[seeker1950]

Since I've had two incidents now of damage due to the bad weather, I called my State Farm company today. I have $1,000 deductible, but since I had water damage to my sunroom after the extreme cold and freeze/thaw, and now this tree falling into the neighbor's yard, tearing up my privacy fence, I'd call and try to get some help. The agent informed me that these are "two separate claims" and the $1,000 applied separately to each one. I have always thought the deductible meant it accummulated from separate claims....Not so! Also, I informed her that the huge tree which fell into the neighbor's yard did not hit any buildings to do structural damage, only to my fence. She said if it HAD hit a house or garage, etc., they would not pay it, since that was considered an "act of God." Another teacher at my school has huge damage, like $20,000+ from a carport flying into their home and vehicle, and they are being told the same thing..."act of God."
I am wondering what good the insurance is if they don't cover such things.
Also, trying not to get stressed by all of this.
Patty

[chalmette70043]

It does piss you off seeker. Especially State Farm and Alstate. I can tell you from experience they are going to try and screw you as much as they can. After Katrina, we all went through the same thing. Homeowners insurance would not pay a penny becuase they said there was no wind damage. Uhhh, the first thing that hits you in a storm is the wind. Then they tell us that they would only cover above the water level. Well the water level reached the eaves of the house.

My suggestion to you is to continue calling them and demanding they pay. Make yourself a nuisance. Why have you been paying insurnace for all these years then? For them to tell you they dont cover it. Bullcrap. Theres a loophole everywhere and you and your neighbors need to come together and fight it as one. Make it known through the media, newspaper. Draw attention.

Don't give up.

[seeker1950]

Chalmette, hunny, I actually thought of you as I was posting this thread.
I've already taken out one loan from my credit union for the water damage repair, and now I expect to have to go back to them to up the loan for the tree removal and fence repair. I am thinking at this point it would be best to sell the damn house and rent an apartment. I have had so much distress from all this damage. Yes, the insurance companies are not living up to their promises.
Patty

[AAAAA]

OMG Patty I would be so floored! We've only had state farm for a year, we had west bend for years because they were the only ones that would carry us when we had the Rott. Thanks very much for posting this thread, my agent is going to get a phone call on Monday, these types of things are exactly what we have house insurance for!

[seeker1950]

AAAA,
I intend to change home owners insurance after all this work is done. I don't expect to receive any money from State Farm but I will see what the cost is before changing and reporting it to them. I had always stayed with State Farm because I thought they were good about helping. Not so. I have my car insurance thru AARP Hartford, which saved me a lot of money. Prior to that my auto insurance was also with State Farm. I plan to contact AARP to change over to their insurance for the house as well. I am thinking it doesen't matter who one has insurance with and so i'll go for a cheaper rate. My teacher friend has her insurance with Liberty Mutual, and they are taking the same "act of God" stance on the huge damage they've sustained.
Patty

[AAAAA]

A few years ago we had a HUGE pine tree come down after a tornado. The tornado itself did not touch down here, but it was the surrounding weather. The tree was diseased but showed no outward signs. Anyway we were very lucky it managed to fall across the street at a perfect angle so that the top bough ended up in our neighbor's garage.

West Bend would have covered any damage to our house or the neighbors. When we called our agent he misunderstood what we told him and thought that it fell through our house to our garage. When he finally understood what we were saying they sent someone across the street to make sure that there was no damage to their property, they also paid to have the tree cut up and removed.

Two seperate co-workers who also had West Bend have had trees do extensive damage to their house and it was completely covered. One was that same tornado that took our tree down and the other had one come down during an major ice storm.

[eskielover]

I was angry with Allstate starting with last year when the wouldn't cover my water damage from the shower drain seal that was broken & flooded down my kitchen wall. By the time I found where the water damage was coming from the whole wall in my kitchen was damaged along with the floor....it went all the way from my second floor ino the basement flooding....now I have mold all over it because they wouldn't repair the damage & I don't have the money to do it.

Then to top that off, I got a letter in the mail from Allstate telling me they weren't going to renew my auto insurance this January....????/why....if you have a claim within the 1st year of having insurance with them, they will either not renew, or cancel you. To start with, I have been with Allsate since 1975....so it wasn't my first year. Then they claimed the broken window when the jerk broke into my truck a year ago thanksgiving & then last summer, I didn't see the car parked in back of me & just barely dinged his bumper with the towing ball on the back of my truck ($600 bumper repair). Needless to say, my agent made sure they kept me on because I had been with them for so long....but even at that, it's something people need to fight....insurance companies are just all wrong!!!!

[seeker1950]

Today, I paid a tree removal company to cut up and remove the tree and uprooted stump from mine and the neighbor's yard. It cost me $500. Since my deductible is $1,000, there is no point in even filing the claim. The agent at State Farm also informed me regarding the water damage to my sun room floor, that they would only pay for the materials and not the labor to replace the floor.
Patty

[AAAAA]

You're going to wiggle your nose and it's going to repair itself? Again, thanks so much for this thread, our agent will get a call Monday. It sucks that you pay in for years and years and never make a claim, and when something happens and you do file a claim you discover that "it's not covered."

[eskielover]

I was angry one time after Allstate not covering a claim on water damage from that upstairs shower that left mold (which seems to happen overnight in the moisture here in KY) on my kitchen wall that was also completely damaged with the water.

When I told them I wanted to cancel, I found out what they really think our insurance is for.....first off, if you have a mortgage on the house, insurance is required.....I don't have a mortgage......so why have it......their only reason for having insurance is if your house burns down & need to be replaced...lol.....of course if it burns down because it's struck by lightning...that would be an "act of God" too. So if my house is blown away by tornado & isn't burnt down....it wouldn't be covered either.

Insurance is a racquet Actually, it's gambleing in a way.......but looking at paying $1000/year for homeowners insurance......for 30 years, I have still only paid $30,000 on insurance.....not close to the amount my house is worth

[seeker1950]

I agree, Eskie...It IS a racket!
Patty