Any tips for making successful home ownership claim?

[WarrantSeeker]

I'm filing a homeownership claim for damages, both structural (sinking floor) and related cosmetic damages. I have estimates from contractors for the most basic recommended floor repair, but not to return the home to its pre-event condition (leveling floors and adjacent floor joists, drywall repair, repainting).

The adjuster has requested the estimates I have received already. Is it in my best interests to send these to him? Do you have tips on how to maximize my potential payout? Should I get estimates for the other potential repairs at this point, or should I wait until the basic repairs are completed to understand scope?

 

[Just Blue]

I'm filing a homeownership claim for damages, both structural (sinking floor) and related cosmetic damages. I have estimates from contractors for the most basic recommended floor repair, but not to return the home to its pre-event condition (leveling floors and adjacent floor joists, drywall repair, repainting).

The adjuster has requested the estimates I have received already. Is it in my best interests to send these to him? Do you have tips on how to maximize my potential payout? Should I get estimates for the other potential repairs at this point, or should I wait until the basic repairs are completed to understand scope?

What State?

 

[adjusterjack]

What state?

What event?

 

[quincy]

I'm filing a homeownership claim for damages, both structural (sinking floor) and related cosmetic damages. I have estimates from contractors for the most basic recommended floor repair, but not to return the home to its pre-event condition (leveling floors and adjacent floor joists, drywall repair, repainting).

The adjuster has requested the estimates I have received already. Is it in my best interests to send these to him? Do you have tips on how to maximize my potential payout? Should I get estimates for the other potential repairs at this point, or should I wait until the basic repairs are completed to understand scope?

Is this the house in Virginia that you purchased from a “house flipper?”

If so, this is the background information: https://forum.freeadvice.com/threads/contract-dispute-with-legal-insurance-regarding-real-estate-matter.662782/

What has your insurer advised you to do?

 

[WarrantSeeker]

Yes. I'm not pursuing a lawsuit at the moment. I'm not clear on your question concerning the insurer. My insurer discouraged me from filing a claim at all. I filed one anyway. They sent out the adjuster, who is asking for estimates. They haven't given me any recommendation as to whether I should give estimates to the adjuster or not. I automatically assume that an insurance company would not have my best interests in mind because I have been semi-screwed over by insurance and an adjuster before (when I was permanently injured in a car crash, not my fault, hit head on). After that incident, I don't trust insurance companies or adjusters.

 

[WarrantSeeker]

What state?

What event?

Virginia. Floor collapse.

 

[quincy]

Yes. I'm not pursuing a lawsuit at the moment. I'm not clear on your question concerning the insurer. My insurer discouraged me from filing a claim at all. I filed one anyway. They sent out the adjuster, who is asking for estimates. They haven't given me any recommendation as to whether I should give estimates to the adjuster or not. I automatically assume that an insurance company would not have my best interests in mind because I have been semi-screwed over by insurance and an adjuster before (when I was permanently injured in a car crash, not my fault, hit head on). After that incident, I don't trust insurance companies or adjusters.

It is possible that your insurer will not cover your claim at all. You purchased the home “as is.” A pre-purchase inspection of the home should have uncovered many if not all of the defects you are now looking to correct.

Did you have a pre-purchase inspection? Did you report pre-existing defects to your insurer?

Usually the insurance company will have their own insurance adjuster come out to examine the damage and the homeowner will provide estimates. If you have had three estimates and are looking to have your insurance cover costs, you will have to submit these estimates to your insurer.

I personally don’t think you have a cause of action against the seller (based on your earlier thread) and I don’t think you have much to support an insurance claim.

 

[adjusterjack]

My insurer discouraged me from filing a claim at all.

I'll bet that was your agent and not the claims department.

I filed one anyway.

Good. Better to file it and find out where you stand.

They sent out the adjuster, who is asking for estimates. They haven't given me any recommendation as to whether I should give estimates to the adjuster or not.

You absolutely do give the estimates to the adjuster and give copies to whatever claim rep sent the adjuster out.

I automatically assume that an insurance company would not have my best interests in mind because I have been semi-screwed over by insurance and an adjuster before (when I was permanently injured in a car crash, not my fault, hit head on). After that incident, I don't trust insurance companies or adjusters.

Apples to elephants. Those two types of claims are at opposite ends of the insurance spectrum.

In a claim on your own homeowners policy your insurance company has a contractual obligation to pay what the policy says it pays. Not so on a liability claim against another driver. That company's obligation is to protect its insured.

Floor collapse.

How so? What caused the collapse? A collapse or sag?

Are you looking for coverage for the conditions that existed before you bought the house? There's no coverage for that.

Or for something that happened after you bought the house? If the latter, you'll have to do a lot better job at explaining what happened, how it happened, and what caused it to happen.

 

[quincy]

If the floor joists needed to be replaced at the time you purchased the house, and you had not replaced these floor joists before the floor collapsed, the costs to replace the floor (probably) will not be covered by your insurance.

 

[zddoodah]

I'm filing a homeownership claim for damages, both structural (sinking floor) and related cosmetic damages.

Filing a claim against whom, based on what wrongful conduct, and in what forum?

The adjuster has requested the estimates I have received already.

What adjuster? You seem to have dropped us into the middle of a story without providing any background.

Is it in my best interests to send these to him?

Well...if you don't provide them, the adjuster may halt the processing of your claim or deny the claim for lack of cooperation. Of course, it depends on what sort of insurance claim this is.

My insurer discouraged me from filing a claim at all. I filed one anyway.

In the first sentence of your original post, you wrote that you're "filing a . . . claim," but here you say that you already have filed. Which is it?

 

[adjusterjack]

Educated guess: WarrantSeeker has filed a claim on his own homeowners policy. The company claim rep has sent a field adjuster to inspect and photograph the condition of the home and is awaiting the repair estimates to determine what has to be repaired and why, which will then allow addressing whether coverage applies or not.

I'm deferring any discussion of coverage until I see more details as to what has to be repaired and why.

However, if any of you want to learn about the Collapse coverage you need only take out your own homeowners insurance policy and look for it. It's quite prominent in the property section. Takes up almost a page of its own.

 

[quincy]

It appears that WarrantSeeker purchased a house whose history should have warned him against purchase, had he properly examined the house prior to purchase.

House flippers are known for purchasing houses in poor repair and then investing very little money into repair costs, concentrating primarily on making cosmetic improvements (prettying up the houses) to resell at inflated prices. They don’t want to hold onto any house. They want a quick sale.

If the floor collapsed, there was no doubt an underlying reason for the collapse that should have been discovered. When buying any house, a purchaser should look at the roof and the foundation (including support beams) first. Too many purchasers are swayed to purchase by pretty gardens and attractive furnishings.