Homeowners insurance cover question

[Frank]

Reading over posts of well meaning people eager to get out there and help cleanup after the tornadoes has me wondering...

For those with homeowners insurance, why in the hell would you be out cutting trees and cleaning up debris, much less paying someone to do it? I can see sifting wreckage for belongings, but I don't understand all this rush to cleanup some of these places. It would seem to me they are screwing themselves when that is part of what they are paying insurance to do, right? Everybody is all eager to get out an volunteer on this, but I just feel like people aren't thinking this through. Am I wrong?

[bcoop]

Reading over posts of well meaning people eager to get out there and help cleanup after the tornadoes has me wondering...

For those with homeowners insurance, why in the hell would you be out cutting trees and cleaning up debris, much less paying someone to do it? I can see sifting wreckage for belongings, but I don't understand all this rush to cleanup some of these places. It would seem to me they are screwing themselves when that is part of what they are paying insurance to do, right? Everybody is all eager to get out an volunteer on this, but I just feel like people aren't thinking this through. Am I wrong?

Depends on the clean up. Pictures can document damage to cars, downed trees, etc. I'm sure the people paying someone to clean up will be reimbursed by insurance companies.


I think you're being too critical of the responses of people who have lost everything in a natural disaster. Who is to say how they should react? I wouldn't want to look at all the rubble, and I'm the kind of person who needs to be busy to keep my mind off things, so I'd likely do the same in regards to clean up.

[Frank]

Depends on the clean up. Pictures can document damage to cars, downed trees, etc. I'm sure the people paying someone to clean up will be reimbursed by insurance companies.


I think you're being too critical of the responses of people who have lost everything in a natural disaster. Who is to say how they should react? I wouldn't want to look at all the rubble, and I'm the kind of person who needs to be busy to keep my mind off things, so I'd likely do the same in regards to clean up.

I'm not so much being critical of those that lost, but those that are helping and may not realize they could be doing more harm than good by moving too fast. I'm just trying to learn from it to protect myself and family should we ever be faced with it. Basically I am not trusting that some insurance companies won't use these volunteer efforts to their advantage to lower their payout.

[BP]

Basically I am not trusting that some insurance companies won't use these volunteer efforts to their advantage to lower their payout.

We are talking about total losses though, insurance companies should be paying out their maximum liability in most cases. Cleanup costs very minor compared to a total loss of a home. That and the local government can provide services for that and get reimbursed by FEMA if it's a disaster area.

I understand what you are saying. It doesn't make sense to bust your ass doing work that someone else can be paid for but when it's an entire neighborhood that's destroyed it could be months or even years before the work is done if you rely on the government or insurance contractors.

[bcoop]

I'm not so much being critical of those that lost, but those that are helping and may not realize they could be doing more harm than good by moving too fast. I'm just trying to learn from it to protect myself and family should we ever be faced with it. Basically I am not trusting that some insurance companies won't use these volunteer efforts to their advantage to lower their payout.

Ah, ok.

And x2 on what BP said.

[fordracing19]

I would be out house shopping.

[slow99]

I'd be shopping for higher grade lumber.

[Sleeper]

I'd be shopping for higher grade lumber.

Steel

[mstng86]

Lumbersteel!

[BP]

The most common arguments in these situations are regarding whether the property can be salvaged or not. If the home is completely gone there isn't an argument, it can't be repaired so they pay out the max. If there are parts still standing but damaged the insurer decides on what to pay.

Another thing people usually don't think about is that there is likely a lien on the property. Not everyone outside of this site pay cash for their homes. If you have a mortgage the bank gets their cut out of your insurance. So if you owe $100k on a $100k house you aren't going to get a whole lot to rebuild with.

[Whiteboy]

There was a line almost out the door at the Rowlett post office today people trying to get there mail and the people incharged there have no clue what they are doing lol

[A_A_G]

Because you're the owner of the property, you are responsible to clean it up. Your insurance company doesn't do it for you. They cut you a check to take care of it and also reimburse you for out of pocket expenses for cleanup and also for items purchased to prevent further damage (like tarps, paying to remove a tree off your roof).

[Broncojohnny]

Lumbersteel!

From Antarctica...

[Frank]

Because you're the owner of the property, you are responsible to clean it up. Your insurance company doesn't do it for you. They cut you a check to take care of it and also reimburse you for out of pocket expenses for cleanup and also for items purchased to prevent further damage (like tarps, paying to remove a tree off your roof).

I guess I was thinking of in the case where a house is salvageable, but there is a lot of debris, I thought the cleanup would be a part of indemnifying the property back to previous condition.

[Stng5Pnt8]

Reading over posts of well meaning people eager to get out there and help cleanup after the tornadoes has me wondering...

For those with homeowners insurance, why in the hell would you be out cutting trees and cleaning up debris, much less paying someone to do it? I can see sifting wreckage for belongings, but I don't understand all this rush to cleanup some of these places. It would seem to me they are screwing themselves when that is part of what they are paying insurance to do, right? Everybody is all eager to get out an volunteer on this, but I just feel like people aren't thinking this through. Am I wrong?

Many of the people are trying to salvage what they can. In regards to them cleaning up, the insurance company doesn't send someone out to clean up debris. The insurance company will include an amount for cleanup cost, of course there are always people that either don't know this, or rather keep some of the cash instead of paying out.