Neighbours house set on fire, hot enough to melt my boat. Hidden damages?

[81_chapparel194]

Re: Neighbours house set on fire, hot enough to melt my boat. Hidden damages?

Sounds like if you know the repair guy well it may be time
To raise his labor rates and parts and materials prices significantly. But all jokes aside why should your insurance company be on the hook for damage you had no control over? Once a neighbors tree fell on my shed that was close to his property and his insurance paid after all his tree fell and damaged my property.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Neighbours house set on fire, hot enough to melt my boat. Hidden damages?

...why should your insurance company be on the hook for damage you had no control over? Once a neighbors tree fell on my shed that was close to his property and his insurance paid after all his tree fell and damaged my property.

first, trees are completely different and different states have different laws about liability.

second, the reason his insurance is "on the hook" is because that is what he paid them for. It's a contract; it's not about fault or the right thing to do. You buy insurance so you don't have to go chasing anyone and everyone involved, or more important, try to collect.

Not only is it a contract, think of your annual premiums as installment payments toward a claim--you are just getting your own money back!

The OP's insurance company, standing in the shoes of the OP, can choose to collect from the person at fault or responsible (neighbor), or not. Keep in mind that a fire at my house does not automatically make me liable for damage to yours. You buy insurance to cover losses for which no one is liable to you.

Finally, I hear all the time "I don't want my rates going up if I claim against my insurance." This is a widely-held and fundamentally wrong idea about insurance. Your rates are NOT affected by claims that arise from someone else's fault.* In some states, it's the law. Of course the insurance companies, who would rather not get claims in the first place, aren't going to advertise this; they like the false rumor better.




*yes, as always, there are exceptions. Mutual Insurance may be one; different circumstances or too many claims. Speaking generally here.

 

[81_chapparel194]

Re: Neighbours house set on fire, hot enough to melt my boat. Hidden damages?

Finally, I hear all the time "I don't want my rates going up if I claim against my insurance." This is a widely-held and fundamentally wrong idea about insurance. Your rates are NOT affected by claims that arise from someone else's fault.* In some states, it's the law. Of course the insurance companies, who would rather not get claims in the first place, aren't going to advertise this; they like the false rumor better.




*yes, as always, there are exceptions. Mutual Insurance may be one; different circumstances or too many claims. Speaking generally here.

ok well i have a widely known reputable insurance company (not one of these dot com companies that you see every five minutes on tv) and two years ago some one scraped my wife's car door (car was a month old) in the local grocery store parking lot so i turn it into my insurance company to be repaired as i have full comp and collision coverage plus other useful coverage, they paid no issues what so ever from them. a check was hand delivered to the body shop the day the reapir was finished. about a week later i received a change in premium notice in the mail. my insurance went up 200 a year. i called up my agent abd he said i quote " well mr ********** We paid out a claim on your charger to repair the door didnt we? " i said you sure did. it was the first claim i ever filed with you in the 10 or so years i have had your insurance. i was pleased with how well it went. then he stopped me and said " well you see we paid a claim so therefore your liability risk rose so your premium did as well." and i asked if they assumed i was at fault for the accident (vandalism) and he said oh no no we dont but thats not the issue we still paid a claim regardless of fault."

 

[jbetzelb]

Re: Neighbours house set on fire, hot enough to melt my boat. Hidden damages?

Even if it is no fault of yours if your insurance pays you they can and likely will jack your rates.