Anybody know anything about Property Insurance? [Archive]

Judge Smails

01-07-2007, 08:20 AM

I've got to admit, I know next to nothing about homeowners insurance.  I've owned my own home for nine years and I've never had to make any kind of claim.  I don't want to call my insurance company with this question because I don't want to alert them to any potential issue.Here's the deal:  I have a large evergreen tree (think Rockefeller Center Christmas tree big) in my backyard that is severely listing.  It's definitely going to go.  It's only a question of when: next storm, or five storms from now.  When it goes, its going to destroy my fence and probably my neighbor's swing set and shed.I could take preventative measures to remove it, but it's probably going to cost me in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars.  Or, should I wait till it goes and have the insurance pay for it?  I'll be honest, I'm not even sure if this kind of thing is covered by insurance.  Would insurance cover the cost of removing a tree that is obviously going to come down; reasoning that it will be cheaper than paying for the damage that it might cause down the road?

FezPaul

01-07-2007, 08:36 AM

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f281/FezPaul/emoticons/smile.gif

DESERTEAGLE.50

01-07-2007, 12:11 PM

This is definitely something you want a clear answer on from a pro.  Understandably, you dont want to raise any eyebrows with your current HOI provider.  So, my thought is to ask this question of someone within another home owner's insurance company, where you can maintain the anonymity you want and still get the full answer you need.

A.J.

01-07-2007, 12:37 PM

No...but I stayed in a Holiday Inn.

hafast

01-07-2007, 01:04 PM

<a href="http://www.northcoastjournal.com/020206/news0202.html">Check this out.</a>  Oddly enough I was just looking at this article a couple of days ago.  Scroll down to the section titled "Who moved my tree?", get a quick giggle out of the name of the person the article's about, and read on.  Not definitive, but a decent basic understanding of the insurance co's view.

Bulldogcakes

01-08-2007, 04:24 PM

I'd take care of it if I were you. Insurace companies are notorious for assigning partial blame, if the accident was easilty predictable, which yours is. They may tell you "We'll only cover 50% of the damages" because you should have known, blah blah blah. You pay those fuckers on time or they'll cancel you. Then when you need to file a claim, they do everything possible to welch out of it. Cocksuckers.

Snacks

01-08-2007, 06:10 PM

Bulldogcakes wrote: I'd take care of it if I were you. Insurace companies are notorious for assigning partial blame, if the accident was easilty predictable, which yours is. They may tell you "We'll only cover 50% of the damages" because you should have known, blah blah blah. You pay those fuckers on time or they'll cancel you. Then when you need to file a claim, they do everything possible to welch out of it. Cocksuckers. In my real estate class we learnedsomethings about homeowners insurance and bd is right. They will put partial blame on you for not taking care of it sooner. They can even hold you liable 100%. I would pay the money to remove it. Wouldnt it be even worse if the tree actual landed on the house or even a person? pay the money take it down.

Team_Ramrod

01-08-2007, 06:46 PM

I say fuck it.Leave the tree, let it fall and hope the neighbours kids aren't swinging on that set when she falls. When you look at the cost of having someone come in and remove the tree you'll be out a few thousand bucks.If the tree falls and you are found to be 50% or even 100% liable you then get out your chainsaw, buck up the wood, go to Home Depot to get fence boards and Toys 'r' Us for a swingset. Take a weekend to make things pretty again and save yourself hundreds of dollars.                Just tell the neighbours to keep their kids inside if the wind climbs above 20 mph until that bastard falls.

Bossanova

01-08-2007, 06:53 PM

Im wit you, I have owned for four years and have no idea what I'm covered for.  Justhope they don't fuck you on act of god like auto insurance co.'s do

cougarjake13

01-08-2007, 06:57 PM

shit i gotta find out what happens if the hurricanes return next year and causes a tree to damage the house or something else around it

Zorro

01-08-2007, 07:11 PM

Bulldogcakes wrote: I'd take care of it if I were you. Insurace companies are notorious for assigning partial blame, if the accident was easilty predictable, which yours is. They may tell you "We'll only cover 50% of the damages" because you should have known, blah blah blah. You pay those fuckers on time or they'll cancel you. Then when you need to file a claim, they do everything possible to welch out of it. Cocksuckers. What you are not understanding is that act of god does not mean its not covered it means its not covered under the liability portion of your policy. If your neighbors tree fall and damages "your" property "your" insurance policy pays for "your" damage. (Falling objects section of your policy) So, if your tree falls and takes out a neighbors fence the neighbor's policy pays for the fence. Only when there's negligence does the policy of the tree owner pay the other party. (i.e. you were cutting it down and as you were doing so you cause the tree to fall) Policies pay at least $250 no deductible to remove a fallen tree (fallen tree part of the policy) many pay $500. Quite a few will pay to remove a dead, but not yet fallen tree. (Usually the deluxe policy) The reality is homeowners insurance is not a maintenance package and you're supposed to "keep up" your property. Allowing a tree to wither and fall causing damage is similar to not fixing your roof and then claiming the damage.Oh yeah insurance companies are cocksuckers...I know I do this shit eight hours a day.

Bossanova

01-08-2007, 07:16 PM

Zorro wrote: insurance companies are cocksuckers...I know I do this shit eight hours a day. Cheers to our resident cocksucker, oh I mean insurance guy

Arch Stanton

01-08-2007, 07:27 PM

Zorro wrote: Bulldogcakes wrote: I'd take care of it if I were you. Insurace companies are notorious for assigning partial blame, if the accident was easilty predictable, which yours is. They may tell you "We'll only cover 50% of the damages" because you should have known, blah blah blah. You pay those fuckers on time or they'll cancel you. Then when you need to file a claim, they do everything possible to welch out of it. Cocksuckers. What you are not understanding is that act of god does not mean its not covered it means its not covered under the liability portion of your policy. If your neighbors tree fall and damages "your" property "your" insurance policy pays for "your" damage. (Falling objects section of your policy) So, if your tree falls and takes out a neighbors fence the neighbor's policy pays for the fence. Only when there's negligence does the policy of the tree owner pay the other party. (i.e. you were cutting it down and as you were doing so you cause the tree to fall) Policies pay at least $250 no deductible to remove a fallen tree (fallen tree part of the policy) many pay $500. Quite a few will pay to remove a dead, but not yet fallen tree. (Usually the deluxe policy) The reality is homeowners insurance is not a maintenance package and you're supposed to "keep up" your property. Allowing a tree to wither and fall causing damage is similar to not fixing your roof and then claiming the damage.Oh yeah insurance companies are cocksuckers...I know I do this shit eight hours a day.This is about as spot on as you are gonna get. Suck it up and deal with your tree. If your brakes were not working properly , are you the kind of person that would wait for an accident to see how an Insurance Company is going to treat you?  

This message was edited by Arch Stanton on 1-8-07 @ 11:28 PM