Can i file a claim and not get the work done?

by Guest » Sat Nov 06, 2010 04:53 pm
Guest

I have filed an insurance claim for Hail damage for roof. The adjuster came in and processed the claim. I got a check for Roof Repair cost - Deductible - Depreciation adjustment. I was told by the insurance company that i can get the depreciation adjustment amount reimbursed when i get the work completed and provide them proof of work completion.

Now i had called couple of contractors and they looked at my roof and they said there is hail damage signs on the roof but my roof doesn't need to be necessarily replaced.

So now my questin is can i keep the money without getting the work done? :?:
Since i wont provide any proof of work completion and request for reimbursement of depreciation adjustment amount from my insurance company will my company close the claim after 180 days or will they come behind me to get the work completed?

Total Comments: 93

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 06:24 pm Post Subject:

Yes, I understand that problem. It was my first and only claim and hopefully my last. My neighbor suggested I retain a PA because they said insurance companies do not want to pay claims.
I know now this may be untrue, but at the time of the damage I was upset. I was also told by the PA, that if I placed the claim on my own and said the wrong thing.... It would be too late to hire the PA afterwards.

But in my case, I will still have funds left over and just want to know how to make sure the bank releases them all to me.

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 10:57 pm Post Subject:

My neighbor suggested I retain a PA because they said insurance companies do not want to pay claims.


A general rule of thumb: Don't take advice from someone more messed up than you are.

Unfortunately, you cannot collect the 10% from your meddling neighbor.

just want to know how to make sure the bank releases them all to me.

Just ask them what they need. Sometimes it's simply a final invoice from a contractor, a sign off by a building inspector, or your certification that the claim is complete.

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 01:42 am Post Subject: Am I legal bonding with the storm chaser?

I live in PA and recently my house suffered from hail damage. I have a large deductible ($4k) and I filed my insurance claim. The insurance company sent out one contractor and one adjuster to assess the damage. The contractor's assessment (the day before yesterday) was about $5k damage and only one side of siding needs to be replaced (no roof damage). Yesterday, a storm chaser convinced me that he should talk to the adjuster on my behalf and argue for replacing at least half of the roof. My adjuster came today and inspected the damage. The storm chaser and the adjuster talked and inspected our roof together. The adjuster eventually agreed to recommend to replace one side of the siding and half a roof, and possibly for the entire roof.

I have not signed any contract with the storm chaser. He said he is doing this for free for now and hoping that his crew can get the job if the insurance can pay for the siding and the entire roof. We pay him whatever we get from the insurance company (i.e., he will absorb the deductible). Is this insurance fraud? Am I legally bonded to this storm chaser? Are there any potential legal issues I need to be aware? Thank you very much. I am really nervous and regretted for agreeing the storm chaser talking to the adjuster. Please help!

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 10:13 am Post Subject:

Is this insurance fraud?

There is no fraud unless someone is intending to submit a false claim.

Am I legally bonded to this storm chaser?

You have no obligation to use the "storm chaser" unless you signed some sort of contract to have construction work performed. If the Adjuster has given you the OK to replace half of the roof and one wall of siding, and you do not yet have a contract with anyone, it is in your best interest to interview additional contractors and obtain estimates for the work -- and obtain referrals from past customers and check them out. Make sure anyone you hire is licensed by the state, and has both liability and workers' compensation insurance.

Are there any potential legal issues I need to be aware?

Just the usual stuff that comes along when you hire the wrong contractor and the work is shoddy and unprofessional Your insurance company has no obligation to pay to replace the work of someone it did not provide to you.

I am really nervous and regretted for agreeing the storm chaser talking to the adjuster.

How soon after the storm did this fellow come along? Here in CA, we have laws that prohibit such persons from coming into a "disaster area" too soon after the event, for just this reason. PA may have similar laws. You have not created any problems for yourself unless you signed a construction contract.

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 05:49 am Post Subject: How far back can insurance company trace back the claim

I live in Texas. 6 years ago I filed a roof claim with my insurance company and cut me a check to replace the roof. We cashed in the check and We did not put in the new roof it because the check amount was not enough to cover the new roof replacement cost. Years went by. Just a few months ago, we had a haul and wind damage to the roof and there might be a leak because there is a water stain on the ceiling. Can I file a claim again? My question is does the insurance company still have the record of my last claim? How far back can they trace?
My other question is if I change my home owner insurance, will the new insurance company have access to the claim record 6 years ago?

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 11:21 am Post Subject:

Can I file a claim again?

Yes

My question is does the insurance company still have the record of my last claim?

Yes

How far back can they trace?

1,000 years

My other question is if I change my home owner insurance, will the new insurance company have access to the claim record 6 years ago?

Yes

You can only collect for the difference in the amount of damage between the prior loss and the most recent loss. How much is that? Probably very little.

Your mistake was in not contacting the insurance company 6 years ago when the amount they paid was insufficient to cover the damage. The way insurance works is that the company initially pays you the Actual Cash Value (= replacement cost minus depreciation) to begin the repairs and the balance of the full replacement cost (assuming that's the coverage you have) after the repairs are complete. If you suffer a new loss years later, it's a whole new event.

In your case, you never made repairs, so there is no way to tell how much damage is new . . . except to compare the current damage to the previous damage, which could be impossible.

Changing insurance companies will not make this go away. Insurance companies post claims like yours on a system known as CLUE. All insurance companies have access to that system to be able to exchange information. Filing a claim with a new company for old damage is insurance fraud. The state will then put a new roof over your head for about 5 years. It will also come with a new set of gray bars, too.

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 02:36 am Post Subject: Info

We had a hail storm ruin our roof, siding and window. Insurance cut us a check (no mortgage). But our house is a mobile home and falling apart... Not really worth putting money into. We want to buy a new home but now finding a problem getting new homeowners insurance. Anyway around that?

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 12:28 pm Post Subject:

Anyway around that?


Don't get insurance? Seriously, what possible answer are you looking for?

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 04:20 pm Post Subject:

There is always access to limited homeowner's and commercial property coverage through the FAIR plan if you cannot find coverage in the standard market. But it's not subsidized welfare like Obamacare.

If you work with a local independent agent or broker instead of doing it yourself, you should be able to find coverage, but too many recent or large claims can impair your ability to be insured as a standard risk.

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 12:49 am Post Subject: still owe contractor

If contractor claims I still owe money for siding can he take off new siding

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