Fighting Lies

 I've written about my homeowner's insurance issues in previous posts, but I haven't really given the full story.  That's what I intend to do here.  Maybe what I write can help someone else going through this BS or at least let them know that they are NOT alone...because I'm pretty sure the tale I'm about to tell is not unique to me.

My story starts with death.  My mother died in July 2022 and left me the house with the understanding that my dad would live there for as long as he liked/lived.  I never changed the name of the deed (it felt kind of weird) and my dad had always paid for the insurance on the house (homeowners and flood).  After my dad died in July of 2023, I HAD to have the name on the deed changed to mine.  (Which meant I had to go see my parent's lawyer and pay some bucks.)  This took a little bit of time.  (When someone dies there's a LOT of work to be done...I'm STILL not finished and I've tried to be diligent, but some things have to wait...it's just too much and overwhelming.)  All while this was happening, the insurance on the house was still good and under my parents.

BEFORE I even got the new deed, I got letter from the agent that my father used saying they were moving to a new office location.  Being the good person that I am, I called and said that my father had died and that the house would now be in my name.  Thus started the craziness.  (Please note that this was NOT the agent's fault.)

The minute the house was in my name, I'd need insurance.  (Forget about what already existed.)  The agent asked me a bunch of questions about the house and I did my best to answer them.  Things like when appliances were replaced, heating system info, etc.  All of which I knew had to have been fixed/replaced after SuperStorm Sandy in 2012.  (We're coming up on the 11th "anniversary" at the end of the week...something else that makes me stress out.)  Pretty much everything had to be replaced/repaired/redone in 2013 and I KNOW that it was mostly completed by the end of May.  All seemed pretty good.

As soon as I knew the deed had been transferred (even before I had it in my hands), I let the agent know.  She had paperwork that I had to sign electronically, which I did immediately.  When the bills (one for homeowners, one for flood), I immediately paid.  Insurance is NOT cheap (we all know that), but it is needed and I always try to be diligent in paying not just this but ALL bills that come my way.  I was paid up and I was covered.  All SEEMED good.

AFTER the fact, the company associated with the homeowner's policy (I will refrain from posting their name for now), wanted to an inspector to come by and take some photos.  I was fine with that and set up an appointment for the first Friday in October.  The "kid" (because he was young) came on time, took photos in the house (each room with under the sink photos for each room with a sink as well as the tankless hot water heater and the furnace, which is in the attic.)  It was all done quickly; less than 1/2 an hour (and that includes the time he took setting his phone on a large "selfie stick" to get roof photos.)

A week later, I get an email from the agent which in part said:

I freaked out!  I didn't think ANY of the above was true, but I needed to investigate.  Which I did that weekend.  (https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/saturday-14th-thoughts.html) Based on that, my plumbing was good (I even took video with water running which shows NO leak) and my furnace was NOT 35 years old (was manufactured 17 years ago).  Through a neighbor I got the name of a roofing contractor who agreed to come out on a Saturday morning to do an inspection (in the rain; because it rains on the weekends).

The contractor showed up on time (in the rain) and told me right away that he didn't think there was any issue with the roof.  He had spent several months working across the street on a new home build and saw my roof every single day.  He knew that the inspection was the request of the insurance company and asked me if the insurance "inspector" had gone up on the roof (no) or had used a drone to take photos (no).  He and his partner went up on the roof (in the rain).  When he came down, he confirmed that there was nothing wrong with it.  Additionally, he said that my parents had gotten the shingles that would last for 30 years vs the "regular 20."  The other day he sent me an "official" email which stated:  "Inspected the entire roof and there is nothing wrong with it and it has about 15 years of life to go. There is no reason to replace it at this time."  He signed with his name, title, company name, address and state contractor's license number.  All of which we forwarded to the agent.

So there EVERYTHING that the insurance company "claimed" was an issue was not.  Their threat of cancelling the policy was based on lies.  While the kid they sent out spent 20 or so minutes doing his "job," I spent hours researching and refuting their bad information.  

Is everything good now?  Not quite.  (What a surprise.)  Last night I got an email from the agent (who had spent a week trying to get someone from the insurance company to talk to her) which said:  "I just got off the phone with the Supervisor and was able to go over everything you had emailed me since this all began and he stated if you get in writing from the Contractor on his letterhead what he said about the roof we should be good to go and it will be reinstated."  So I have one more hoop to jump through:  getting an "official" document (when email won't do) and getting it to the agent, which shouldn't be too hard, should it?  (Don't answer that.)

As the result of the insurance company's lies, I've been stressed out and done lots of work/research.  (I even went up into the attic to check out the furnace...the "inspector" just took a photo from the steps of the pull-down ladder.)  I HOPE that within the next week or so the company will officially provide reinstatement paperwork (which I have asked for).  I'd also hope they have learned my new motto "Don't F with me fellas."  (Thank you Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest.) 

Don't let anyone F with you either.  Fight the lies.  Truth always matters.