Place Yer Bets....

[GGT]

I say millions of people in the northeast/mid-atlantic corridor would be filing property damage and/or homeowner's claims following this blizzard.

Member X says he doubts it would effect very many people.

oops this posted before I was done! I got a PM while I was making the poll options. uhm....now what?



*Advanced edit only lets me subscribe to the thread, not add a poll.

Screw it, my polls suck anyway. We can just go from here, it's not too complicated---do you think property claims will be high or not?

[oldmunchkin]

Try going to edit, then advanced, and see if it will let you post your poll.

Personally, I think there is gonna be a lot of property damage. Whether many there have homeowners insurance that will cover snow/ice damage, I don't know.

[GGT]

Yeah, I screwed up. Again.

X member wants to think I just have a bad roof. Like it's my negligence that precipitated the ice damming, and consequential water finding its way into my living room.

I tried to explain my roof is good and sound, my gutters are clear, it's not a matter of poor maintenance.

X member says my situation is most likely isolated or unique, but I disagree. In fact, as temps warm and snow melts, I think thousands (if not millions) of homeowners are going to be unpleasantly surprised.

Of course X member can't or won't post until others do, as it will Out their name. Not sure why it's a secret, but until X says it's no big deal, then it is.

[oldmunchkin]

I seem to remember your roof is fairly new, and you talk about cleaning your gutters/drains every spring and fall, so I have to assume it's the storm and not your structure that is causing the problems.

[littlelolligagged]

I'm not X, but my leak this summer wasn't caused by a faulty roof, it was cause because my gutters needed replacing - and yes, they were regularly cleaned. Something about the downspouts.

No big deal, they patched the roof for no charge anyway (the roof is still warrantied from the hail damage replacement), and I bought new gutters. Since then I've not had any problems, and we have had huge quantities of water falling from the sky in a short period. I'm not familiar with massive icing, of course, but I really don't see how ice melting will prevent the gutters from doing their job if the roof and gutters are in good repair.

[oldmunchkin]

I don't know if GGT's roof is still under warranty, but I do know (or at least assume from what she has said today) that the repairs to the floor and windows will be damned expensive. Unfortunately for her, there isn't a damned thing anyone can do when there is that much snow/ice piled up on the roof, in the gutters/drains, and on the ground. Until everything melts, she is kinda stuck with the pots and pans method of keeping the water out.

[GGT]

Yes.

Wonder when or if Lewk will notice this thread and reply. He likes to post from the Insurer's POV. I'm trying to estimate the cost:benefit ratio of filing a claim. Another type of gambling and hedge betting.

Only, in this case, I've paid for years (in premiums) for the "luxury" of this "service". I do know they claim Acts of God in order to avoid paying out claims.

Is this blizzard an Act of God?

[littlelolligagged]

Homeowners insurance should cover that even if the roof isn't under warranty anymore. Great big pain in the ass for Geegee, though.

[GGT]

Homeowners insurance should cover that even if the roof isn't under warranty anymore. Great big pain in the ass for Geegee, though.

This does suck, big time. I'm the kind of homeowner realtors and insurers should drool over. I just finished painting the whole room, with its nice crown moulding, and refinishing the solid white oak floor. The roof is a premium "architectural" shingling, with about 25 more years to its lifespan. The gutters and downspouts are aluminum, not vinyl, and I keep them clean of debris. I even had some big trees removed because they were within 20 feet of the house, and if they fell would have landed on the roof.

I do have one huge uprooted fir still sitting in the back lawn, but I wouldn't have used my homeowner's to cover the cost of that anyway.

I'm very tired now. Been changing out pots and spinning rag towels in the washing machine, I'm trying very hard. But I get the sinking feeling that no matter what I do, the insurance company will screw me. They either won't pay for all the repairs, or they will raise my premiums.

[Being]

I do know they claim Acts of God in order to avoid paying out claims.

Is this blizzard an Act of God?

I bet they didn't specify which God either.

[Hazir]

Act of God are supposed to be exceptional, I didn't get the impression that snow storms in your area are exceptional.

[Being]

How do they prove an act of God? Do they get one of his assistants to testify for Him?

[GGT]

Web info leads me to think it's 'excessive heat'. The roof vents or the soffit weep holes can get blocked with snow or ice, and warm air can't vent. Sets up a freeze/melt pattern. This potential problem was not mentioned on the inspection reports, so it's not like the roof or gutter system were built wrong. We don't usually have 4-5 feet of snow on our roofs.

[termite]

Watch this movie for details:

[Timbuk2]

Billy Connolly in a movie?

[GGT]

...I've seen a LOT of damage to homes and buildings this past weekend between here and suburban Philly into NJ.

No idea what's gone on inside those places, but tons of gutters were ripped off, collapsed car port roofs and such. Wicked looking icicles, wonder what will happen when the big thaw comes? Flooded basements...

Still haven't decided if I'll call my insurer and file a claim, or not.

[Loki]

http://tsn.ca/other_sports/story/?id=310285

[GGT]

http://tsn.ca/other_sports/story/?id=310285

Holy crap!

[Loki]

At least your roof is still standing.

[GGT]

Well, sure. Maybe I'm a donkey for complaining because there's always someone in a worse predicament.

That's not how insurance claims are adjudicated, tho.

[littlelolligagged]

Well, sure. Maybe I'm a donkey for complaining because there's always someone in a worse predicament.

I've never quite understood that attitude. Does someone else having it worse lessen your own personal suffering? Does your feeling unhappy with something really trivialize what someone else is going through?

[GGT]

Maybe Loki didn't intend it that way, I dunno.

Sounds like a segue for Choobiedoobiedo and his Human Condition mantra. ack