F'in Homeowners Insurance!@! (VENT INSIDE)

[anti_shrub]

Okay, to set things up, I had a sewage problem in my house in May. There was all sorts of nasty things backed up on the cellar floor, which despite our best efforts got tracked into our basement game room and (to a lesser extent) the carpeting upstairs. I was given estimates on carpet replacment and cleaning of the game room (which needs professional cleaning) and the total ran to $4000. I sent the estimates to the adjuster for our homeowner's about 2 weeks after the inital claim.

This is where I start to get pissed off. First this adjuster made an appointment to survey the damage herself, but she never showed up. Didn't even call, she just left me there with my wang in my hands wondering how I was going to pay the guy who came to check to see if the furnace was damaged.

After not hearing from the adjuster for 2 weeks, I call to make sure she got the paperwork I sent, since we did have a problem with the mail in my area. I left a message of course, because she NEVER EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVER answers her phone, its always "leave a message and I'll call back whenever". She finally calls back today and informs us that it looks like they'll only be paying about $500 for the claim.

What. The. Fuck.

This lady who couldn't even be bothered to come by and LOOK at the mess decides that it wasn't that bad after all. She doesn't have to deal with the lingering funk smell in the game room, or the ruined carpet, or the worry that comes with having cats who had to manuver around sewage and then come upstairs and sleep in your bed.

So apparently she's going to stop by, of course that is if she feels like it.

Here's the kicker: she tried to defend herself by saying that tracking sewage is no different than tracking in rain or snow.

:shrug:

So does anyone know what my options are if this lady wants to play hardball?

[molly]

1. Call your insurance commissioner

[GOPisEvil]

2. That, or have your attorney call her...

...even if you have a friend who is an attorney, not necessarily working for you. Just having an attorney call might get their attention.

[JCMach1]

3. I agree on the attorney!!!

Get one right away...

[brokensymmetry]

6. Molly is right!

Contact your state insurance board and file a complaint. As part of the complaint, specify that you want their offer of settlement in writing, along with the reasons, referenced to your policy. Be sure to include a complaint about the adjuster's failure to look at the damage.

It may not get you more money, but it's a great way to get the insurance company's attention!

[The White Rose]

4. First check your policy.

Look for a section called "appraisal condition" or "arbitration" which should tell you the process you have to go through if you disagree with the insurance company's damage assessment. Usually, both you and they pay for an appraiser each and share the cost of a neutral third party, the three appraisers examine the claim, and if any two of them agree to an award that's what you get. Since there's a substantial difference between their assessment and yours it might be worth it.

Another option might be to hire a public adjuster, whose job it is to go through your claim and make sure your get everything you're owed (the opposite of the insurer's claims adjuster). The downside is that they usually work on a contingency fee basis, so you'll still lose out to some extent.

Otherwise, as long as you've upheld your side of the bargain (i.e. told the truth on your application and paid your premiums up to date), if you think the insurer is in breach of contract you can sue. Check the section of your policy called "suit against insurer" or "legal actions" for more details.

Unless there have been a lot of complaints against your insurance company, I wouldn't expect much help from your Insurance Commissioner. Doesn't hurt to give them a heads-up anyway if you still end up shafted.

Hope this helps somewhat.

Rich

[geniph]

5. Well, if you were standing there with your wang in your hand

no wonder she didn't show up! She thought your house had been invaded by willy-waggers!

But seriously, your policy should have provisions requiring some kind of in-person damage appraisal and procedures for disputing an adjustment.

[radwriter0555]

7. I don't believe you have a case. That you freely admit the damage

was caused by humans is the biggest problem. From the standpoint of the insurance co, you had the ability and the power to prevent damage to the carpets, by laying down some sort of a barrier or surface to walk on while repairing the sewage problems, and also by, in some perceived manner, dealing differently with the cats.

That will be their position, and it's a tough one to challenge. This is why she's not being speedy in coming out. No offense, but you have no case really. This isn't MY opinion, but this is how these things work. You have to put yourself in the position of the insurance cos, whose business it is to not pay you unless they absolutely must.

Their position is that you had control over tracking sewage onto your carpet. Now if it had literally leaked and seeped into or onto your carpets, you'd have a genuine and probably coverable case.

$4000 is a lot to clean carpets, the estimate sounds far too high, and for that price, you should get new carpets actually.

Before you do that, I suggest you rent a carpet cleaner for a weekend at $20 a day and give it a shot yourself. I'm suggesting the type of cleaner you rent at the supermarket or hardware store, up next to the front door. Those machines ROCK and will suck your toes off. HOWEVER, do NOT use the crap shampoos they try to sell you. Instead, buy a gallon size bottle of Orange Cleaner or the equivelent of Mr. Clean. Use a capful per machine fill. Test a corner first, you've got nothing to lose.

My guess is that a few passes and some elbow grease will clean your carpets just fine. Learn to use the machine, and you will have to refill the tank a LOT, about every 10 square feet to do a REALLY good job of cleaning and disinfecting, and deodorizing.

So I believe rather than wasting your time trying to get new carpet out of an organization that won't do it, spend $50 and clean your carpet yourselves. I bet you can get another 5 years out of it if you give it a good shot.

BTW, I cleaned my light beige carpets MONTHLY with this method for years, and was amazingly successful, in spite of 2 dogs and a toddler/kid. My carpet were SPOTLESS and the house always smelled clean. The cleaning solution is fine on standard quality carpets.

I suggest that on the day you do this, choose a warm, dry day, start VERY early and put in a couple of fans to speed up the drying time on the carpets after you've finished.

Let me know how it works out.