Help! I Have to File a Claim 1

How do I file a homeowners claim?

If someone has become injured on your property or if a violent storm destroys your home, you will need to file a claim with your insurance company. Remember, a homeowners policy is a contract between you and your insurance company. And there are rules and procedures that you and your insurer must follow. Read your insurance policy to see what your responsibilities are.

Report any crime to the police
If you are the victim of a theft or your home has been vandalized or burglarized, report it to the police. Get a police report and the names of all law enforcement officers that you speak with.

Phone your agent or company immediately
Insurance policies place a time limit on filing claims. Find out what the time limit is. Ask questions:

- Am I covered?
- Does my claim exceed my deductible? (Your deductible is the amount of loss you agree to pay yourself when you buy a policy.)
- How long will it take to process my claim?
- Will I need to obtain estimates for repairs to structural damage?

Make temporary repairs
Take reasonable steps to protect your property from further damage. Save receipts for what you spend and submit them to your insurance company for reimbursement.

Prepare a list of lost or damaged articles
You are going to need to substantiate your loss. Avoid throwing out damaged items until the adjuster has visited your home. You should also consider photographing or videotaping the damage. Prepare a home inventory, make a copy for your adjuster and supply him or her with copies of receipts from damaged items.

If you need to relocate, keep your receipts
If your home is severely damaged and you need to find other accommodations while repairs are being made, keep records of all additional expenses incurred. Most homeowners insurance policies provide coverage for the “loss of use” of your home.

Get claim forms
Once your insurance company has been notified of your claim, the company is required to send you the necessary claim forms to you by the end of a specified time period. Return the properly filled out forms as soon as possible in order to avoid delays.

Have an adjuster inspect the damage to your home
Your insurance company will probably arrange for an adjuster to come and inspect your home.

Once you and your insurance company agree on the terms of your settlement, the laws requires that you be sent payment promptly. In most cases, your claim will be processed quickly. If you have any questions about the claim filing laws in your area, call your insurance agent or the insurance regulator in your area.

How does the payment process work?
An adjuster will inspect the damage to your home and offer you a certain sum of money for repairs. The first check you get from your insurance company is often an advance against the total settlement amount. It is not the final payment.

If you're offered an on-the-spot settlement, you can accept the check right away. Later on, if you find other damage, you can "reopen" the claim and file for an additional amount. Most policies require claims to be filed within one year from the date of disaster. Check with your insurance regulator.

When both the structure of your home and personal belongings are damaged, you generally receive two separate checks from your insurance company, one for each category of damage. You should also receive a separate check for additional living expenses that you incur while your home is being renovated.

If you have a mortgage on your house, the check for repairs will generally be made out to both you and the mortgage lender. As a condition of granting a mortgage, lenders usually require that they are named in the homeowner’s policy and that they are a party to any insurance payments related to the structure.

The lender gets equal rights to the insurance check to ensure that the necessary repairs are made to the property in which it has a significant financial interest. This means that the mortgage company or bank will have to endorse the check. Lenders generally put the money in an escrow account and pay for the repairs as the work is completed. You should show the mortgage lender your contractor's bid and let the lender know how much the contractor wants up front to start the job. Your mortgage company may want to inspect the finished job before releasing the funds for payment to the contractor.

Some construction firms require you to sign a form that allows your insurance company to pay the firm directly. Make certain that you're completely satisfied with the repair work and that the job has been completed before you let the insurance company make the final payment. Remember, you won't receive a check for the repair job. The construction firm will bill your insurance company directly and attach the "direction to pay" form you signed.

The first step is to add up the cost of everything inside your home that has been damaged in the disaster. Now is the time to review your personal inventory, to help you remember the things you may have lost. If you don’t have an inventory, look for photographs or videotapes that picture the damaged areas. For expensive items, you may also contact your bank or credit card company for proof of purchase. When making your list, don’t forget items that may be damaged in out of the way places such as the attic or tops of closets.

If you have a replacement cost policy, you will be reimbursed for the cost of buying new items. An actual cash value policy will reimburse you for the cost of the items minus depreciation. Regardless of which type of policy you have, the first check will be calculated on a cash value basis. Most insurance companies will require you to purchase the damaged item before they will reimburse you for its full replacement cost.

If you have financed your home, your bank may have received a check for both repairs to your home and your possessions. If you don't get a separate check from your insurance company for your belongings, ask the lender to send the money to you immediately.

If you have a replacement cost policy, you may be required to buy replacements for items damaged before your insurance company will compensate you. Make sure to keep receipts as proof of purchase.

If you decide not to replace some items, in most cases you’ll be paid the depreciated or actual cash value of the items that were damaged. You don't have to decide what to do immediately.

Your insurance company will generally allow you several months from the date of the cash value payment to replace the item. Ask your agent how many months you are allowed before you must replace your personal possessions. Some insurance companies supply lists of vendors that can help replace your property.

Your check for additional living expenses should be made out to you and not your lender. This money has nothing to do with repairs to your home and you may have difficulty depositing or cashing the check if you can't get the mortgage lender's signature. This money is designed to cover your expenses for hotels, car rentals and other expenses you may incur while your home is being fixed.

If your home has been destroyed, you have several options:
- Rebuild your home on the same site.
- Decide not to rebuild or rebuild in a different location.

Rebuild your home on the same site.
The amount of money you’ll have to rebuild your home depends on both the type of policy you bought and the dollar limit specified on the first “declarations” page of your policy. Generally, you are entitled to the replacement cost of your former home, providing that you spend that amount of money on the home you rebuild. Remember, your insurance policy will pay to rebuild your home as it was before the disaster. It won’t pay to build a bigger or more expensive house. A similar rule applies to repairs.

Decide not to rebuild or rebuild in a different location.
The amount you’ll get from your insurer will be determined by your policy, law, and what the courts have ruled on this matter. If you decide not to rebuild, review your policy and ask your insurance agent or company representative what the settlement amount will be.