For SRSA's property management team, hurricane season doesn't have an end date. Throughout the year, we build vendor relationships, refine processes, and maintain the institutional knowledge that makes all the difference when conditions deteriorate. We've pulled together resources to help you prepare, and if you'd rather have an experienced team in your corner, we can help with that too.
Director of Property Management Mike Hilferty, CPM (Certified Property Manager) / RPA (Registered Property Administrator), leads a team whose work in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida is a case study in what that experience is worth. That commitment was put to the test after Hurricane Ida, when the team's work on behalf of a client resulted in a $1.2 million award for unpaid insurance expenses related to the storm.
When Ida struck in August 2021, SRSA's team moved quickly at their managed property at 3501 N. Causeway Boulevard in Metairie. Emergency remediation began immediately, and tenants were back in the building within ten days of the storm.
That was just the beginning. In the months that followed, the team coordinated a full scope of repairs, including roof replacement, waterproofing, window replacements, signage, fencing, sheetrock and ceiling work, and environmental testing. When the insurance proceeds came in, they covered less than a third of the total expenses. After factoring in the deductible, the building was substantially under-reimbursed, and the ownership chose to file suit.
What followed was a multi-year legal process that gained significant momentum last year and into this one. Window inspections, multiple meetings with legal counsel, a full-day deposition, and a near full-day mediation kept Mike and at least six current and former team members directly engaged throughout. That continuity proved decisive, and according to Peter Freiberg, counsel for the building, SRSA's involvement was critical to the great result. The outcome was a seven-figure award for the building's owners for unpaid insurance expenses related to the storm.
It is not the first time. During the same storm, SRSA secured a comparable award for several buildings at a center along Metairie Road, coordinating the replacement of nine roofs and a rebuild that resulted in a new facility. A similar amount was also awarded for properties the team managed at Doctor's Row in Metairie several years earlier.
What the Ida cases prove is that property management is a long-term relationship, not a service. Fast remediation and detailed documentation are not reactive. They are the result of ongoing preparation, deep familiarity with the property and the region, and a team committed enough to still be fighting for a client years after the storm passed.
SRSA's property management team brings that continuity, along with active involvement in industry organizations like IREM that keep the team connected to best practices and the professional networks that benefit clients when conditions get difficult. Celebrating 35 years in business, SRSA brings more to the table than day-to-day management. You are tapping into decades of Gulf South experience and a team invested in your property for the long haul.
No matter where you are in the process, there are steps you can take now to get ahead of storm season.
Questions about how SRSA's property management team can support your building or portfolio? Contact us here.
