Well...That Was Weird

[Princess_Aurora]

We were just watching the news and they were talking about all the wind damage that has occured today from all this gusty wind we've had today. While we were watching the story, we heard a loud bang in our back yard. We looked out the window and sure enough, the wind had blown down the back section of our fence.

Now what we were wondering is if insurance would cover replacing the back section of the fence since it was caused by wind damage. Anyone know???

 

[dturner]

I don't know about the insurance part but I'm in Lewisville too and the door to our office has been blowing open and shut all day long due to the wind. Lots of wind today here in North Texas!!

Hope someone can answer your question.

 

[Otimon]

So sorry. Glad things weren't more serious but I know it's still a headache for you. You'll have to call your ins. co. for that one as it will depend on your particular coverage.

Good luck.

 

[Princess_Aurora]

Well, what's insane is the people behind us have goats and a donkey. With our back fence down now, if those animals come back this way, they can just walk right into our yard. Plus, I had to bring my dogs inside because I didn't want them running off. They didn't like that very much. It's been a while since we've had a nice day and they were loving running and playing out there...they didn't seem to mind the wind at all

 

[TxJasmine]

We're in the Grapevine area and have had our fence blown over on 2 separate occasions due to wind.

Yes, insurance will cover it - but.... you have to take into account your deductible and the age of the fence. The first time the fence blew down, we called the insurance company and they sent out an adjuster. He told us that it's really not a good idea to file a claim on something so small, but since we called the insurance company we had to file a claim. Once the adjuster comes out - you're committed. Weather related claims such as wind, hail don't count against you (which is a good thing since we've already had 2 new roofs in less than 10 years!) - but it's still not a good idea to file a claim on something minor like a fence. At least that's the way I understand it. I don't work in the insurance business.

I hope our one remaining old section of fence is still standing!

 

[tw1nsmom]

I agree with TxJasmine. You really shouldn't call your insurance company if it's something minor that you can fix yourself or afford to pay to have it fixed. Many insurance companies will either raise your premium by a considerable amount or cancel your coverage all together if you make more than a couple claims (some will do this after only one claim). I don't think it's right at all, but I know a few people in the insurance business and this is what they have told me. Hopefully it's something you can fix once the wind's died down.

 

[darlene9947]

I work for an insurance agency in New Orleans and we have had cases where insureds were cancelled due to 2 or more weather related claims. It's not supposed to happen, but if you also have anoher claim for something like theft or water damage (pipes) or something else, they will cancel you. I just increased my deductible to $1000 and will not turn in a claim unless it's for $5000 or more. Insurance is too hard to get in Louisiana

 

[KristaTX]

The wind is indeed horrible here today. Our gutter screens blew partly off and are flapping all around on the side of the house now. Oh well, at least it's not cold. In fact it would be a beautiful day were it not for the wind. I hope your insurance covers your fence troubles.

Krista

 

[Planogirl]

The wind is awful today! We've lost our power a few times and I'm thinking of going out to eat tonight just in case. I have a stir fry planned and I really don't need to lose power in the middle of making that.

Funny thing is we had someone out a few days ago to replace a few shingles that blew off during the last big wind. I hope that he did a good job.

 

[KristaTX]

Planogirl - That sounds like a great reason to go out for dinner . Thanks for the idea!


Krista

 

[clh2]

Originally posted by Princess_Aurora
We were just watching the news and they were talking about all the wind damage that has occured today from all this gusty wind we've had today. While we were watching the story, we heard a loud bang in our back yard. We looked out the window and sure enough, the wind had blown down the back section of our fence.

Now what we were wondering is if insurance would cover replacing the back section of the fence since it was caused by wind damage. Anyone know???

Based on past experience with a homeowners insurance company, be really careful about what claims you are going to submit for. Is it possible to try to get an estimate on what the damages are?

We had some wind damages about 6 years ago, and some lighning damage about 4 years ago. We had been with State Farm for 17 years, and they raised our deductible to 1% of the value of our house, plus they wanted to increase our premium. The total damage they paid out on us was ~4,500 for both claims.

When we were looking for a new insurance company, they do an "insurance check-up" on you. The companies we got quotes on had very quick access to the claims information, and if you want to switch companies at a later date, they do a quick analysis on how many claims you've had within a certain time period.

Obviously, my advice is - bite the bullet and pay for the fence damage yourself. Save the homeowners insurance for the "big stuff."

 

[Princess_Aurora]

I guess it does make since. We were thinking about doing it anyway because we have wooden stakes holding up the fence and we wanted to put metal ones up so it would be more sturdey. Thanks for the advice everyone