Homeowner's ins. claims

[valb]

Have you ever made one and what was your experience with it?
We had high winds last night that blew our fence over on one
side (fence is actually leaning against the neighbor's house!) and
we want to fix it, but have some concerns over making a claim
and then just having a jump in our rates or something.

Neighbors aren't a problem at all (but they have 3 kids in college!)
and we only should have to pay half the cost... still going to be
thousands I think.

[Jax08]

We get a "free" claim because we've gone xx numbers of years without one. The next claim our rates would go up. I would pick your claims carefully.

[mistimp]

We made a claim in 2004. Three hurricanes in six weeks. We needed a new roof. They said they wouldn't cover removal of the giant oak tree that went down because it didn't hit the house. But the amount they gave for the roof was well over the estimates we got, so in the end it paid for the tree anyway. Our rates did not go up as a direct result of the claim, but have since more than doubled just because we live in Florida. At least we still have insurance (usaa), many of our friends with the big companies (that never even had a claim) have been dropped and now have none.

[Mrs.K]

Originally Posted by mistimp

We made a claim in 2004. Three hurricanes in six weeks. We needed a new roof. They said they wouldn't cover removal of the giant oak tree that went down because it didn't hit the house. But the amount they gave for the roof was well over the estimates we got, so in the end it paid for the tree anyway. Our rates did not go up as a direct result of the claim, but have since more than doubled just because we live in Florida. At least we still have insurance (usaa), many of our friends with the big companies (that never even had a claim) have been dropped and now have none.

How is that even possible that they can drop you only because of the area you live in?

[selzer]

Without homeowner's insurance, I will lose my house because I have a mortgage on it, and they deserve to be paid in the event something happens to the house. So I have to have homeowner's insurance. If I lose the insurance, can't risk that, I might have to give up my dogs to get insurance on it. Can't do that.

So when the tree fell and took out the utility pole and I had an electric wire down in my yard. I called my contractor, he got an electrician and between the pair, they put up a new pole, removed the tree, and I paid for it.

A leaking pipe has been spraying onto the new flooring in my study from underneath, making it mushy. I got the pipe fixed but the floor is mushy. It should be covered under home-owner's insurance, but I am petrified to make a claim.

I guess I figure the homeowner's insurance is to prevent a total loss, like a fire, so that I can replace the dwelling and still live. But the little things I try to just cover on my own. I know my brother made a claim due to a bursted pipe, and they paid, but then they canceled him.

[Mrs.K]

I dunno, Selzer. I'd rather pay a higher rate instead of dealing with the damage and mold, in the long run

[selzer]

yeah, well, I refinanced the house years ago, so a house I paid 29k for had a loan for 80k on it. I owe about 65k now. So I am buying insurance for 65k or 80k, not sure. But in any case, I am not worried about mold at this point. It was marine plywood, I put the flooring in. I have to tear it up and replace the plywood, and then put the flooring down again. I need to get the money together first.

If I can manage it without making a claim, I will. Especially with water damage, they like to cancel you.

My mom had a trans am though, and parked it next to the house. Big man-sized icicles fell and battered the t-tops. It was an 86 and it happened after 2000. They wanted to total it out, but mom begged, and they fixed it for her. I do not think the insurance canceled her.

[jocoyn]

Originally Posted by Mrs.K

How is that even possible that they can drop you only because of the area you live in?

State Farm did it to everyone in Florida

My parents had a policy for 30 years without a claim, had a standard concrete block house that had survived a number of hurricanes and were at a location that fared pretty well with hurricanes (Merritt Island between Cocoa and Cocoa Beach)

Poof. None of that mattered. The state had to actually create an insurance pool becuase of insurers backing out. Insurance is, at its heart, a money making business, not a way to spread out risk. JMO.

[Good_Karma]

We had a break in at a piece of land we owned before we built our house. About $800 worth of stuff was stolen from a storage shed. We had a $500 deductible, so we got $300 back. It was a pretty simple matter to submit the claim and get the check.

[arycrest]

I've had insurance since 1973 on the three homes I've owned over the years. My current rate is a a tad over 8 times what I paid for a larger, more valuable house I owned in MD ... I have never filed any type of claim, even during the hurricanes mentioned above (my handyman fixed the extensive roof damage). Every year I sweat bullets that I may get cancelled for some reason!