To file a claim or not

June 22nd, 2010 - Last Friday when the storm blew through Richmond, it decided to take a few things with it on the way out. My patio set, which was piled in a heap at my neighbor's garage door, the neighbor who lives over 100 feet away. It also took my coach lights, at the end of the driveway, not sure why it was light out, maybe he knew he was doing more traveling and needed to see. And to round out his takings he decided to take my electricity, which meant he also took all my refridgerator and freezer food. Perhaps he was hungry from carring all the furniture, knocking over trees, bringing down houses, and knocking out power. Just so you know, they do not call this a tornado, a hurricane, or a typhone. No, the new catchy name for this type of storm is 'micro burst'. Mirco, as in small, not really. And burst as in, well, I will be damned if I know.

So, now that I am back in my home, with the power back on. Oh, did I mention I did not get power until Sunday night, I am dealing with filing a claim. So after I assessed the damage, couple thousand, thought it was time to call the Insurer. The phone call went something like this. "Hello, my name is so and so, and I would like to know what the deductible is on my home owners policy?" Without hesitation, "one thousand dollars". "Ok, when the storm came through on Friday, it caused some damage and based on that information, I would like to file a claim". "Really, what is the problem?" "No, problem, just want to file my claim". "For what?" "For some items that were damaged from the storm". "Oh, what did you lose or what was damaged?" I list out the various items and then get to the food and meat in the refridgerator, which of course, is very ripe by now and sitting in plastic bags in the garbage waiting for garbage pickup. He says to me, "well I need you to inventory the items in your refridgerator and freezer and give a dollar amount for the items. If you have receipts that would be good". "Really, do you really think I am going to pick up each item of spoiled food and give you an estimate for it. And do you really think I saved all my receipts from stocking my freezers?". "Right now it is in garbage bags I am not going through it". "Well then how will we know what you lost and how much it is worth?" I say, "I am sure there is a standard deduction per freezer and you can just use that, unless of course you want to send an adjustor today, and he can spend all the time he wants going through it". "Well it will take a couple days before someone can get there, you know there was a bad storm". "Ding, ding, we have a winner! Yes I do know there was a bad storm, that is why I am calling you." He thinks for a minute and then says, "well can you take pictures?" "f the furniture? yes. Of the coach lights?yes. Of the garbage? All you will see is garbage bags, I am not opening them!" "ell, he says, I guess that will have to do".

So, as usual I thought this filing a claim would be an easy process, no big deal, just a simple phone call. Not so much. You see, they make it real easy for you to pay your bill, no pictures required. Just get on-line and just that easy they can take your money. But, oh, when they have to pay out the money, well now that is another story. Too bad, they didn't come right away. By waiting I found a few other damaged items. The one thing that really gets me is I have paid home owners insurance for over 40 years, and file one little claim....and now I have to worry, will they raise my rates? Sometimes I think the world is going to hell in a handbag, and the handbag has a hole in it.