NFIP Address Discrepancy

Miscalculation of Effective Dates is the most common type of error committed in NFIP Underwriting, but Address Discrepancies are a close second.

Identifying Discrepancies

An address discrepancy exists when a site address does not match the property address on an NFIP policy or application. All discrepancies must be resolved, otherwise they are a potential FEMA audit finding.

The table below describes when an address mismatch is considered a discrepancy, including the explanation of why.

Address 1	Address 2	Discrepancy	Explanation
123 Main Ave	123 Main St	Yes	Different suffixes are not considered the same location
123 Main	123 Main St	No	A missing suffix does not change the location
123 5th Ave	123 5th	No	A missing suffix does not change the location
123 N Main	123 S Main	Yes	Different directional prefixes are not considered the same location
123 Main N	123 N Main	No	Rearranged directional indicators do not change the location
123 W 5th Street	123 5th St W	No	Rearranged suffixes or directional indicators do not change the location
123 W 5th Ave Unit 30	123 W 5th Ave Unit 3	Yes	Requires resolution: confirm if the insured moved locations or if the policy was always intended for Unit 30
123 W 5th Suite #1	123 W 5th Apt #1	No	"Suite" and "Apt" are interchangeable labels for the same address

Resolving Discrepancies

After a property address discrepancy has been identified, it must be resolved.

The goal is prove that the property address on the policy identifies the same location and structure as found on the document that contains the discrepancy. To do this, you must find an output (such as a screenshot or downloaded PDF) from the online databases that connects the property address to the site address and upload it to the policy documents.

In the image above, the property address mismatch on the Elevation Certificate can be resolved by matching the legal address on the EC to the Property Card, which shows the same property address as the policy.

Methods of Resolution

You can use one of two online databases depending on the type of discrepancy, or in rare instances, the written statement from the agent.

Database	Resolution Type
United States Postal Service	Used for resolving general address discrepancies, may not be available for new construction or recent first responder (911) updates
Public Records	Property details are available for most counties in all states; property cards can be used to resolve street address or legal address discrepancies
Agent Statement	The NFIP allows an agent statement that the property address is one and the same as the site address; however, this may create E&O exposures.

United States Postal Service

A screenshot or printed page from the USPS Zip Code Lookup utility is acceptable to match property address discrepancies, so long as they are contained within the database listings. New construction or recent 911 address updates may not be present.

USPS Zip Code Lookup

This utility is found in the upper left toolbar on the United States Postal Service (USPS) website.

• Select "Quick Tools"
• From the dropdown menu, choose "Look Up a ZIP Code"

There are three options depending on what you need to resolve.

	Find by Address	Find by City & State	Find Cities by ZIP
Mismatch Type	Street Address	ZIP Code	City Name
Input	Street Address from the Document	City and State from the Document	ZIP Code from the Document
Resolved When:	The street address returned matches the address on the policy	One of the ZIP Codes returned matches the ZIP Code on the policy	One of the City Names returned matches the City Name on the policy

Public Records

NETR Online catalogs all the online public records libraries across the country by county. Most legal documents can be found here, including real property deeds and taxation records.

NETROnline

Find the "Public Records" link at the top of the page.

The next page shows a variety of search methods.

• You may either use the map to click in the state you need to search, or
• You can select the state name from the drop-down menu, or
• You may need to click the "View More" options; these list the states in alphabetical order.
• After locating the correct state, choose the county name from one of two locations.
• After choosing the county, the next page shows a list of different departments. These must be searched to find the address information you need.

More information can be found on the Public Records page in the Underwriting Hub.

Policy Changes

Property address resolution is not the same as a Policy Change to the property address. Resolution is used to avoid changes or corrections to the policy's property address. If resolution cannot be achieved, then the address might need one of the following actions.

• If the discrepancy reflects a change in location, this may result in a new policy being written.
• If the discrepancy is a correction to existing information, update the Policy Record to reflect the correct details.

Additional References

• USPS Address Standardization