question about home owners insurance

[popcornpuppy]

First let me say that I know the rules for every state are different. Now to proceed with my story and then my question;

This has been a crazy winter in my area. The snow has caused so much damage by causing roofs to collapse all over the state. We had had storm after storm and all that snow was just too much for many of the sructures in our area. Well, just over a week ago, our garage roof collapesed and the insurance guy finally got out to survey the damage today. The good news is that our chicken coops are still standing strong, and the house is holding up just fine.
Now, no one has touched anything in or near the garage because we have been waiting on the insurance man to come out. SO we have no idea what all has been crushed. The insurance man asked what was in the garage. I told him the 3 big items we are most concerned with are 2 motorcycles and a lawn tractor. He said the tractor would be covered because it is used for home maintanence but not the bikes. The bikes don't have vehicle coverage like our cars do because they have been off road for a few years.

My question is, should the home owners insurance cover the loss on the bikes if they are damaged, or are we out of luck?

 

[TigerLilly]

If you have your homeowners policy handy, I'd get it out & go over it. If you are in doubt, you can always contact an attorney.

 

[popcornpuppy]

Thank you TigerLily. That is sound advice.
I do not have a copy of my policy though. Last spring we had a flood in our basement and alot of our important documents were lost when the file cabinet was submerged. The insurance policy and the titles on the vehicles were just a few of the papers we lost.
As for contcting a lawyer, I hope to save that as a last resort. I was hoping the insurance company will be honest and fair, but with so may people filing claims they don't want to pay out anymore than they have to. He did tell me the garage is a total loss and he had to itemize everything before payment could be made. I just wish I had that policy now so that I could tell if I had a fight on my hands and need a lawyer.

 

[TigerLilly]

Wow, that sucks. Things like that make me realize the importance of safety deposti boxes or a good safe...neither of which I have either.
Good luck.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

It seems as though it should be possible for them to mail you an additional copy. Why not ask?

 

[popcornpuppy]

Quote:
I should do that. The insurance co just seems so overwhelmed that the customer service is lacking right now. They try to be polite but that does not always translate into helpful. I hope I get a copy before the surveyor comes back with an amount.

 

[Tala]

My only word of advice: don't sign ANYTHING until you are happy with the amount on the paper, and then make copies of it!

 

[justbugged]

It is rare that a vehicle is covered under a homeowners policy. It is worth asking about the motorcycles being covered under the homeowners because they were in storage and had not been on the road for years. But it will depend on the state. I had a car that was damaged in a wind storm, and I would have had to make a claim for damages under the auto policy.

 

[Dunkopf]

You are entitled to a copy of the company policy. If he doesn't include the motorcycles on his initial estimate it's no big deal. He will have a supplemental unless you don't have the garage rebuilt. I would contact his supervisor and ask the supervisor. Then request an e-mail copy of the policy with the area that denies coverage for those specific items. It probably won't specifically say motorcycles.

I'm an insurance adjuster but my specialty is motorized vehicles. I had a garage fire once that damaged both cars. They both had comprehensive coverage but were covered under the separate home policy. You usually have one year to resolve any disputed issues. If the check doesn't have specific wording like " by signing this document you waive all future rights " then you are okay to cash it. Just cashing a check doesn't waive your rights. For that matter signing a release doesn't really mean that much. Insurance companies can't cheat people legally. They are highly regulated and must treat each customer the same. If you feel they have cheated you then contact your department of insurance. However once you do that the insurance company can not do anymore actual negotiating. In other words if they have offered a fair settlement then that is what you will get. The department of insurance can't force them to pay over fair settlement amount.

Good luck

 

[PineappleMama]

I would think so. It's property, kid's toys, so to speak. Certainly not covered by your car (sic transportation) insurance.

But as others said, give your policy a once over.

Mom swears by USAA for her home owners, made claims and there was NO hassle. Really, she'll go on and on about it.
We've only got them for car (so does mom) but they've always been very good to us, and at an excellent rate too.
Also their banking is great. 100% free, no sneaky strings, nada. Which is very much appreciated.
If you decide to hunt around for a new company you might ask them for a quote at least.