# I Need Verification Of Prices Charged



## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

My contractor is definitely with the home owner.

They and I followed through with this contract in the understanding that the insurance company has a fiduciary obligation to pay for the actual replacement costs incurred.

Now, that should make them a party to the contract.

Ed


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## Tiger (Nov 21, 2007)

I had an insurance related job a year ago. I actually got an advance per my usual contracts. However, the insurance company didn't want to make the rough payment and the homeowner sided with them. I refused to continue...the homeowner was asking for thousands of dollars in extras UNTIL I produced change orders, then had the nerve to say they thought I was going to do it free. I held my ground and magically the homeowner came up with a check from their home equity account (No way was I going to go to final with about 75% due). At the end I had to threaten to lien, but got paid.

Years ago my Dad, who had a career at Allstate told me to ask for the adjuster's boss. The managers can make bigger decisions. I think the underlings are like commissioned sales. They're doing good work if they save the company money. It worked for me on a truck accident. Not that you should make the call, Ed, but the homeowner. You can keep asking for bosses until you get to the top. My Dad was the end of the line toward the end of his career on complaint calls although he did other things like expert testimony in court and annual budget. 

They obviously have to pay, it may be getting the right person to approve it. The higher bosses approve bigger deals. If you get to a big enough boss, maybe your invoice won't be worth their time and effort & will get approved. 

Dave


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

Ed the Roofer said:


> My contractor is definitely with the home owner.
> They and I followed through with this contract in the understanding that the insurance company has a fiduciary obligation to pay for the actual replacement costs incurred.
> Now, that should make them a party to the contract.
> Ed


Was just wondering if you were in one of those multi-payee deals.
When I worked for my uncle we got into one where the insurance payments had to be endorsed by HO, us, and the mortgage company---never again.
Anyway it's impressive the hoops you're jumping to help them get their reimbursement.:thumbsup:
Hope I'd go as far, but I know there would be a limit unless they were long time regulars.


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

The family has been super nice to all of the guys every day when they were working on the job.

It is a blue collar family with not too much savings. They made the guys coffee and tamales every day and when they realized I wasn't there for the tamales, they immediately popped 1/2 dozen out for me on 2 evenings when I stopped by to go over the extras and change orders and photos.

I will be going to the upper levels, but they are hard to even find out who, when all you have is an 800 number and the adjusters e-mail and voice mail numbers.

I am contracting out for all of the interior work to be repaired, but am holding off on doing that until this first situation gets resolved.

Part of me would actually like this to go to court, without an out of court settlement, just to get a legal precedant established regarding the legal definition of "Replacement Cost", since there is none established asides from being a vague, but seemingle reasonable definition, but up to each parties interpretation.

Ed


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

BTW, It was a long time ago, but State Farm and Allstate were the worst we worked with.
Tornado went through subdivision we had just built out(I had just bought the only remaining spec).
We were blacking in a cape, 2 months old, tornado had stripped *clean* to the deck but no other real damage(bizarre what happens).
Adjuster insisted we stop so he can get 2 more prices,
even though we and HO didn't want anyone else because of warranty issues.
3" of rain that afternoon and night.
Went from a new roof and gutters to $125,000 structure and contents(1978 $), and one un-holy legal nightmare.
Guy thought he was gonna be a hero and save the company 2-300 bucks


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

That was most definitely interference with an existing contract. It also would have been economic interference with a contract, had they gotten the HO to switch to someone else, after you had a signed agreement.

Also, the HO is under no obligation legally to pursue any additional estimates. They get to choose the contractor. Period.

They make it seem like they are doing the HO a favor, by warning them about the unscrupulous price gouging contractor whom they have selected, but they have no rights to do so.

Read you own policy or get a copy of the standard clauses in the HO-3 or better coverage versions.

Ed


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

Lessons learned, many hours with lawyers/insurance exec's...
This was on a verbal agreement/panic mode deal.
120+ homes seriously damaged, 40+ completely destroyed,
and I was living through it/in it.
Never been in a war, but I'd have to imagine this was a lot like it.
Chaos and confusion would have been a relief that morning!
Writing contracts and dotting "i's" unfortunately wasn't front of the brain stuff.
Hope never to do business like that again.
Could write a book on the whole year it took to put all of our houses right,
main thing is I have a *real and abiding aversion* to fire and storm damage stuff.


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## POOLMANinCT (Oct 7, 2006)

Ed the Roofer said:


> The family has been super nice to all of the guys every day when they were working on the job.
> 
> It is a blue collar family with not too much savings. They made the guys coffee and tamales every day and when they realized I wasn't there for the tamales, they immediately popped 1/2 dozen out for me on 2 evenings when I stopped by to go over the extras and change orders and photos.
> 
> ...


"hi this is ed the roofer, this call is to clarify an escalated development pertaining to blah blah blah, please connect me to the "apropriate escalated call service tier immediately."

escalated is an industry "buzzword" for phone monkeys.

ray


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