Yesterday I met with the claims adjuster, in regards to the storm damage to our house and yard. The guy was really nice but some of the information that he provided, contradicted what I had been told over the phone by desk adjuster (I think that's what the person was called).
There is one enormous area of concern for me, that falls smack dab in the middle of this contradiction and that's the damaged tree that still remains standing.
Before I get to that, let me explain where we stand with everything else.
First of all, if you're unfamiliar with that happened during the freak storm, you can catch up here. There's tons of pictures and background.
The damage to the house should be covered without a problem. We can't however, get a solid estimate until the debris is removed. The adjuster wanted me to go ahead and get that done, so he can came back, ladder the house and inspect the damage. I am expecting an estimate based on what he was able to access.
I explained that there's no way we can cover the cost upfront and that's why the tree is still laying against our house. We're probably looking at somewhere around $1,000 - $1,500 for cleanup and removal. I'm working on getting quotes for that this week.
I have to figure that out ASAP. It's a whole lot of tree and it's going to take a lot of work. That often times means very expensive.
One way or another, we'll get that figured out.
What truly concerns me is that the part of the tree that still remains is enormous and compromised. I'm worried that it may be compromised enough that it needs to come down. There are very obvious safety concerns.
I was originally told, if the tree needs to come down, it would be covered by insurance. Apparently it's not and I was misinformed.
Here's the real kick in the nuts. If the tree is deemed a hazard and something happens as a result of the tree at any time going forward, it won't be covered by insurance. It's even possible that our policy could be impacted if the tree needs to come down and we can't afford to have it removed.
My parents used to have a trampoline in their backyard. Insurance somehow found out and they essentially said if the trampoline stays, their homeowners policy will be dropped.
This could be a problem. I have to have an arborist come out and inspect the tree. That's not covered either.
I'm supposed to get an estimate from the adjuster and as soon as I do, I'll know better where we stand. It won't be 100% until he can inspect the roof damage but it will reflect anger we stand at the mime.
I'm nervous about this because the deductible is so high, we may just be screwed.
