canceling an insurance claim?

[pinkytoe]

I have never filed a homeowner's claim in my life but did so in a state of panic after a 100mph windstorm blew through here last week. My expenses so far are having downed trees hauled away ($2000), patching the fence back together (who knows how much?) and paying my neighbor's deductible ($2500) since the trees fell on her house and did a lot of damage. Tree people have said insurance doesn't usually cover tree removal. The roof can't be looked at for another week but may also have damage we can't see from the ground. My deductible is only $1000. The adjustor comes the day after Christmas and I am wondering if I should just cancel the claim so that I have a no payout on our CLUE record or have her check it out anyway? If I understand it correctly, her insurance company will most likely sue mine anyway to recover costs. I have tried Grandma Google to figure out best course of action but all I get are insurance lawyer posts.
I am feeling defeated. Any advice?

[happystuff]

Personally, when nature struck us, we filed the claim and let the insurance company handle everything. Since it was a known weather event that hit many other people, the insurance company was well-aware that the damages were legit. We did not get a policy increase for the claim, but then it was the only one we ever filed. Again, I would say file it and let them deal. That is what you pay insurance for, right?

[iris lilies]

I think that’s an interesting question. I wonder how much having a claim against your name would really cost you in the future in purchasing home insurance? I guess that’s the question you’re trying to answer.


My gut reaction is for a huge event like yours, my insurance company can bloody well pay for it. We’ve never had a claim, not on our house, not on our car, nothing in the 30 some years we’ve been married.


I watched my neighbor be foolish with water, where her roof deck spigot broke a leak ( not winterized) and ran lots of water into her third and second floor. Major damage.


That same person had water flooding/damage due to poor winterization on another property a few years later.

From this I conclude being repetitively stupid about water maintenance doesn’t really ding you in the insurance industry.

[Teacher Terry]

I would let my insurance handle it.

[jp1]

I would let the insurance company handle it if for no other reason than to get them to deal with the damage your tree caused to the neighbor’s house. Your company’s claims adjuster will make sure the costs are reasonable. Neighbor’s insurance company is going to go after you/your policy for full payment since it was your tree that caused the damage.

[pinkytoe]

Adjustor gave us an instant check for $5000 after depreciation of fence. I figure I have paid them half that much this year alone so I'm going with it. We will DIY cobble the fence back together since estimates to replace are all crazy high. Big box wants almost $70 each for 4 x 4 posts. Yikes!

[razz]

Adjustor gave us an instant check for $5000 after depreciation of fence. I figure I have paid them half that much this year alone so I'm going with it. We will DIY cobble the fence back together since estimates to replace are all crazy high. Big box wants almost $70 each for 4 x 4 posts. Yikes!

You got some $$ assistance from insurance which will help. Cobbling a fence sounds like a possibility. Chain link might be a more affordable option. I used chain link with small deciduous trees placed in front for summer privacy. The neighbours who wanted more privacy had earlier erected wooden fences on their side of the property line. Their problem if/when damage or deterioration resulted. I really dislike wooden decks or fences which are short-term but pricey investments. Most people seem to love them but I used a brick for the 16'x16' patio and black chain link for any fencing on my side of the property line to control my dog and discourage others.

[pinkytoe]

When these houses were built in the 1960s, residents all had chain link fences. Any prairie wind could blow right through them. Now everyone has wooden "privacy" fences. The really strange thing is that a lot of these houses actually have two wooden fences side by side with 6" in between because neighbors didn't want to share the cost I guess. Back in the day, the chain link fences actually had gates between neighbor's houses so they could visit but times have changed.

[iris lilies]

Chain link is prohibited in my historic neighborhood.

In Hermann it is allowed ( I guess?) but I see very little of it. My immediate area in Hermann is not laid out in a typical city grid. All of our backyards come together and everyone has a dog, so apparently the dogs are running around everyone’s yard willy-nilly.


My next-door neighbor did recently fence part of his backyard for his dogs but he put up a wooden fence.

[Teacher Terry]

When I was in my old house there was a chain link fence on 3 sides and wood on one. The wood disintegrated and we split the cost with the neighbors to put up a 6 ft chain link fence with privacy slats. It was double the price but it would last forever and match the rest of the fencing. The previous owner put up wood fencing in front of the chain link fence so when you sat on the patio you couldn’t see the junk in the neighbor’s yard. The neighbor couldn’t figure out why they did that.