suppliers. The manufacturer wants to be certain they are doing work with a reputable company that has the ability to fulfill the orders made by the manufacturer. Some companies may have stipulations in their contracts that require a storefront or warehouse location for production and they would want to confirm that a particular business whose bid they are considering is not being operated out of a residential location. That doesn’t mean a good business cannot be run that way (large corporations like Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft were all started in a garage), it just means it’s something the manufacturer specifically wants in order to accept a particular bid. A representative of a manufacturer may want to obtain photos of a storefront or warehouse to assure the authenticity of their business partners.
What A Field Inspection Is NOT:
Field inspectors are not private detectives. They do not serve warrants; they do not serve as a Constable or any form of law enforcement; nor are they licensed General Contractors, lenders, attorneys, or Realtors, etc. The Field Inspector will drive out to the location requested and serve as a second set of eyes for the organization that requested it, and safely provide photos of the observed location. Should an assignment be deemed dangerous or unsafe then the field inspector retains the right not to perform the service. The safety of the inspection is requested to be fully disclosed prior to accepting or fulfilling the assignment. A dispatch fee may be required if an element of safety is not disclosed prior to the inspector accepting the assignment and they dispatch, even if the assignment is not completed.
Elements of safety that can prevent field inspections include:
- Toxic environment
- Biohazards
- Industrially hazardous environments or environmental hazards
- Dogs
- Locked facilities or fencing
- Hostile individuals onsite
Why Choose Matt Puzz With SignDox AZ?
I have four years of auto estimating experience prior to becoming a field inspector. As a former estimatics professional in the automotive claims division at a major insurance company I am familiar with taking photos of items to determine what damage is done. The proper angles, lighting, and the difference between a dent, scrape, scratch, scuff, or normal wear and tear. Should a vehicle be in the repair shop or a tow lot and need to be seen to make an assessment by the owner, bank, insurance company, or repair service I have the know-how to position the camera to get those needed photos.
Field inspections are a boots-on-the-ground service that will help you get the visual confirmation and photo documentation that you need to make your assessment. If you need help remotely assessing the existence, condition, and value of a property, whether it’s real estate, a vehicle, or other property, then hire Matt for a field inspection today.