AsktheBuilder.com Issue #1252 (I think)

September 24, 2023

Dear ,

Are you a brand-new subscriber? Greetings and solutions as my dear departed father-in-law would say.

You're about to discover:

• Homeowner Insurance News
• Crystal-Clear Sealant

Let's get started.

Oh, one more thing. Can you do me a favor and visit my AsktheBuilder.com website? I told my ad-network provider to CUT IN HALF the number of ads.
 

I removed, what I think, are quite a few ads.

Please reply and let me know what you think of the new cleaner format. If there's more work to be done, I'll take the necessary steps.

#DoNotComply

Once bitten, twice shy...

My Insurance Claim Saga

Two days ago I received a fascinating phone call.

It was from the administrative assistant of the New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner. The commissioner wants to meet with me to find out what went wrong during the past six months and what can be done to minimize insurance-claim pain with other NH consumers.

You might wonder how it came to pass that a high-ranking government official wants to talk with a plebeian like you or me. I believe there's a valuable teaching moment in my tale. I'm convinced YOU can make a difference in a similar situation.

If you've been following my journey of repairing the damage caused by a water leak, then you know the incident happened six months ago.

This past Tuesday a FedEx driver delivered the last amount of money I was owed by the insurance company. It only arrived AFTER I got the New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner's office to reach out and scold my insurance company and their adjuster.

A month ago I asked you to share your story about any claim you made to your homeowner's insurance company. I was flooded with quite a few GOOD stories. Each one was about hail damage to a roof. You may have been one that got a check right away from your carrier. Good for you.

That was not my experience. Several subscribers like you replied who had a similar bad encounter as did I.

The Catch 22

The water leak was discovered in the middle of the night of March 23, 2023. I called my insurance company that morning to initiate the claim.

An adjuster came out a few days later and on May 18th he finally sent his estimate for the damage. That's seven weeks after the leak happened.

The language in the estimate letter is anything but friendly. In fact, it was intimidating and threatening.

I can tell you that it's a GOOD THING I had not signed any contracts with any contractors or engaged any BEFORE getting that letter. 

Why?

Because if I had signed a contract for an amount in EXCESS of the estimate by the adjuster, I very likely would have NOT received the overage money.

You have to get prior WRITTEN approval from the adjuster should the repair cost exceed what they think it will cost.

Example: My adjuster calculated that it would cost about $230 to move ALL of the furniture out onto my driveway for three weeks and then MOVE it back in after the work was completed.

There was NO COST figured to store the furniture in a secure waterproof on-site storage container.

The cost for the container plus professional movers was close to $3,000.00.

My policy has a Loss-of -Use clause. It clearly states that the company will pay to house me in a structure that matches my existing house for the time period we can't use our house.

Do you know what it costs per day to rent a 4-bedroom house in central NH after Memorial Day? You can possibly find a place for $600 per day, but most are $800.

We were unable to use our kitchen or be in the house for 18 days while the floors were torn out and refinished.

I would have had to put on a credit card $14,400.00 to RENT a house.

The First Check

By the end of May the insurance company sent a check for just over $14,200.00.

The estimate to repair the floor damage was close to $16,000.00.

The cost to do all the other repairs, rent a tiny trailer to live in while the work was done, etc. was an additional $19,200 +/-.

Before I go any further, tell me something.

Do you happen to have $20,000 sitting idle in some sort of savings or checking account that you can use to pay contractors?

My guess is you don't have that kind of money sitting around. I know I don't!

Send Us the Cancelled Checks

The balance of the adjuster's estimate minus the deductible on my policy is called recoverable depreciation.

To get this final check, the insurance company demanded CANCELLED CHECKS that I gave to the contractors.

How are you to write checks to pay for all this work if you don't have that money in your checking account?

"Mr. Carter, you have to put it on your credit card or TAKE OUT A LOAN."

Yes, that's what I was told by my insurance company.

That's INSANITY. 

The insurance company could have EASILY sent out an inspector to see the work was done and then issue partial payments of this recoverable depreciation.

Getting Paid

I was stonewalled trying to get my final payment. In desperation, I filled out a form with the NH Insurance Commissioner's office requesting help.

Three days after that, the NH office sent a letter to my insurance company. That was on a Wednesday. The following day I received an email from my adjuster with a form I had to sign to get my money. I was able to sign the form and get it notarized late on the following day - a Friday. I emailed it back to the adjuster and my insurance company about 6 PM that Friday after the close of business.

On Monday - three days later, I received an email from my insurance company at 8:30 AM saying they had just written the check and it would be delivered by FedEx the next day.

Isn't it interesting how FAST you can get them to react when you light a fire?

The Upcoming Meeting

When I meet with the NH Insurance Commissioner in two weeks, I'm going to make the following suggestions:

• insurance agents must produce a one-page agency form telling consumers who they really represent and the limit of their obligations to you the homeowner
• insurance agents must supply you with a simple document showing exactly what is and WHAT IS NOT covered for any particular policy. This MUST BE DONE before you buy the policy. This information already exists in the policy but it's mind-numbing to read through them to discover what is NOT COVERED
• insurance companies must make periodic payments within one week when you can prove the restoration work is being completed. This allows you to pay contractors in a timely fashion.

My State Representative

The conversation with the NH Insurance Commissioners office happened because a month ago I called my state representative Lisa Smart. She reached out to the Commerce Committee chairperson at the state level. That person reached out to the commissioner's office. I was given the name of the person to contact at the commissioner's office to talk to.

I made the call days ago and within 48 hours the commissioner's office called me to set up the meeting.

Bottom Line

If you have a problem, find out if your state has an insurance commissioner. Immediately file a complaint to move things along.

If you have a compelling story, see if someone in the office might talk or meet with you. 

Your story MAY BE the straw that breaks the camel's back. Your situation MAY trip a new law or requirement that businesses must follow to ease the pain of fellow consumers.

In other words, SPEAK UP. Don't just lay there licking your wounds.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel - The BEST Love Story of all time - well, maybe a close second...

Crystal Clear Sealant

I used this sealer on my truck the other day.

This was the clearest sealer I've ever used. It doesn't dry cloudy like clear silicone does.

It dried crystal clear. They say it won't yellow but only time will tell.

It was VERY sticky. I needed it to be so I could fasten a piece of loose trim on my truck cap.

I think it's going to perform very well.

That's enough for a Sunday morning.

Peace out.

Tim Carter (PhD, FullyAwakeology)

Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

No More Ads! Check it Out: www.W3ATB.com

My Pronouns: Told/You/So

Do It Right, Not Over!