Showing posts with label Insurance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Insurance. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Project Life 40/365
Went to the old house to pick up our mail tonight and THE cheque was waiting for us. This should have been one of the most exciting moments of our lives but instead, all it does is fill me with worry and dread about what our future holds.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Insurance Soap Opera
It really does feel like I should be on a soap. The level of drama involved is just ridiculous.
I had a horrible phone conversation with our adjuster this morning so put together an email and sent it off to his boss.
Here’s the email I sent…I need your feedback. Do I come across as a drama queen? Too whiny?
Hi Boss,
My name is Sabrina Lawrence and my family and I have a claim with “Your Horrible Insurance Company” for our house that we lost in the tornado of June 6th 2010. That claim # is *****.
I had an unsettling phone conversation with “Your Horrible Adjuster” this morning. We received an advance payment of $**** towards the content that we lost. I called him to let him know that we had spent that money and I had dropped the receipts off this morning at the “Local Broker’s” office since he does not have a location that I can drop them off directly for him or access to email. I asked that he review the receipts when he had a chance and that if everything was in order we were requesting another advance cheque. He actually got upset that I dared to ask this of him.
He told me that Your Horrible Insurance Company was not our personal bank and was not here to fund our shopping. I told him that I didn’t understand and asked how we were to replace our items then. He went on to say that we had to take an Actual Cash Value settlement and then submit receipts to him for approval and we would be paid the difference after that. This is in direct contradiction to a letter that we received from him dated September 30th that says we have only two options regarding our content claim submission as follows:
Option 1 – you can elect to replace each item and submit to my attention the replacement cost invoices for reimbursement accordingly. We will pay up to the amounts submitted plus applicable taxes as per your Schedule of Loss submission.
Option 2 – you can elect a cash value settlement. This settlement is a lump sum settlement. Depreciation is applied to each item in accordance to the age and material construction of each item.
I received this letter on October 15th and called Your Horrible Adjuster that day and said that we would be going with Option 1 and that we would need some money to get started on buying items. He said this was no problem and requested that day that a cheque be sent to us. He and the letter he sent never once indicated that we would have to take an ACV settlement. During our conversation today he questioned why I was in such a hurry to replace things. I said to him that we have lived for 5 months with 2 small children without appliances, beds for our children, toys and winter clothing. His response was that we’ve lived for 5 months without them so they shouldn’t be a priority now. I asked why I wasn’t told about the ACV when I first requested a cheque and his response was “Fine Sabrina, I take full responsibility. The situation you’re in and everything that has happened to you is all my fault.”
He is behaving like a spoiled child and I am extremely upset with his unprofessional behaviour. Your Horrible Adjuster said today that it would be close to a month before we saw that ACV settlement and that by that time our 180 days to submit items against our claim would have run out but that he MIGHT be able to get us an extension. We have also run out of living expenses money to pay our rent in our current house but I am afraid to ask Your Horrible Adjuster for another cheque. Every time I dare to ask him a question he immediately gets on the defensive and does not provide any real answers.
I called you a couple months ago when we were having some other problems with Your Horrible Adjuster and you were very helpful. When Your Horrible Adjuster found out about this he told me I should watch what I say and who I talk to because he could make this a difficult process for us.
So I have no idea what to do now. Please advise me if you can help. All we are looking for is the replacement of the items on our content list in a timely manner.
Regards,
Sabrina
I had a horrible phone conversation with our adjuster this morning so put together an email and sent it off to his boss.
Here’s the email I sent…I need your feedback. Do I come across as a drama queen? Too whiny?
Hi Boss,
My name is Sabrina Lawrence and my family and I have a claim with “Your Horrible Insurance Company” for our house that we lost in the tornado of June 6th 2010. That claim # is *****.
I had an unsettling phone conversation with “Your Horrible Adjuster” this morning. We received an advance payment of $**** towards the content that we lost. I called him to let him know that we had spent that money and I had dropped the receipts off this morning at the “Local Broker’s” office since he does not have a location that I can drop them off directly for him or access to email. I asked that he review the receipts when he had a chance and that if everything was in order we were requesting another advance cheque. He actually got upset that I dared to ask this of him.
He told me that Your Horrible Insurance Company was not our personal bank and was not here to fund our shopping. I told him that I didn’t understand and asked how we were to replace our items then. He went on to say that we had to take an Actual Cash Value settlement and then submit receipts to him for approval and we would be paid the difference after that. This is in direct contradiction to a letter that we received from him dated September 30th that says we have only two options regarding our content claim submission as follows:
Option 1 – you can elect to replace each item and submit to my attention the replacement cost invoices for reimbursement accordingly. We will pay up to the amounts submitted plus applicable taxes as per your Schedule of Loss submission.
Option 2 – you can elect a cash value settlement. This settlement is a lump sum settlement. Depreciation is applied to each item in accordance to the age and material construction of each item.
I received this letter on October 15th and called Your Horrible Adjuster that day and said that we would be going with Option 1 and that we would need some money to get started on buying items. He said this was no problem and requested that day that a cheque be sent to us. He and the letter he sent never once indicated that we would have to take an ACV settlement. During our conversation today he questioned why I was in such a hurry to replace things. I said to him that we have lived for 5 months with 2 small children without appliances, beds for our children, toys and winter clothing. His response was that we’ve lived for 5 months without them so they shouldn’t be a priority now. I asked why I wasn’t told about the ACV when I first requested a cheque and his response was “Fine Sabrina, I take full responsibility. The situation you’re in and everything that has happened to you is all my fault.”
He is behaving like a spoiled child and I am extremely upset with his unprofessional behaviour. Your Horrible Adjuster said today that it would be close to a month before we saw that ACV settlement and that by that time our 180 days to submit items against our claim would have run out but that he MIGHT be able to get us an extension. We have also run out of living expenses money to pay our rent in our current house but I am afraid to ask Your Horrible Adjuster for another cheque. Every time I dare to ask him a question he immediately gets on the defensive and does not provide any real answers.
I called you a couple months ago when we were having some other problems with Your Horrible Adjuster and you were very helpful. When Your Horrible Adjuster found out about this he told me I should watch what I say and who I talk to because he could make this a difficult process for us.
So I have no idea what to do now. Please advise me if you can help. All we are looking for is the replacement of the items on our content list in a timely manner.
Regards,
Sabrina
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Insurance Woes
4 Months after the storm. The house is still standing and our contents have been removed but not processed yet.
We had thought all along that the quote was too low from the contractor that our adjuster had decided was going to build our new house. I mentioned this to our adjuster who said that it was accurate and if i didn't like it than we should take out a bigger mortgage, give the money to the contractor and get him to build us a bigger house. I responded by telling the adjuster that I wanted to see the detailed quotes from all 4 contractors that he had submit quotes.
So i finally get receive those on Monday. Our adjuster says that he does not have a computer, a printer, email or internet access. If this is true and our insurance company never provided him with those I am in complete shock. This is 2010…not the dark ages!
As I was reviewing them I realized that all of them had forgotten to include the square footage of our upstairs!
So I called the adjuster to tell him this but his voicemail says he's on vacation...not such a big deal until you consider that this is the 4th time this month he's been on vacation!
I had the phone number for his boss and called him to say how disappointed we are in the level of service provided by his company. I also want to get some resolution on how on earth and entire floor could have been missed by 4 contractors!
His boss is so rude to me on the phone before I've even explained why I'm calling that i burst into tears and sobbed the whole way through our conversation. He gets nicer after I start crying. I should have thought of this months ago!
It eventually comes down to him telling me to put all my concerns in writing and go over it with the contractor. I did this and sent him an email yesterday. I personally think that the email is very polite and even says that we don't blame him for this oversight but instead the contracting company that did the original scope of work but we would like the quote revised.
He never replies but instead calls me at 7:30am today saying that he wants to meet me at our house at 10am. Knows full well that I don't have a car and can't do this. So I get Geoff to call him back and arrange to get him the key. When the contractor shows up at Geoff's shop to pick it up he won't even speak to him...sticks out his hand for the key and leaves. Does the same thing when he returns it. Hands it to the guy in the passenger seat of his truck who throws it in Geoff’s hand and speeds off. And I still have to suck up to him because he is in possession of all of our contents and we want them all to be written off because they sat for 3.5 months in a house that was full of black mold.
I still haven't started drinking before dinner time which I think shows an amazing amount of restraint.
In other news I’ve spent the last 3 days re-building Sage’s Lego city. Pics coming soon!
We had thought all along that the quote was too low from the contractor that our adjuster had decided was going to build our new house. I mentioned this to our adjuster who said that it was accurate and if i didn't like it than we should take out a bigger mortgage, give the money to the contractor and get him to build us a bigger house. I responded by telling the adjuster that I wanted to see the detailed quotes from all 4 contractors that he had submit quotes.
So i finally get receive those on Monday. Our adjuster says that he does not have a computer, a printer, email or internet access. If this is true and our insurance company never provided him with those I am in complete shock. This is 2010…not the dark ages!
As I was reviewing them I realized that all of them had forgotten to include the square footage of our upstairs!
So I called the adjuster to tell him this but his voicemail says he's on vacation...not such a big deal until you consider that this is the 4th time this month he's been on vacation!
I had the phone number for his boss and called him to say how disappointed we are in the level of service provided by his company. I also want to get some resolution on how on earth and entire floor could have been missed by 4 contractors!
His boss is so rude to me on the phone before I've even explained why I'm calling that i burst into tears and sobbed the whole way through our conversation. He gets nicer after I start crying. I should have thought of this months ago!
It eventually comes down to him telling me to put all my concerns in writing and go over it with the contractor. I did this and sent him an email yesterday. I personally think that the email is very polite and even says that we don't blame him for this oversight but instead the contracting company that did the original scope of work but we would like the quote revised.
He never replies but instead calls me at 7:30am today saying that he wants to meet me at our house at 10am. Knows full well that I don't have a car and can't do this. So I get Geoff to call him back and arrange to get him the key. When the contractor shows up at Geoff's shop to pick it up he won't even speak to him...sticks out his hand for the key and leaves. Does the same thing when he returns it. Hands it to the guy in the passenger seat of his truck who throws it in Geoff’s hand and speeds off. And I still have to suck up to him because he is in possession of all of our contents and we want them all to be written off because they sat for 3.5 months in a house that was full of black mold.
I still haven't started drinking before dinner time which I think shows an amazing amount of restraint.
In other news I’ve spent the last 3 days re-building Sage’s Lego city. Pics coming soon!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
3.5 Months Later
Well the quote is in from our insurance company to rebuild our house. And it's bad. Really bad. We have the best type of policy that there is to have - Guaranteed Replacement Cost. Means that they at least have to build for us exactly what we had before. But with what the quote came in at, which we then have to subtract 13% taxes off of and the 20% overhead fee from their preferred contractor we are left with not enough money to even get us back to what we had before. So today we are confused and anxious and exhausted because we both laid awake most of the night.
We're going to meet with the restoration company tonight to see what he can come up with but I don't have high hopes. They don't have a good reputation in the industry around here and we are adament that we don't end up with a cheaply built knocked together builder quality house.
So I guess my dreams of a house that looks like this are probably out the window. :(
We're going to meet with the restoration company tonight to see what he can come up with but I don't have high hopes. They don't have a good reputation in the industry around here and we are adament that we don't end up with a cheaply built knocked together builder quality house.
So I guess my dreams of a house that looks like this are probably out the window. :(
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
A Comedy of Errors
That really is the only way that I can describe what this whole process has been like. Without getting all worked up and put in danger of losing my mind that is. We FINALLY get the list of our damaged contents from the restoration company and I start to notice something odd as I'm reviewing it. I look it over again. Nope, not just me. All of our appliances, all of the furniture from upstairs and all of the kid's toys weren't on the list. How on earth did they manage to forget those?? Yet one more hassle to get straightened out. Nevermind the fact that the house was supposed to be torn down last week and when I called the insurance adjuster to find out what was going on his voicemail said he was off on vacation all week! Needless to say we will be switching companies the second this mess is done with. A shame really because my husband has used them for all of his needs for almost 20 years now.
And totally unrelated but too cute not to share. She was so excited to wear skinny jeans for the first time. She kept asking me what they were called cause they're more like a legging than a jean so I told her all the big girl's were calling them jeggings now. Didn't believe me.
And totally unrelated but too cute not to share. She was so excited to wear skinny jeans for the first time. She kept asking me what they were called cause they're more like a legging than a jean so I told her all the big girl's were calling them jeggings now. Didn't believe me.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Dreaming
Since there has been no progress on getting our house torn down or getting our remaining contents assessed, Geoff and I have been spending our free time dreaming of the kind of home we would like to build. We live in a neighbourhood a few streets up from the water full of 100+ year old cottages. Our neighbourhood seems to be split 50/50 with people who take excellent care of their homes and ones that do nothing at all.
We dream of starkly modern homes, flat roofs, floor to ceiling windows, single pitch roofs, stone and stucco exteriors. Do we know that these designs will stick out in our area? Yes. Do we care? Not really. We have no plans to move. This will be the home we are in for the long haul. Plus, there is a certain amount of creative freedom we feel able to take seeing as how this is not our hard earned money that will be put into the house. We’re not going to be stuck with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt for a home that may not sell. Our current mortgage will not change at all and we’re going to end up with a bigger house out of the deal. Even if our circumstances change and we end up having to move, the new home will most definitely sell for more than our previous one so we can’t lose! Or so we hope.
So…here’s the plan we’re 90% decided on. There are a few changes to be made…the upstairs will have a large portion of the deck turned into a 3rd bedroom leaving the downstairs bedroom to be turned into an office. A basement will be added, more built-in closets and moving some bathrooms around. Also adding more of a proper interior entrance way. But we love it. It’s modern but can be warmed up. The exterior will be left very similar to the picture. Grey stucco or stone panels (handy having a husband that works with stone!), the red will be a warm barn red out of board and batten. Tall grasses planted in the front planter for privacy. We are so excited.
We dream of starkly modern homes, flat roofs, floor to ceiling windows, single pitch roofs, stone and stucco exteriors. Do we know that these designs will stick out in our area? Yes. Do we care? Not really. We have no plans to move. This will be the home we are in for the long haul. Plus, there is a certain amount of creative freedom we feel able to take seeing as how this is not our hard earned money that will be put into the house. We’re not going to be stuck with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt for a home that may not sell. Our current mortgage will not change at all and we’re going to end up with a bigger house out of the deal. Even if our circumstances change and we end up having to move, the new home will most definitely sell for more than our previous one so we can’t lose! Or so we hope.
So…here’s the plan we’re 90% decided on. There are a few changes to be made…the upstairs will have a large portion of the deck turned into a 3rd bedroom leaving the downstairs bedroom to be turned into an office. A basement will be added, more built-in closets and moving some bathrooms around. Also adding more of a proper interior entrance way. But we love it. It’s modern but can be warmed up. The exterior will be left very similar to the picture. Grey stucco or stone panels (handy having a husband that works with stone!), the red will be a warm barn red out of board and batten. Tall grasses planted in the front planter for privacy. We are so excited.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
One Month
One month today since we lost our home. Hard to believe we are now in our 5th week of being homeless. Yesterday we actually had somebody from the construction company that contracts for our insurance company show up at the house for the very first time!!! If it takes them a month just to show up to give us a quote on building us a new home I shudder to think at how long it will take them to actually do the work.
Still living with the MIL and her husband. She’s been great…him not so much. Doesn’t take too well to our kids. Have been calling every rental property we find but absolutely none will rent to us short-term. Getting desperate as the husband has told us he doesn’t want us to stay here anymore.
Kids are doing better. Sage is re-adjusting and not acting out as much as she was the first couple weeks. Big trauma for such a little girl. Jasper is back to his old self as well. Not screaming nearly so much. But is crawling now and there is lots and lots of clutter in this house which is a baby disaster! He keeps me on my toes!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Tornado June 6, 2010
It's been the craziest week of my life around here. Last Sunday at 3am we lost our home to a tornado. I know. Who does that happen to in real life?? And in Southwestern Ontario of all places???
I yell for Geoff as I instantly realized what happened. He's not back in the bedroom yet but does not answer me. I start screaming for him as I think the tree has landed on him. Not a good place to go in your mind at 3am in the pitch black. So Geoff finally answers me and we desperately try to find flashlights and cell phones. Even though we knew exactly where they should be, it's a different story to actually find them when you can't see at all.
Geoff gets his flashlight and runs upstairs to get the kids. He gets to the top of the stairs and starts yelling. The tree had come right through the roof and what was our loft was now crushed. At first glance, it seemed as if the tree had also come down on the kid's bedroom. He slips in the rain water that has poured in and loses the flashlight and it does out. He somehow manages to crawl underneath the tree and breaks down their bedroom door.
He grabs Jasper from his crib and has Sage follow behind him. Geoff has to let go of Sage's hand for a second to crawl underneath the tree with Jasper in his arms and when he reaches back to grab her he has a few very long seconds of extreme panic when he thinks he can't find her. In a flash of lightning he sees her standing directly underneath the hole in our house staring up at the sky.
They all make it downstairs safely and we do the quickest carseat buckle up for Jasper ever and run out of the house through the back door. The wind has practically stopped by now but it is still raining quite hard. We come around to the front of the house and even though our car was parked just a few feet away from the now fallen tree it is safe. We pile in and call Geoff's mom to let her know we are on our way to their place.
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