Home Ins. Claim Feedback

[thislifeandthenext]

Have some questions and looking for honest feedback. Basement flooded recently- nothing catastrophic but 4-6 inches did some damage to an unfurnished basement, including many contents (some of no value personal items- photographs/documents). Sump pump failed and in came all the rainfall we had over the last two days. Ironically, I have a large claim from 5 years ago on my file. (Just fyi- I am not fully on board with this new claim yet, adjuster is still crafting the numbers and I want to weigh options)

First question- what is the likelihood I will get dropped, has enough time passed between claims?

Second question- do insurance companies get very specific on content items and double check previous claims to make sure nothing crosses over? I am not looking to commit insurance fraud but over the years since the fire, the basement became a dumping ground of things I didn’t want anymore in the main house but don’t have the heart to get rid of. And right now I am not 100% certain that it wasn’t listed before, especially if an item did not have smoke damage but was in a room so deemed a loss by association.

Appreciate the help as I navigate this unique situation.

 

[jesus%E2%9D%A4%EF%B8%8Fandwantsthebest4u]

@thislifeandthenext 1) You did not have a "flood" you had a sewer and drain water back up due to sump pump failure. In order for this type of loss to be covered your policy would need to cover sewer and drain, most base policies do not, or need an endorsement for sewer and drain coverage.

2) Sewer and drain coverages mostly subjected to a lower policy limit than the base policy and sometimes have a separate deductible, refer to your policy and endorsements/additional coverage documents.

3) Sewer and drain coverages typically applies to the water mitigation (clean up), the rebuild (repair/replace) and for any content damages. So that means if you have sewer and drain and the policy limit is $10k that is the most the insurer will pay for everything from the water extraction, drying, cleaning, repairs and any contents that are damaged like furniture, appliances, clothes, etc.

4) If you have a lower sewer and drain limit and the adjuster can write to pay the limit you may not need to provide the contents list, but if the adjuster doesn't pay the limit then you should consider providing the contents list if it is stuff you want replaced because it is part of the lost.

5) Renewal is up to underwriting and risk not claims or the agent. However, your agent may be able to provide better guidance on the risks of non-renewal than anyone in claims could, so talk to your agent.

Good luck.

 

[daemon]

@thislifeandthenext 3 years is look back on claims. You won’t get raised.