So, we had a semi-flood in the living room due to T.S. Fay. We filed a claim with State Farm. Claim denied. They didn’t even send out a goddamn adjuster or claims examiner. They didn’t look at pictures. You can read the “Floridopers- T.S. Fay something something” thread for the details.
Yesterday, we got a letter saying “your policy is being cancelled as our underwriting guidelines do not permit us to issue any additional coverage in your area.”
WHAT. THE. FUCK? Why the hell didn’t you tell us this when you issued coverage, you complete fuckwits? In fact, why the hell did you issue coverage in the first place? Is it your standard operating procedure to bind a policy and then decide if it was a good idea?
Kindly take these venomous jellyfish and drape them over your collective genitalia, assholes.
Oh, and since you were nice enough to cancel this policy, we’ll be canceling both our auto insurance policies, and my life insurance. Also, my mother will be canceling her life insurance and all five business policies. I’m also going to start mailing you obscene notes in the prepaid envelopes that come with your junk mail.
There’s no need to send out an adjuster when its obvious to the insurer (based on the information provided by the claimant) that the policy doesn’t cover the peril that caused the damage.
Your standard private insurer homeowners policy doesn’t cover flooding. Period.
If you want flood insurance, you have to purchase it from the government flood insurance program.
As far as your insurance being cancelled later, I’m sorry about that, but Florida has made it quite clear that it’s not going to allow insurers to charge the rates necessary to provide adequate premium to cover the risk in Florida. All insurers, not just State Farm, are cutting back their Florida/Gulf Coast/Atlantic coast coverage exposure.
Homeowner’s insurance, no flood coverage. It was denied as flooding, and therefore not covered. That’s not the thrust of the Pitting, although the water was coming in between the top of the wall and the roof, and was clearly *not *flooding.
State Farm’s response was, and I quote, “anything that doesn’t come through the roof is flooding.”
I have been planning to file a complaint, because that’s definitely not what the policy says, but they haven’t sent me a copy of the damn policy yet.
The policy is a month old. I could sort of see the logic in this if it was 12, 6, or even three months after the policy was issued. I cannot, however, possibly imagine how an insurer could be so monumentally cretinous as to issue a policy without bothering to check on what its own fucking guidelines will be in a couple of weeks.
Y’ know, there’s almost certainly precedent on the books about this. Probably several dozen of them. it sucks for you, but that’s what you get for not covering all the angles. I ain’t hatin’ on you, but that’s the way things are.
I imagine so, which is why I’m considering legal action once I can actually read the damn policy. I’ve consulted a construction attorney and an insurance (defense) attorney and both are highly dubious that the policy is worded that way.
Yeah, if the policy was only a month old, then that is stupid … and I’m not sure that cancelling it is even allowed.
If they bound the coverage, and accepted your premium, then there are only a few specific cases where the insurer can cancel the policy before the end of the policy term, and nearly all of those would have to involve misrepresentation/fraud/nonpayment of premium on your part. You may want to check with your state DOI.
Unless there’s something in your policy that allows the insurer to cancel in the first 30 days for any reason…
Google class action suits and Katrina. There was a big stink about wind-driven water that resulted in flooding for many NOLA residents. There might be something useful.
Nothing worthwhile to add other than I LOL’d at the quoted bit – this is something I have done in the past, and it makes me giggle that I am not the only person who would think like this.
I’ve thought about it many times. I haven’t done it before just because I’d feel bad for the poor bastards that have to open all that mail.
Now, I’ll be happy if they all go and quit and State Farm’s adjusters and underwriters all have to sort their own mail, brew their own coffee, and wipe their own asses.
I know this is your first house, and knowing that you work in the legal profession you probably already know this, but I’m a mom, and moms worry, so I’m going to tell you this anyway.
DO NOT let your mortgage company put insurance on your house. You will pay through the nose. Find another policy on your own as quickly as you can.
This is why you read the fine print on the policy, and you check your state’s Insurance Act as well. Some policies allow either party to cancel the policy on _____ days written/verbal notice at any time during the policy period; some Acts mandate these type of cancellation clauses, etc. I’m intentionally being general here, since I don’t know your policy, and I don’t know Florida’s laws regarding insurance. But it is entirely possible for a policy to be cancellable at any time during its term.
Really Not All That Bright, it’s small comfort, but I hope it’s a comfort nonetheless–since State Farm cancelled the policy with (I’m assuming) about 11 months left to run since many property policies are for a year, you should be due a refund for the unearned portion of your premium. Make sure you get it!
It doesn’t make the whole thing any less infuriating, though. I’ve never heard of policies being cancelled during the effective period absent a catastrophic disaster (ie. Katrina) or a change in the law.
You should go here and call 800-227-8676 immediately. Do not go into this alone. In spite of the overall reputation of state government and its employees, I have worked with the folks at OIR (nee DOI) for years and they are a dedicated, knowledegable, helpful bunch.
As an added bonus for you, they’re particularly in the mood to stick it in State Farm’s eye right now.
Runestar, your comment deserves a whole thread of its own, but suffice it to say that I do not agree with your assessment of the situation. The insurance companies generally (and State Farm in particular) have been acting in bad faith for several years now. As a case in point, State Farm just got fined yesterday for failing to follow their own policies regarding discounts for improved hurricane protection and will have to return in excess of $120 million in improperly collected premiums.
If, on the odd chance you don’t get what you need from OIR the first time through, let me know via this thread and I’ll get in touch with you off board to get you pointed at the right person. It’s obviously a busy time for them over there.
