Saddleback ridge fire home rebuild insurance issue

[coolchange]

So a friend of mine's house burned in the saddleback ridge fire. Not to the ground but pretty extensive.
Insurance companies giving them grief. Said the roof is fine, in the rain it's leaked everywhere. Say all the kitchen appliances are okay, kitchen backed against the room that was lost. She says they're all yellow. They want her to store her furniture what's left of it in the garage.
I think she's getting jacked around pretty hard.
California board of insurance? Where do you start.
I know if you're good you're working right now.
Brad, Mandy, anybody else, got any advice?

 

[Sleek-Jet]

State Farm?

 

[Boatracer36]

That doesn't sound right at all. Ask for a different claims adjuster. Supervisor etc... Have her call the agent and get them involved. Some companies try to get away with doing/paying as little as possible. What company?

 

[Canuck 1]

First thing to do is call her broker and complain, have the broker call ins co and assign new adjuster. Do not let her go along with the restoration company if that is their way of dealing with contents. You can call me if you need help

 

[500bbc]

So a friend of mine's house burned in the saddleback ridge fire. Not to the ground but pretty extensive.
Insurance companies giving them grief. Said the roof is fine, in the rain it's leaked everywhere. Say all the kitchen appliances are okay, kitchen backed against the room that was lost. She says they're all yellow. They want her to store her furniture what's left of it in the garage.
I think she's getting jacked around pretty hard.
California board of insurance? Where do you start.
I know if you're good you're working right now.
Brad, Mandy, anybody else, got any advice?

Where?

They may need a Public Adjuster, at the very least an honest contractor with the proper software.

 

[coolchange]

Farmers.
Porter Ranch.
I t hasn't really started yet and she's already frustrated.

 

[BajaT]

State Farm?

Doubt it. Their rates aren't cheap but strongly believe you get your monies worth if you have to file a claim. From vehicle accidents, to stolen truck to a fire claim, they left me very satisfied every time.

Tell them you will contact the DOI (Department of Insurance). That is last thing they want as they have to formally respond to complaints and its a pain in as.. they just assume avoid.

 

[RiverDave]

That doesn't sound right at all. Ask for a different claims adjuster. Supervisor etc... Have her call the agent and get them involved. Some companies try to get away with doing/paying as little as possible. What company?

And this is why I good agents are important!

 

[Canuck 1]

Farmers.
Porter Ranch.
I t hasn't really started yet and she's already frustrated.

Tell her to sign nothing and do not let her be pushed into making decisions that she is not comfortable with, including the contractor the adjuster recommends

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Doubt it. Their rates aren't cheap but strongly believe you get your monies worth if you have to file a claim. From vehicle accidents, to stolen truck to a fire claim, they left me very satisfied every time.

Tell them you will contact the DOI (Department of Insurance). That is last thing they want as they have to formally respond to complaints and its a pain in as.. they just assume avoid.

State Farm stiffed a bunch of property owners in AZ after wildfires out there. At least in that market they aren't a good neighbor.

 

[Boatracer36]

Farmers.
Porter Ranch.
I t hasn't really started yet and she's already frustrated.

Call your agent and let them know whats going on.

 

[Turnup]

Is it with a Farmers adjuster or a public adjuster like Greenspan or SGD?? Is there a contractor involved yet?? As of an hour ago I am wrapping up a fire claim for just shy of 500k on a 2bd..me and my sphere shoot frequently at PVCC and chances are I know the house in question.

 

[BajaMike]

California Department of Insurance, Complaint Dept.

http://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/101-help/

Maybe somebody knows a good lawyer who does this kind of work in Orange County, mine fell down his stairs at home in Dana Point and died last month. :-(

Once this is resolved, if your friend is former or current military, or a parent was a member, have him switch to USAA, they are the very best, good prices and amazing claims resolution. I’ve had them for 30 years, my dad had them for 70 years, my ex-wife for 30 years, my son for 10 years. Claims are paid fairly and fast. But it is for military and family only.

 

[Yellowboat]

Do not go to usaa, they are horrible. They treat every one that is not the policy holder like shit. Lers just say i have sued them for bad faith twice. I als have done 2 home insurance claims in 2 diffremt states, both times they had horrible adjusters and were 4-6 months late on payment. This was on top of thier L 60. There will not be a 3rd.


Get a new adjuster out there

 

[colenighthawk]

Is it with a Farmers adjuster or a public adjuster like Greenspan or SGD?? Is there a contractor involved yet?? As of an hour ago I am wrapping up a fire claim for just shy of 500k on a 2bd..me and my sphere shoot frequently at PVCC and chances are I know the house in question.

If your ever in need of a restoration company I'm here to help. Referral fee $$$
Servicemaster By Disaster Recovery Experts
Los Angels County and OC County

714.728.7563

 

[C-2]

I agree, consider hiring a public adjuster. They get a percentage of any claim paid; so they have a vested interest in getting the insured more cash (commission is usually 10%)

By comparison to your friend's deal, I recently worked on a case where there was a fire in a single bedroom of a large tract house. The fire sprinklers worked, so physical fire damage was limited to a single bedroom only, along with water damage, and smoke damage. Homeowner hired a public adjuster, who got them a complete rewire of the house, complete re-plumb, stripped to the studs, new kitchen, new bathrooms, new windows, new air handler units, AC compressors...over $300,000K.

As for filing a complaint with DOI, what has the insurance company done wrong? DOI looks for violations of insurance laws and violations of other admin laws. Low-balling the insured most likely does not rise to that level. If they find violations, the company can be disciplined, but I'm not sure that helps the insured; especially if timely decisions must be made.

 

[Mandelon]

Definitely find an independent adjustor. If they won't work with that, then a lawyer.

 

[Turnup]

If your friend needs help or at least solid free advice shoot a PM.

 

[C-2]

Cool, insurance companies got as little smackdown today...

http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0400-news/0100-press-releases/2019/release092-19.cfm

Wildfire insurance crisis leads commissioner to call for first-ever statewide non-renewal moratorium
News: 2019 Press Release

For Release: December 5, 2019
Media Calls Only: 916-492-3566
Email Inquiries: [email protected]
Wildfire insurance crisis leads commissioner to call for first-ever statewide non-renewal moratorium
Action to head off growing insurance availability crisis follows
OAKLAND, Calif. — Today Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance companies non-renewing policyholders--helping at least 800,000 homes in wildfire disaster areas in Northern and Southern California. The commissioner’s action is the result of Senate Bill 824—authored last year by Lara while serving as state senator—in order to give temporary relief from non-renewals to residents living near a declared wildfire disaster. This is the first time the department has invoked the new law, which took effect in January.



Because the homeowner insurance crisis extends beyond the wildfire perimeters and impacts residents statewide, Commissioner Lara went a step further and called on insurance companies to voluntarily cease all non-renewals related to wildfire risk statewide until December 5, 2020, in the wake of Governor Gavin Newsom's declaration of statewide emergency due to fires and extreme weather conditions. A statewide moratorium would provide all California homeowners, renters, and businesses peace of mind, and allow time for stakeholders to come together to work on lasting solutions, help reduce wildfire risk, and stabilize the insurance market.


“This wildfire insurance crisis has been years in the making, but it is an emergency we must deal with now if we are going to keep the California dream of home ownership from becoming the California nightmare, as an increasing number of homeowners struggle to find coverage,” said Commissioner Lara. “I am calling on insurance companies to push the pause button on issuing non-renewals for one year to give breathing room to communities and homeowners while they adapt and mitigate risks, give the Legislature time to work on additional lasting solutions, and allow California's insurance market to stabilize.”



Commissioner Lara announced the action at a home in Oakland alongside local leaders from affected areas and consumer advocates, following months of meetings across the state with county officials, community leaders, and more than 2,000 homeowners who have been non-renewed and struggled to find new coverage.


“As communities across California continue to recover from wildfires and natural disasters, insurance companies are critical partners in helping our communities rise up,” said Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore, who serves as second vice president of the California State Association of Counties. “The inability to obtain insurance after disaster strikes impacts home values and tax revenues for emergency services that help ensure the integrity of California communities. On behalf of Sonoma County and every county statewide navigating the rebuilding and recovery process, we call on our insurance partners to help us move toward a more resilient future.”



The mandatory one-year moratorium covers more than 800,000 residential policies in ZIP Codes adjacent to recent wildfire disasters under the newly enacted Senate Bill 824 (Lara, Chapter 616, Statutes of 2018), also known as the Wildfire Safety and Recovery Act. While existing law prevents non-renewals for those who suffer a total loss, the new law established protection for those living adjacent to a declared wildfire emergency who did not suffer a total loss—recognizing for the first time in law the disruption that non-renewals cause in communities following wildfire disasters.


“Home insurance is not a luxury - it's a necessity. Yet for hundreds of thousands of Californians it's become almost impossible to find and afford. This puts people between a rock and a hard place, and communities up and down the state are hurting,” said Amy Bach, Executive Director of United Policyholders. “At United Policyholders we are doing all we can to help consumers deal with this situation and we thank Commissioner Lara for authoring the moratorium bill and agreeing to take further action with a statewide voluntary moratorium.”



Following Governor Newsom's emergency declarations in October, the Department of Insurance partnered with CAL-FIRE and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to identify wildfire perimeters and adjacent ZIP codes within the mandatory moratorium area. Today’s bulletin includes seven of the 16 wildfires within state-declared emergency areas, and CAL-FIRE is working to identify perimeters for the remaining nine fires, which the Department of Insurance will announce in a separate bulletin.


Commissioner Lara's action comes amid growing evidence that homeowner insurance has become more difficult for Californians to obtain from traditional markets, forcing them into more expensive, less comprehensive options such as the FAIR Plan that do not offer the same level of coverage or protections.



In August, the Department of Insurance released data revealing insurance companies are dropping an increasing number of residents in areas with high wildfire risk. The number of non-renewals rose by more than 10% last year in seven counties from San Diego to Sierra—a direct response to California’s recent devastating wildfires. The number of consumers covered by the FAIR Plan—California’s insurer of last resort —has surged in areas with high wildfire risk. According to the U.S. Forest Service, more than 3.6 million California households are located in the wildland urban interface where wildfires are most likely to occur.



Today's action builds on Commissioner Lara's order last month to modernize the FAIR Plan and strengthens our insurance safety net. No later than June 1, 2020, the FAIR Plan will expand its coverage to offer a full homeowners policy in addition to its current limited fire-only policy. By April 1, 2020, the FAIR Plan will increase the Dwelling Fire combined policy limit from $1.5 million to $3 million, in recognition of higher home values. By February 1, 2020, the FAIR Plan will offer a monthly payment plan without fees and allow people to pay by credit card or electronic funds transfer without fees.

 

[CarolynandBob]

Do not go to usaa, they are horrible. They treat every one that is not the policy holder like shit. Lers just say i have sued them for bad faith twice. I als have done 2 home insurance claims in 2 diffremt states, both times they had horrible adjusters and were 4-6 months late on payment. This was on top of thier L 60. There will not be a 3rd.


Get a new adjuster out there

Had USAA. Had a water leak in Master bath upstairs. Called USAA. They investigate. Said they are not responsible because builder did not put a rubber seal around tub. (builder banckrupt) I said fine I will fix myself. Decided to remodel whole bath.

Few years later sell the house and buy another. Usaa says they won't write the policy because we had a water claim. Went to other insurance companies and rates were outrageous, because we had a water claim. Allstate was reasonable and asked if I could prove they didn't pay the claim. I said Yes here is the denial letter. They wrote the policy for a normal amount. FUCK USAA.

 

[Go-Fly]

99.9% of customers never read their home owner policy. They think if your house burns down you get a new one and all new shit inside. That's not how it works and when that world falls apart, people don't know what to do. This thread is a good reminder that everyone needs to review their home owner policies. Be honest of what you want to cover and be willing to pay for it. You get exactly what you pay for.

 

[coolchange]

It's a farmers adjuster.
Don't know exact location of the house, they have a pool and a paddleboard Court. Fire department shocked the whole place didn't burn.
Thanks for the advice everybody I'll pass it on. At least now she has somewhere to start.

 

[Mr. C]

WOW, I have USAA and my experiences have been nothing like the above.

Had a kitchen water leak, destroyed the hardwood floors etc. Memory says we were getting fixed with 2 weeks, probably took that long because we couldn't make up our minds on the new floor.
Had a window leak a couple yrs ago in a bad rain and within 5 days of getting an estimate we had a check to fix it.