Allstate

[snopes]

Comment: This is going around on Facebook...is it true?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

HI Everyone, This is my house. We walked in through a HOLE in the front to
the entire first floor COMPLETELY gone. We are fully insured. Allstate had
just quoted us on the amount we are receiving. $165.38. Notice the RED tag
on the door (WE ARE NOT ALLOWED IN) This is not acceptable, and basically
a slap in the face. Please re-post this, Share or Whatever everyone does
to make this Viral. To make Allstate know what its like to be jerked
around, we are hanging the Banner in hopes of some Media Attention.
Everyone who was helping from the storm, Just repost this! Thanks!

[GenYus234]

House badly damaged, finanaces probably strained? Clothes and furnishings ruined?

Priority: Get professionally printed banner made.

[jimmy101_again]

I wonder what their homeowners deductible was?

A $20K deductible would make the insurance quite cheap. It would also mean that $20,165.38 worth of damage means the homeowner, correctly, gets $165.38.

[GenYus234]

If they even cover flooding damage. IMS, many policies do not.

[Beachlife!]

That is the issue, it is impossible to tell what is going on based on the information they provide. Specifically, what insurance they had, what was covered and what their deductible was.

*ETA: Just looked at her Facebook page. It appears the payment was for wind damage. That makes me guess the rest was considered flood damage especially given the close proximity to open water.

[chillas]

Yeah, as others have said, without knowing at least some specifics of their policy, in particular their deductible, it's impossible to say whether or not it's a reasonable offer. Also, I wonder if the storm surges that caused the damage were classified as flood damage, which will not typically be covered by a homeowner's policy.

My gut instinct is that the insurance company is paying exactly what they owe based on their coverage and the person simply did not bother to understand their coverage beforehand. Most people, understandably, want low premiums, which means a high deductible.

Again, could be wrong, just my gut instinct.

[Beachlife!]

I'm not sure how long they are going to leave this open to public access, but here is an album including more pics of the house:

Mobile uploads

It was clearly flood damage to the house. The house appears to be very close to the water. I would guess they lacked flood insurance.

[Chloe]

How dare the insurance company not pay them for something they're not insured against!

I guess they're not as bad as State Farm. They didn't pay them a single penny, simply because they were insured with a different company.

[Beachlife!]

The location given in the pic is Prince's Bay which was pretty much built over and around a wetlands. Most of it is in flood zone A:

Zone A includes all low-lying costal areas and other areas that could experience storm surge from ANY hurricane.

I am sure flood insurance is very expensive in this area.

[DotBat]

Originally Posted by Chloe

I guess they're not as bad as State Farm. They didn't pay them a single penny, simply because they were insured with a different company.

I believe a State Fame agent is legally required to appear and do whatever you ask if you sing the jingle. Not everyone is aware of this policy.

[jimmy101_again]

Originally Posted by Beachlife!

The location given in the pic is Prince's Bay which was pretty much built over and around a wetlands. Most of it is in flood zone A:
I am sure flood insurance is very expensive in this area.

In flood prone areas aren't you usually required to have flood insurance (required by either the local gov't or by the mortgage holder).

[Beachlife!]

It may be required by the lender and in order to receive Federal disaster relief it is required in some areas. But, if your lender isn't requiring it, you can do without it.

[hambubba]

Same song and dance - I have a friend who's home was behind a levee (Braithwaite subd) she was told by her lender they would delay her payment. They did, and last week got a letter stating it had to be notes paid in full by Dec. 1 or foreclosed. They're paying outrageous rent waiting for the settlement on their house as well.

Liars and crooks.

Did you know, my homeowner's deductible is 600, and the deductible from hurricane damage is 2500? My damage was 551 anyway but geez.

[damian]

Originally Posted by GenYus234

If they even cover flooding damage. IMS, many policies do not.

During the Brisbane floods a few years ago, many householders found out there are difference types of flooding. Flooding from leaving the bath running is different to rain coming in the roof, which is different to water flowing down the street and in the front door. Many assumed that "flood" meant "too much water in the house, causing damage". Turns out, from an insurance standpoint, not really.

In the case of a river breaking it's banks, you are probably better off turning on an upstairs tap and leaving it on. Then claim that the bath water did all the damage.

[thorny locust]

Originally Posted by damian

In the case of a river breaking it's banks, you are probably better off turning on an upstairs tap and leaving it on. Then claim that the bath water did all the damage.

That probably wasn't a serious suggestion, but I strongly suspect that they can tell tap water residue from flood water residue. (If not, I surely wouldn't drink your tap water.) You'd most likely not only not get paid, but be hit with fraud charges.

[Roadie]

Originally Posted by GenYus234

House badly damaged, finanaces probably strained? Clothes and furnishings ruined?

Priority: Get professionally printed banner made.

We had an unfortunate incident here where some misdirected rain runoff went directly into someone's living room. The homeowners refused to have ServiceMaster or a similar service come out to dry the carpets to prevent further mold damage while fault was determined, so the resultant claim was 4 times what it would have been. And then they lost in court. Because they had illegally built a fence that redirected the water.

[damian]

Originally Posted by thorny locust

That probably wasn't a serious suggestion, but I strongly suspect that they can tell tap water residue from flood water residue. (If not, I surely wouldn't drink your tap water.)

You can drink our flood water.

No, it wasn't serious.

[KirkMcD]

Originally Posted by jimmy101_again

In flood prone areas aren't you usually required to have flood insurance (required by either the local gov't or by the mortgage holder).

http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart...the_basics.jsp

Homes and businesses with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders in high-risk flood areas are required to have flood insurance. While flood insurance is not federally required if you live in a moderate-to-low risk flood area, it is still available and strongly recommended.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by Roadie

We had an unfortunate incident here where some misdirected rain runoff went directly into someone's living room. The homeowners refused to have ServiceMaster or a similar service come out to dry the carpets to prevent further mold damage while fault was determined, so the resultant claim was 4 times what it would have been.

Maybe they were afraid the insurance would try to pull what my homeowner's insurance did after my townhouse was flooded by a rusted-out hot water tank: because ServiceMaster had come in and dried out the carpet (and sliced it up in the process), they tried to say it could just be tacked down again. I had to fight like hell to get them to replace it.

ETA: And while we were arguing about it, DD and I had to live with the carpets pulled up, revealing bare concrete floors (it was winter, and Seattle's winters are mild but not warm) and exposed tack strips.

[thorny locust]

Originally Posted by damian

You can drink our flood water.

Are you sure?

Here, you're not even supposed to sell crops from flooded fields. Modern floodwater can pick up all sorts of interesting contaminants enroute.