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Post by eebud on May 21, 2015 1:15:59 GMT
True. But why is it that had I not sent in pictures, they would never have cared what my chimney looks like? We keep our home in good repair and freshly painted, maintained, etc. If the chimney is damaged, it's not really in good repair, is it? Insurance companies don't care about fresh paint. Yes, it sucks that you were the one to bring it to their attention! Exactly! If you don't repair the chimney, you are risking major damage that will be a large insurance claim. Sorry, but I am on the insurance companies side on this. You might be the one that provided the photo but now that they know, they want it repaired. If you get a new insurance company, there is a good possibility that the agent will come out and take photos and they will also want it fixed. This sounds like house maintenance that you are responsible for.
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Post by txdancermom on May 21, 2015 1:24:27 GMT
Appeal the denial - search your state's website for the insurance department, it should give you info on how to appeal a denial of claim. Your policy should also.
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Post by crazy4scraps on May 21, 2015 2:56:41 GMT
That's a huge bummer. I hope you can get a satisfactory resolution.
There was a storm at our hunting place several years ago. A tree limb fell and went right through the roof of the shed/garage. We took pics and the adjuster came out. He wanted to climb up and look at it, and DH wouldn't let him because the whole structure had shifted and it was obviously not safe. The insurance company denied the claim. We appealed because COME ON, there was a freaking 18" diameter HOLE in the roof that wasn't there before! The shed was old, but it was sound and straight prior to the storm and the tree falling on it. Afterward, we couldn't even open or close the door because the whole thing was crooked. Needless to say, when the second adjuster came out and looked at it the claim was approved on the spot and we actually got more than we thought we would to replace it.
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Deleted
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May 17, 2024 23:22:49 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2015 3:28:29 GMT
I will probably get flamed for saying this but, I honestly think that home insurance is one of the biggest money scam going. They love taking your money as long as you don't put in a claim. And, if you have the gall to put in a claim, they will find some excuse in the 20+ pages of exemptions not to pay. OK, flame away...... I'm not picking on you, because there are plenty of others in this thread with this exact sentiment.
We've had big claims. A flood in the basement. A damaged roof from a hail storm. We've been involved in an accident (struck from behind)
We've NEVER had to refile a claim or deal with bullshit. We've never had the company refuse to pay or give us any kind of run around whatsoever.
We've never been non-renewed for claims nor have we had excessive rate increases.
I honestly believe many peaple here don't really understand what they're talking about and it's all too easy to blame the insurance company. (with that said, I worked for an insurance company the first few years of our marriage and I LOVED that job)
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Deleted
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May 17, 2024 23:22:49 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2015 3:31:57 GMT
That's a huge bummer. I hope you can get a satisfactory resolution. There was a storm at our hunting place several years ago. A tree limb fell and went right through the roof of the shed/garage. We took pics and the adjuster came out. He wanted to climb up and look at it, and DH wouldn't let him because the whole structure had shifted and it was obviously not safe. The insurance company denied the claim. We appealed because COME ON, there was a freaking 18" diameter HOLE in the roof that wasn't there before! The shed was old, but it was sound and straight prior to the storm and the tree falling on it. Afterward, we couldn't even open or close the door because the whole thing was crooked. Needless to say, when the second adjuster came out and looked at it the claim was approved on the spot and we actually got more than we thought we would to replace it. If you deny them access, how else should they handle the claim? Do you not think they know what's dangerous? Don't you think it's up to them to determine what's safe for them? This is what they do every day. Adjustors are climbing up to inspect damaged roofs each and every day.
If they made a habit of paying claims of insureds that don't cooperate with the claims process and the inspection of insured property, how often do you think they're going to get lied to and then there won't be any money available to people with real claims that adjustors are able to inspect and clearly see?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2015 10:17:36 GMT
I'm confused as to why they would raise your premium even though they denied your claim. I could understand if they paid out several claims, but after denying?
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CeeScraps
Pearl Clutcher
~~occupied entertaining my brain~~
Posts: 3,827
Jun 26, 2014 12:56:40 GMT
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Post by CeeScraps on May 21, 2015 10:35:27 GMT
If the chimney is from storm damage file a claim and see if they will cover it. Your original claim was for your roof, not the chimney.
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gsquaredmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,078
Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on May 21, 2015 10:44:55 GMT
I'm confused as to why they would raise your premium even though they denied your claim. I could understand if they paid out several claims, but after denying? If you file a claim once, you are more likely to file again and cost them money. It's not just about claims paid but also claims filed, even if not paid out. Higher risk in general.
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Post by anxiousmom on May 21, 2015 11:34:40 GMT
I live in hurricane central. There was a time where I paid the insurance and went about my day without really paying a lot of attention to the ins and outs of what was covered or not.
After a spate of hurricanes back to back, I started reading the policy and learning more...and goodness, what they cover and don't cover is so complicated. And half of what you think should be covered, isn't because you have to have a specific rider to add that coverage-that may or may not cover all the damage from the storm. For example, I have to have a hurricane rider with a separate deductible that is a percentage of the value of the house rather than the deductible that applies to the rest of my policy making it higher than the normal one. And from what I can tell, even within that rider, there is some storm damage that isn't covered. It is crazy.
I try to understand it best I can. But honestly, I think sometimes only someone who has studied the field and does so day in and day out can really comprehend the intricacies of what is covered and what isn't.
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blue tulip
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,986
Jun 25, 2014 20:53:57 GMT
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Post by blue tulip on May 21, 2015 11:39:55 GMT
I will probably get flamed for saying this but, I honestly think that home insurance is one of the biggest money scam going. They love taking your money as long as you don't put in a claim. And, if you have the gall to put in a claim, they will find some excuse in the 20+ pages of exemptions not to pay. OK, flame away...... I'm not picking on you, because there are plenty of others in this thread with this exact sentiment.
We've had big claims. A flood in the basement. A damaged roof from a hail storm. We've been involved in an accident (struck from behind)
We've NEVER had to refile a claim or deal with bullshit. We've never had the company refuse to pay or give us any kind of run around whatsoever.
We've never been non-renewed for claims nor have we had excessive rate increases.
I honestly believe many peaple here don't really understand what they're talking about and it's all too easy to blame the insurance company. (with that said, I worked for an insurance company the first few years of our marriage and I LOVED that job)
curious, what insurance company do you use? it sounds like a good one!
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peppermintpatty
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Refupea #1345
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Jun 26, 2014 17:47:08 GMT
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Post by peppermintpatty on May 21, 2015 12:16:45 GMT
Exactly what was damaged? If you have some shingles missing and some minor work on the chimney, I don't understand why anyone would contact their insurance company The only way I would call them is if a tree fell into my house and seriously damaged the structure. I always love the posts about the person who filed a claim because they spilled paint on the carpet.
We have replaced our roof and relined our chimney because they needed it. It cost more than our deductible but no way we would have filed the claim. Normal wear and tear on our house. Is the insurance company saying that the damage was not due to the storm but to normal wear and tear?
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peppermintpatty
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Refupea #1345
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Jun 26, 2014 17:47:08 GMT
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Post by peppermintpatty on May 21, 2015 12:21:04 GMT
If the chimney is damaged, it's not really in good repair, is it? Insurance companies don't care about fresh paint. Yes, it sucks that you were the one to bring it to their attention! Exactly! If you don't repair the chimney, you are risking major damage that will be a large insurance claim. Sorry, but I am on the insurance companies side on this. You might be the one that provided the photo but now that they know, they want it repaired. If you get a new insurance company, there is a good possibility that the agent will come out and take photos and they will also want it fixed. This sounds like house maintenance that you are responsible for. They will. We kept our policy with Travelers but changed agents. They sent someone out to inspect the entire property. They said this is a normal procedure now and will become more and more commonplace. They don't care how nicely painted your house it, they want to know that structurally it is sound.
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Deleted
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May 17, 2024 23:22:49 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2015 14:07:13 GMT
I'm confused as to why they would raise your premium even though they denied your claim. I could understand if they paid out several claims, but after denying? If you file a claim once, you are more likely to file again and cost them money. It's not just about claims paid but also claims filed, even if not paid out. Higher risk in general. Ahhh, makes sense.
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Deleted
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May 17, 2024 23:22:49 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2015 14:07:48 GMT
I live in hurricane central. There was a time where I paid the insurance and went about my day without really paying a lot of attention to the ins and outs of what was covered or not. After a spate of hurricanes back to back, I started reading the policy and learning more...and goodness, what they cover and don't cover is so complicated. And half of what you think should be covered, isn't because you have to have a specific rider to add that coverage-that may or may not cover all the damage from the storm. For example, I have to have a hurricane rider with a separate deductible that is a percentage of the value of the house rather than the deductible that applies to the rest of my policy making it higher than the normal one. And from what I can tell, even within that rider, there is some storm damage that isn't covered. It is crazy.I try to understand it best I can. But honestly, I think sometimes only someone who has studied the field and does so day in and day out can really comprehend the intricacies of what is covered and what isn't. Just reading that is making my head spin, lol.
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Post by crazy4scraps on May 21, 2015 14:07:52 GMT
That's a huge bummer. I hope you can get a satisfactory resolution. There was a storm at our hunting place several years ago. A tree limb fell and went right through the roof of the shed/garage. We took pics and the adjuster came out. He wanted to climb up and look at it, and DH wouldn't let him because the whole structure had shifted and it was obviously not safe. The insurance company denied the claim. We appealed because COME ON, there was a freaking 18" diameter HOLE in the roof that wasn't there before! The shed was old, but it was sound and straight prior to the storm and the tree falling on it. Afterward, we couldn't even open or close the door because the whole thing was crooked. Needless to say, when the second adjuster came out and looked at it the claim was approved on the spot and we actually got more than we thought we would to replace it. If you deny them access, how else should they handle the claim? Do you not think they know what's dangerous? Don't you think it's up to them to determine what's safe for them? This is what they do every day. Adjustors are climbing up to inspect damaged roofs each and every day.
If they made a habit of paying claims of insureds that don't cooperate with the claims process and the inspection of insured property, how often do you think they're going to get lied to and then there won't be any money available to people with real claims that adjustors are able to inspect and clearly see?
You could see the sky through the hole from the inside, there was a tree limb going through it. You could see the other broken end of the limb from the ground. The whole shed was visibly skewed which you could see from the outside and it wasn't like that previously (we had before pics from when we bought the place to compare). The dude could go inside (DH opened the door and couldn't get it all the way closed again) or he could climb on a step ladder and look (which he did) but it seemed crazy to want to go up on top when the thing was obviously leaning already with the weight of the big limb on it. I wouldn't call that denying access. And like I said in my post, there was a HUGE FREAKING TREE LIMB going through the roof. We most definitely weren't lying. You couldn't miss it.
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styxgirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,875
Jun 27, 2014 4:51:44 GMT
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Post by styxgirl on May 21, 2015 14:47:55 GMT
Oh, I would be mad!
They denied the repairs ... Why?
If they are claiming there is damage from the storm, then they should have to fix the damage shown in the photos.
If they denied the repairs due to normal wear and tear on your house and say it wasn't because of the storm, I could see them requiring that you fix the issue, but then there should be no reason for your deductible to go up.
Ohhhhh, I would be MAD!!!
Hope it works out for you. I would be shopping for another company!
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Post by anxiousmom on May 21, 2015 15:00:54 GMT
I live in hurricane central. There was a time where I paid the insurance and went about my day without really paying a lot of attention to the ins and outs of what was covered or not. After a spate of hurricanes back to back, I started reading the policy and learning more...and goodness, what they cover and don't cover is so complicated. And half of what you think should be covered, isn't because you have to have a specific rider to add that coverage-that may or may not cover all the damage from the storm. For example, I have to have a hurricane rider with a separate deductible that is a percentage of the value of the house rather than the deductible that applies to the rest of my policy making it higher than the normal one. And from what I can tell, even within that rider, there is some storm damage that isn't covered. It is crazy.I try to understand it best I can. But honestly, I think sometimes only someone who has studied the field and does so day in and day out can really comprehend the intricacies of what is covered and what isn't. Just reading that is making my head spin, lol. Mine too. Coincidentally, I must has Beetlejuiced the insurance company because I got my renewal notice today. My hurricane deductible is 4 times the amount of my regular deductible. Four times. And if a sink hole opens up in my back yard and swallows my house? No coverage. I would need a separate rider for that. Crazy. Right?
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Deleted
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May 17, 2024 23:22:49 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2015 15:02:13 GMT
I'm not picking on you, because there are plenty of others in this thread with this exact sentiment.
We've had big claims. A flood in the basement. A damaged roof from a hail storm. We've been involved in an accident (struck from behind)
We've NEVER had to refile a claim or deal with bullshit. We've never had the company refuse to pay or give us any kind of run around whatsoever.
We've never been non-renewed for claims nor have we had excessive rate increases.
I honestly believe many peaple here don't really understand what they're talking about and it's all too easy to blame the insurance company. (with that said, I worked for an insurance company the first few years of our marriage and I LOVED that job)
curious, what insurance company do you use? it sounds like a good one!
USAA
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Deleted
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May 17, 2024 23:22:49 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2015 15:07:21 GMT
Just reading that is making my head spin, lol. Mine too. Coincidentally, I must has Beetlejuiced the insurance company because I got my renewal notice today. My hurricane deductible is 4 times the amount of my regular deductible. Four times. And if a sink hole opens up in my back yard and swallows my house? No coverage. I would need a separate rider for that. Crazy. Right? Holy crap! I think I'll stop complaining about our insurance rates and deductibles.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 17, 2024 23:22:49 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2015 15:08:20 GMT
If you deny them access, how else should they handle the claim? Do you not think they know what's dangerous? Don't you think it's up to them to determine what's safe for them? This is what they do every day. Adjustors are climbing up to inspect damaged roofs each and every day.
If they made a habit of paying claims of insureds that don't cooperate with the claims process and the inspection of insured property, how often do you think they're going to get lied to and then there won't be any money available to people with real claims that adjustors are able to inspect and clearly see?
You could see the sky through the hole from the inside, there was a tree limb going through it. You could see the other broken end of the limb from the ground. The whole shed was visibly skewed which you could see from the outside and it wasn't like that previously (we had before pics from when we bought the place to compare). The dude could go inside (DH opened the door and couldn't get it all the way closed again) or he could climb on a step ladder and look (which he did) but it seemed crazy to want to go up on top when the thing was obviously leaning already with the weight of the big limb on it. I wouldn't call that denying access.
And like I said in my post, there was a HUGE FREAKING TREE LIMB going through the roof. We most definitely weren't lying. You couldn't miss it. I never said YOU were lying about the tree limb. But you must admit that it's not unreasonable that an insurance company on the hook to pay has the RIGHT to inspect said property, right? Perhaps due to state regulations, there MUST be black and white and no room for gray in regards to physically inspecting damage. Can you imagine the bullshit that would happen if they could randomly make the determination that they either did or did not have to make an inspection? You're expecting them to pay but you denied them access to inspect. Like I said adjustors climb up on roofs and inspect damaged homes, roofs etc each and every day. You should've allowed him to make the determination on whether or not he was going to risk climbing up. After all, if he gets hurt and falls, he is the insurance company...it's not like he can sue you. And yes, if you're the one that made the decision to not allow him up there for whatever reason (even if it's a good reason) you did deny them access.
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Deleted
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May 17, 2024 23:22:49 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2015 15:17:23 GMT
Just reading that is making my head spin, lol. Mine too. Coincidentally, I must has Beetlejuiced the insurance company because I got my renewal notice today. My hurricane deductible is 4 times the amount of my regular deductible. Four times. And if a sink hole opens up in my back yard and swallows my house? No coverage. I would need a separate rider for that. Crazy. Right? But FL has these riders because they get hit with such huge losses. If they increased everyone's premiums to cover hurricanes and sinkholes, then NO ONE would be able to afford insurance at all. And in reality, why should someone inland pay the same amount of money as someone 25 ft from the surf? (and yes, I understand that hurricanes cause tons of damage inland as well)
It's all about the risk and you have to decide what risks you're willing to pay to insure against.
I think it was OP that also talked about her deductible going up. This may very well have absolutely nothing to do with her making a claim or her chimney being in disrepair. I worked in the industry (when I lived in FL...although we wrote business across the nation) and even 25-30 yrs ago, companies scoffed at low deductibles. Underwriters would tell agents that they'd take a piece of business, but the deductible would have to be increased. And it's not like you're not going to benefit from an increased deductible...because your premiums are lower.
Every state has weird state regulations. Oh how I remember Texas auto and their "Assigned Risk" program. Hated that with a passion. California and earthquakes and fire...yep...we dealt with "special deductibles" for them as well. Want to talk about flood insurance and the different ways your home can flood and when it is and is not covered under your standard policy?
Insurance companies are not the devil.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 17, 2024 23:22:49 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2015 15:22:43 GMT
If you file a claim once, you are more likely to file again and cost them money. It's not just about claims paid but also claims filed, even if not paid out. Higher risk in general. Ahhh, makes sense. Rates increase. Usually every year. Insurance companies file these rate changes with the state and are approved by the state. You don't pay a higher rate across the board if you have claims. You could very well pay a surcharged rate if the company wants to willy nilly charge you more because you had a claim history. But it's not just tacked on and hidden somewhere. There would have to be an endorsement giving detail what the extra charge was for. They cannot make up rates for different people as they go along. They just cannot.
Higher risk would come into play if you're looking to get new insurance. The underwriter would want to know what kind of claims history you have and may at that point make the decision that they do not want your business.
My insurance goes up every year...but it has absolutely nothing to do with that fact that I've had some major claims. (new roof, flooded basement which meant new carpet, new walls, and of course the clean up...what a mess that was)
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Post by anxiousmom on May 21, 2015 15:30:28 GMT
But FL has these riders because they get hit with such huge losses. If they increased everyone's premiums to cover hurricanes and sinkholes, then NO ONE would be able to afford insurance at all. And in reality, why should someone inland pay the same amount of money as someone 25 ft from the surf? (and yes, I understand that hurricanes cause tons of damage inland as well)
It's all about the risk and you have to decide what risks you're willing to pay to insure against.
Oh, I hear what you are saying...and I understand the reasoning behind it. I may not like it, and I may complain like a crazy girl, but I get it. Insurance rates are so high along the coast that I know of a few people who have said screw the hurricane rider, they can rebuild an actual building for almost the same cost of the rider's deductible. Do people who live in areas that are prone to get fires or tornadoes have to get separate riders for those events?
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Deleted
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May 17, 2024 23:22:49 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2015 16:03:34 GMT
But FL has these riders because they get hit with such huge losses. If they increased everyone's premiums to cover hurricanes and sinkholes, then NO ONE would be able to afford insurance at all. And in reality, why should someone inland pay the same amount of money as someone 25 ft from the surf? (and yes, I understand that hurricanes cause tons of damage inland as well)
It's all about the risk and you have to decide what risks you're willing to pay to insure against.
Oh, I hear what you are saying...and I understand the reasoning behind it. I may not like it, and I may complain like a crazy girl, but I get it. Insurance rates are so high along the coast that I know of a few people who have said screw the hurricane rider, they can rebuild an actual building for almost the same cost of the rider's deductible. Do people who live in areas that are prone to get fires or tornadoes have to get separate riders for those events? No for tornadoes not sure with fires. Not all insurance companies are wonderful though. I've had issues getting true claims covered due to a storm. It isn't always so cut and dry.
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~Susan~
Pearl Clutcher
You need to check your boobs, mine tried to kill me!!!
Posts: 3,258
Jul 6, 2014 17:25:32 GMT
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Post by ~Susan~ on May 21, 2015 16:15:25 GMT
We have to have a separate rider for earthquakes since we live so close to a fault line. I cuss every time I pay it (almost half of our normal house insurance), but I know that we wouldn't be covered otherwise.
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MerryMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,539
Jul 24, 2014 19:51:57 GMT
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Post by MerryMom on May 21, 2015 17:22:35 GMT
I kind of feel like the "whole story" has come out in installments since the first post. The insinuation as how unreasonable the company was being from the first post, once all the facts were finally relayed, has really changed. The insurance company's request now appears reasonable.
You can appeal the denial of the roof shingle damage. I am not sure how much damage there was to your shingles from a storm or hail. We've been through a bad hail storm and had some shingles damaged. The cost to replace the shingles was less than our deductible so my husband replaced them. Our neighbor helped him and my husband helped our neighbor with his.
If during the inspection of your claim, the insurance adjuster noticed that your chimney was not in good repair, then the insurance company can request that you make the necessary repairs in order to maintain coverage. You agree to keep your home in good repair (paint doesn't equal good repair) in order to avoid more damage down the down that the insurance company would have to pay.
Honestly, it must have been something major with your chimney if the adjuster noticed it. What did the adjuster say was in need of repair? Chimneys are prone to leaking into the house if the flashing isn't in good repair, then you have water damage to your ceilings. You submit a claim and the others with coverage through the same company have their rates raised because you don't make needed repairs to your chimney? Make the needed repairs, you'll avoid the inevitable damage to your home. With water damage, you can lose precious items such as pictures or even clothing from the water damage.
Trust me, you don't want to have it on record that an insurance company cancelled your insurance.
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Post by eebud on May 21, 2015 19:48:57 GMT
But FL has these riders because they get hit with such huge losses. If they increased everyone's premiums to cover hurricanes and sinkholes, then NO ONE would be able to afford insurance at all. And in reality, why should someone inland pay the same amount of money as someone 25 ft from the surf? (and yes, I understand that hurricanes cause tons of damage inland as well)
It's all about the risk and you have to decide what risks you're willing to pay to insure against.
Oh, I hear what you are saying...and I understand the reasoning behind it. I may not like it, and I may complain like a crazy girl, but I get it. Insurance rates are so high along the coast that I know of a few people who have said screw the hurricane rider, they can rebuild an actual building for almost the same cost of the rider's deductible. Do people who live in areas that are prone to get fires or tornadoes have to get separate riders for those events?I live in Texas. We had tornadoes in the area yesterday. Luckily, most tornadoes are not huge tornadoes so those in the direct path have it bad but you can be fairly close and only know that there has been a big storm. I have been hit by a tornado once...........1978 when I lived in Louisiana. (knock on wood), I have never been hit or had damage from a tornado in Texas even though they have been all around me many, many times. I have had a roof totaled due to hail. A hail storm hit my neighborhood and every house in the neighborhood had a totaled roof. I have neighbor's whose insurance company told them they were not going to send anyone out to just call a roofing company because they already knew the roof was totaled...........As for riders, there are some things we have to get a rider for if we want to be covered but tornadoes is not one of them. However, they also require me to carry a higher deductible than I used to carry. My deductible is 1% of what the house is insured for; therefore, I would not be calling because some shingles need to be replaced. That wouldn't come close to meeting the deductible. I would call if my roof was totaled due to hail. I get a discount because I put a hail resistant roof on my house after our roof was totaled. Of course, we paid the extra to do this.
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Kerri W
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,769
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Jun 25, 2014 20:31:44 GMT
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Post by Kerri W on May 21, 2015 19:49:43 GMT
I kind of feel like the "whole story" has come out in installments since the first post. The insinuation as how unreasonable the company was being from the first post, once all the facts were finally relayed, has really changed. The insurance company's request now appears reasonable. I don't know if the OP just has poor communication skills or what, but this is par for the course. Call me the bitchy one I guess.
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Deleted
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May 17, 2024 23:22:49 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2015 23:19:14 GMT
Oh, I hear what you are saying...and I understand the reasoning behind it. I may not like it, and I may complain like a crazy girl, but I get it. Insurance rates are so high along the coast that I know of a few people who have said screw the hurricane rider, they can rebuild an actual building for almost the same cost of the rider's deductible. Do people who live in areas that are prone to get fires or tornadoes have to get separate riders for those events?I live in Texas. We had tornadoes in the area yesterday. Luckily, most tornadoes are not huge tornadoes so those in the direct path have it bad but you can be fairly close and only know that there has been a big storm. I have been hit by a tornado once...........1978 when I lived in Louisiana. (knock on wood), I have never been hit or had damage from a tornado in Texas even though they have been all around me many, many times. I have had a roof totaled due to hail. A hail storm hit my neighborhood and every house in the neighborhood had a totaled roof. I have neighbor's whose insurance company told them they were not going to send anyone out to just call a roofing company because they already knew the roof was totaled...........As for riders, there are some things we have to get a rider for if we want to be covered but tornadoes is not one of them. However, they also require me to carry a higher deductible than I used to carry. My deductible is 1% of what the house is insured for; therefore, I would not be calling because some shingles need to be replaced. That wouldn't come close to meeting the deductible. I would call if my roof was totaled due to hail. I get a discount because I put a hail resistant roof on my house after our roof was totaled. Of course, we paid the extra to do this. I was curious about tornadoes so I asked my Mom who lives in Edmond if she knew anything about her coverage, if she has riders etc. She had absolutely no clue. I googled and was not able to find any evidence that in the heart of tornado alley, that an added rider would be necessary for coverage. Part of me wants to call USAA and just ask about it...but that may seem strange to them and as much as I love dealing with them, I'm pretty sure they're not going to discuss it with me just "for my information because I'm curious".
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Post by eebud on May 21, 2015 23:33:50 GMT
I live in Texas. We had tornadoes in the area yesterday. Luckily, most tornadoes are not huge tornadoes so those in the direct path have it bad but you can be fairly close and only know that there has been a big storm. I have been hit by a tornado once...........1978 when I lived in Louisiana. (knock on wood), I have never been hit or had damage from a tornado in Texas even though they have been all around me many, many times. I have had a roof totaled due to hail. A hail storm hit my neighborhood and every house in the neighborhood had a totaled roof. I have neighbor's whose insurance company told them they were not going to send anyone out to just call a roofing company because they already knew the roof was totaled...........As for riders, there are some things we have to get a rider for if we want to be covered but tornadoes is not one of them. However, they also require me to carry a higher deductible than I used to carry. My deductible is 1% of what the house is insured for; therefore, I would not be calling because some shingles need to be replaced. That wouldn't come close to meeting the deductible. I would call if my roof was totaled due to hail. I get a discount because I put a hail resistant roof on my house after our roof was totaled. Of course, we paid the extra to do this. I was curious about tornadoes so I asked my Mom who lives in Edmond if she knew anything about her coverage, if she has riders etc. She had absolutely no clue. I googled and was not able to find any evidence that in the heart of tornado alley, that an added rider would be necessary for coverage. Part of me wants to call USAA and just ask about it...but that may seem strange to them and as much as I love dealing with them, I'm pretty sure they're not going to discuss it with me just "for my information because I'm curious". I do have a "Water Damage" Endorsement. This could be somewhat related to tornadoes I think since there is usually a lot of water with them. But, I think that also covers busted pipes and the damage they cause. It looks like there is some sort of "Windstorm or Hail Exclusion Agreement Endorsement" that is available but I don't have it. I happen to have my renewal sitting in front of me since it arrived yesterday. LOL That exclusion is in a comment section that is talking about roofing materials. I even added an earthquake rider to my policy this past year. There have been a lot of small earthquakes in the area. It is only $100 a year and I decided that was worth the peace of mind, even though I will probably never use it. I have a 2% deductible for earthquakes. I am definitely covered for Wind and Hail without any special rider. It does show what my deductible is for wind & hail...........wind would be the tornadoes. I hope I never need to make a wind claim. Getting hit by one tornado in my lifetime is plenty. LOL
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