Please allow me to introduce myself

[Berserker]

I’m a man of wealth and fame.
Ok sorry about that I could not resist the Rolling Stones lyric.
I am a contractor and I specialize in exterior projects. Like roofing and siding and ventilation.
I would like to answer any questions.
Please ask me anything, I specialize in insurance restoration.

[Paper Roses]

1. Good Morning Berserker, good to have you here.

A great many of us ask questions in this group because we need help on projects beyond our scope of expertise. Many here have helped me along the way. Wish you were available a couple of years ago when a neighbors huge tree fell on our house. The tree was ant-eaten at the base and the wind took it over one night. Pretty scary feeling to feel a tree hit your second floor bedroom wall.

Do you find that many of your clients thought their insurance would cover something like this? Many do not know that it does not matter who owns the tree, the one who was damaged still has to pay the bill. Not only for the tree removal but for the damage done to the house.

My company, at that time was Liberty Mutual. We had to fight to get each penny from them and the net result was to hire an Independent Adjuster to fight with the to get any help at all.

Not only did we lose on the costs of repair for the house, we had to pay the adjuster too.
LM offered via a phone call from Texas, $2000 to remove the tree and repair the structure, new clapboards and part of the roof.
The adjuster managed to get the company to pony up $7,500 which still did not cover all the damage. We ended up paying several thousands of dollars.

Needless to day, after we got the money from LM, we changed insurance companies. My new agent assured me that I am now covered.

This same Liberty Mutual denied us a claim when our cellar flooded. For some reason the sump pump died after a big rainstorm. Don't know whether it was some kind of a power failure or just a fairly new pump that failed. Says LM,"you do not have sump pump coverage. Seems it is a very specific clause in their coverage options. All of $23.00 a year. We never knew there was such a thing. Our town is built on ledge and lots of us have pumps. We do not really flood, the water table is really a factor. Water comes up through the lowest point which is the base of the sump well.

You would have thought they would say,"by the way, here is something to consider...." when we bought insurance from them about 35 years ago. Thousands of dollars worth of payments to them, 2 claims. More trouble than I would ever imagine.I try and tell everyone to make sure their coverage includes things like this. Also to ask what else lurks in coverage options that might be on need for you.

Know what my biggest expense is per year? Insurance. House, car, health. No longer have life insurance.

Enough of my tale of woe. I'm sure many here will be grateful to see you in this group.
PR

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

2. Hello there Berserker

I too am a contractor. don't work through insurance company's ,although I do on occasion send them a bill.

At one time I worked for a investigative engineering consulting firm.Interesting job to say the least.
And insurance adjusters and I do not see eye to eye on anything.

There will noo doubt be a lot of questions for you.

[Phentex]

3. Where were you in September, lol?

Having survived the second round of trees falling on our house, I am practically an expert at dealing with insurance restorations myself. :)

We were lucky to have the same claims guy the second time and he helped us find a restoration company that knew what they were doing. It can be so complicated!

The initial trauma of getting the trees off the house while not damaging a new driveway and making sure the insurance would cover our cost was awful. I had my agent on the phone saying they would not cover the driveway and the tree expert with a crane wanting a waiver before he would remove the trees. The water was pouring into the house and I finally said screw the driveway and had the crane guy get started. :scared:

[Paper Roses]

4. Tree on house is a fun job, isn't it. Better yet if it is the other guys tree.

That whole experience was the most exasperating and costly thing. Who invented the idea that you are responsible at all for the damage done to your property by someone else's tree?

[Phentex]

5. First set was a neighbor's tree...

which fell on one of ours and lead them both on our house. Second set were clearly ours which fell during the flood.

Due to the circumstances, we could have gone after their insurance the first time but we didn't want to do that. I can't believe our insurance was so good to us the second time. I'm a little ashamed of what they have had to spend vs. what we have spent. But I guess it's why we have insurance.

I used to be a tree hugger. Now, they look like enemies to me!