Insurance claim...know your coverage!

4

416rigby

New member
After hearing of El and Bill's trailer theft, (see "Drug Bust" thread) I figured it was time to share our story. We live in a nice neighborhood with zero crime. Well, we had some uninvited "guests" visit our property and a couple of our neighbors as well, back in June. They helped themselves to some items they must have thought we had no use for. They got into our carport storage room, detached garage, cars, boat and truck. Yes, we were home at the time, had just gone to bed when Donna thought she heard voices outside. Normally I would have grabbed my .45 and investigated, but for some reason I just said that I didn't hear anything and went to sleep. Mistake.

They took some power tools, stereo equipment and some other items from the garage.

We keep the boat and truck under a steel RV shelter in our fenced back yard. They got up in the boat and tried to remove the CD player from the nice overhead console I built. They trashed the stereo and wood in the attempt. They took my binoculars. My handheld GPS was pulled halfway out of its nylon case and was not taken. Weird.

My prescription meds in my pillbox were gone, which is a felony, and the 3 gallon gas tank for the kicker was missing. It was full. Lovely.

We have a 12 gallon tank which we can plug in to the main engine if we need extra range...we usually take it when we go fishing in Florida. It was resting on a couple of 4x4's next to the boat...full of gas...and it was gone. I was not real happy at this point.

The police were real good about it, did a professional job dusting for prints and all that, but I don't think they'll ever catch the dirtbags. Here comes the interesting part....

Seems our gas taks were not covered because they were not part of the boat or trailer. Hmmm...I see where this is headed. We bought extra coverage, a "sport pack' to cover items like downriggers, fishing tackle, etc. I couldn't believe that a simple fuel tank would be something we went round and round about. Seems like a pretty normal thing to me. NOT!

Then, the boat side of our insurance and our home owners side went round and round over the binos. It's a long story. I thought that home owners covered contents of cars, boats, etc. No totally true. The fine print is that the insurance companies can cover whatever they want.

Lessons learned:

1. This one is the most important. Ask your insurance company the appropriate "what if" questions now...don't assume you understand what is and what is not covered. It was very interesting to find out the 3 grand we spent for our nice camper canvas was something that is not covered..hmmm...you need ANOTHER package to cover that stuff...canvas, etc.

2. Doucment, document, document! Have photos showing serial numbers of EVERYTHING you own. Can you believe they asked for the serial number of a cordless drill? Needless to say, I have since created quite a file of photos...even of my tackle boxes.

3. Lock it up. I did not have the cabin door locked because I figured scumbags would just do moe damage breaking windows or prying doors open...ruining fiberglass and generally destroying more stuff to get in and do their dirty work. This one is tough here in the hot climate because you have to have windows open and a fan running for air to circulate so stuff doesn't start getting funky.

4. Alarm! We had ADT come out and wire us up. I wish someone made a good car alarm type deal for trailer boats...I lookd all over and come up empty. If someone made one that was simple, easy and affordable, they'd make a fortune.

There you have it. I hope nobody else has to deal with something like this. You feel violated and angry. I guess that's what seperates the good guys from the bad. Morals and respect.

Happy boating...
Rick
 
I'm sure things have changed out this way now ... but we got dinged years back and told to send pic's, the ring pic's were from a camping trip that really didn't show much ... went and priced things at the local store's they fell over backwards and started pricing everything at the high end, not knowing we cut everything back to the true replacement cost ... i replaced the one door and send in a modest bill for labour and cost ... got a check for $7500 no one came and checked, nothing .... did not even pay the deductible, hindsight we should have had castor's on all our damn furniture and rolled it out too ... :o the police did caution us they some times come back in 60 days or so when you have everything replaced ... wc
 
I'm very sorry to hear of your ordeal but thank you for posting the informative and thought provoking story.

I have two alarms for the boat, though until now, I have never used either at home. Neither one is very state of the art (but better than nothing).The first one is a battery op pressure pad that I put under the carpet in the cabin, It has a pretty piercing alarm that should be heard if you are home and may scare the low lifes away. The second is a motion detector alarm I set up in the gunnels of the cockpit. I figure if they outsmart one hopefully the other might get them. I usually set them on road trips and overnight situations (like staying in a motel). They were the best I could find. I also cover the boat so it's not so easy to see what's in it.

I too have a false sense of relative security at home. But had heard of two strange ones recently on the road. In one, a family sleeping in their car in a N. CA wayside, had their fuel siphoned out of their trailer boat as they slept. Only found out the next day when they ran out of fuel 20 minutes out on a remote lake.

In another a fisherman lost a lot of gear from his boat moored offshore from the tent in which they slept. Assumed someone swam out there in this instance. Pretty brazen thieves in both instances.

(Now that I've alerted the thieves to my systems I'd like to refer them to the Brat Map in the header above for ease of location.)

Chris
 
We were hit last year so I feel your pain....they got all my power tools (Ryobi, Dremel, etc.). The loss of the Dremel was the most painful...it's my favorite tool. They also took hand saws.

We added 1.5 million candle power worth of motion sensing light (I told the contractor I wanted my yard visible from space), an alarm system including sensors on the shed door, and I added a medieval iron bar across the front of my shed with two locks. They would need to rip the entire front of the shed off to get in now or saw down a wall.

I was tempted to start 'collecting bear traps' that would snap a leg clean off but backed off from that...I would probably end up going to jail for the injury sustained or something...

Sorry for the loss...I too began an insurance picture file and this reminds me to take a few more pictures...
 
My marina, #1 of five at Bridge Bay Marina under the Pit River Bridge on Shasta Lake, was hit Saturday night.

The 3 thieves came in on a bass boat, probably from another launch ramp somewhere else on the lake.

Dumb that they came on Saturday night, the busiest one of the week at the marina, with more folks staying over night (!)

A couple sleeping down about 8 boats from me was awakened and called the Sherriff's Office, and also yelled at them, but to little avail.

They broke into the boats easiest to get into, but also even took the hinges off a couple of boats to gain entry.

My C-Dory is at home, but I still have the Sea Ray and pontoon boat up there in two slips. Neither were broken into.

The Sea Ray has a sliding plexiglass or Lexan door without hinges or any hardware except a high-security button lock that cannot be picked or defeated without a large pry-bar.

The pontoon boat was in another area of the same marina where they didn't get around to. It's basically all unsecured storage, so we don't keep really valuable stuff on board.

The lesson learned was similar to the trailer security thread:

Make your boat harder to get into than the others, and they may just leave it alone and choose an easier target. Hopefully they won't vandalize it in the process of becoming frustrated.

Joe. (Lucky this time!) :teeth :thup
 
theres always more to the story than at first reading. binoculars, cameras, fishing gear and the like are covered under the homeowners policy, up to the limited amounts, less one's deductible. so, one could say, had a loss and the insurance carrier wouldn't cover it. perhaps the total loss was less than the deductible, was a covered loss just didn't surpass the deductible. not saying this is the situation here, just another side of the story. arbitration is a relief mechanism for policy holders who submit a claim and are not satisfied with the insurance carriers position. not the best of situations but i have seen policyholders end up very well under this option. i agree, ask questions, when you purchase insurance you're thinking everything is or should be covered and that's not the case. biggest mistake i've witnessed is more attention paid to items covered rather then higher liability limits selected. we can replace a fishing pole, but how about replacing your home, when it's lost thru litigation!
best regards
pat
 
Rick, sorry for your losses. Not that it makes any difference, it looks like your boat and HO was with the same company. Care to share the name of the company? Probably won't change anyone's mind, I'm sure they're about all alike when it comes to coverage and claims.

Hope they catch them and get some/all of your stuff back intact.

Charlie
 
...theres always more to the story than at first reading.

I'm not sure exactly what you're getting at, Patrick. I can assure you we were not trying to scam anyone out of anything. Our loss was a lot higher than the deductables ($250 boat and $1000 home). My point of the thread is to be sure you ask the "what if" questions of your company so you know what will happen in the event of a claim.

What irritates me is that the fuel tanks were not "permanantly installed" on the boat, so they were not covered. What kind of stupidity is that? Ok, so the two 20 gallon C-Dory tanks are not "permanently installed" either...as you know, they're held in with cleats and straps...does that mean they would not have been covered if thieves would have removed them? It's just plain dumb. A kicker is run off of a small, portable tank...I should not have to buy another rider or whatever and spend a bunch of money to cover a 50 dollar tank. Common sense would lead one to think it would be a normal thing. I guess not. Of course, if just the kicker can had been stolen, and nothing else, that would be bad enough, but when multiple items are taken it all starts adding up.

The camper canvas not being covered...that was a real eye opener. Thankfully they didn't damage the bimini because it was stowed.

I just found it a bit frustrating. We've been with USAA (it's only for military vets and their families) for 12 years and have been very happy with their service. We have all of our eggs there...banking, insurance, mortgage. It's a great company, very strong and highly rated year after year.
 
"not saying this is the situation here" , that statement was in my post.
my original post was made in an effort to clarify what generally happens at time of loss and what options may be available when a difference of opinions exist. insurance claim processing is complicated, i don't adjust claims, i assist the policyholder in their representing what they feel is fair and equitable. there is always more to the loss than the first notice contains. that's why the insurance companies investigate. without knowing their statements and how they arrived at the decision not to cover items that are generally covered, we are left with only questions.
this forum is an exchange of ideas. that's what i enjoy most about the
c-brat site.
best regards
pat
 
A comment about USAA is that we have had it for over 42 years, and been satisfied, BUT, they farm out boat insurance--and I have heard other stories about coverage not being ideal. I looked at a number of boats which USAA covered during Ivan, and from what I could find out, they covered was well as anyone. We had a claim on our home--no hassel. A friend (career navy, ret JAG Capt) down the street had the same adjustor and had a lot of problems, but we had more coverage,

I'll second the liability, plus umbrella policies for valuables.

As far as thieft, we keep the boats lit up (low current draw lights) all night. We keep it locked, and high enough off the water, so a thief would have to operate the lift to get aboard(and the lift is unplugged). We also have 8 high resolution TV cameras on the property, going to DVR recorders--and these are obvious cameras--along with the ADT signs. We have helped several neighbors catch criminals because we got video of both cars and individuals walking on the street.

As far as an effective alarm, I prefer a very simple one. I use a 6 volt lattern battery and 125 DB Siren. There is a microswitch, which is normally closed--held open, with a wedge of plastic (like a narrow Bondo spreader)--The wedge of plastic is attatched to monofiliment line, which goes across the cocpit, so that anyone who goes to the door, will pull the plastic wedge out, that closes the circuit and activates the siren--very cheap and effective.

I don't hesitate to go out side if I am suspicious (of coursre, we have the TV screens to moniter what is happening)--and I am armed (legally). We have caught one thief who was bringing stolen marine items to a waterfront park when we lived in another part of town. He was arrested and convicted.
 
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Well, I do adjust claims for a living and have done so for going on 30 years. I am not going to defend the actions and decisions USAA made in the claim detailed above. If you had both the home and boat insured with USAA then it sounds like at least one error was made. They are not what I would define as a bad insurer. Here is the thing though...With USAA you do not get an agent who you build a relationship with and who would perhaps spend more time with you on the front end making sure your coverage protects all of your property. Those tanks should be covered on one policy or the other unless you declined sperate coverage for misc personal property on the boat policy and the HO policy specifically excludes personal property associated with a watercraft 22' long or over a certain HP. The camper canvas is another tough one to understand since the snaps are attached and it is made for this boat alone. How would they look at seat cushions?
In normal situations USAA adjusts as many claims over the phone as they can. In storm situations like Ivan, the insurers fly in teams of adjusters who have the years of experience needed to correctly and justly apply the coverage to each unique loss. The bad news for those insured by USAA is that in almost all other situations not in a few major cities, your claim gets assigned to a new and inexperienced independent adjuster who may fail to ask the right questions, report the facts accurately or even to understand the coverage. These adjusters (that USAA would elect to pay for) are often working the claim or inspection on a flat fee or as a limited assignment. As a result, you the assured are exposed not only to being misunderstood but also to having the adjusters report misunderstood by the decision maker in USAA claims. USAA will not pay for an experienced professional in the vast majority of cases as they can get away with paying less.
My last point is that just like you should not order a tuna steak in a hamburger joint, you must be a little more cautious in insuring your boat than say your car or house. Most HO insurers insure autos and most auto insurers insure homes. Some of these companies cover a great deal of watercraft and give discounts when you cover everything with them. Some others will cover your boat if you have everything else with them, but do not otherwise insure many boats and as such often do not have policies which are written so as to be competitive with the major boat/yacht insurers. These are the ones to watch out for and this is the class I would put USAA into.
 
I responded to Steve in a PM, citing some examples which I have seen.

However, my personal experience is that USAA is an outstanding insurance provider (and rated as one of the top). USAA does call us at least twice a year, and sends letters regularly to be sure that our coverage is current and appropiate. As I said above, I would not choose USAA for a boat or yacht. However, when I had an inflatable and outboard stolen and my boat was not insured--USAA covered the inflatable and motor under my policy. (It was a general personal property, items in storage and liability package, I had when full time cruising and no permant home--probably a unique policy for USAA, since that is a situation which many military personal are in.)

Thru the 42 years we have had a few claims, and the only handled on the phone were fender benders, where we were refered to one of the shops on their lists, and the repair was done--no outside adjustor.
 
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