Get proper insurance for your property, and you will have no problems.
I guess the money these folks saved by not insuring properly does not look as good now.....

And I am so sick of people saying they were cheated on mortgages, insurance, or whatever - take responsibility for you own lives.
If you can't read what you are agreeing to - maybe you belong in an apartment, and not your own home

i agree but blame the goverment to get after there asses,instead of tax payers fitting the bill.people buy insurance to protect there investments,the insurance corps are legal gangsters,they should rico there ass.

But, our government has the tax money to waste on foreign aid, on the illegals, and on their increase pay wages. On us citizens, well you can whistle Dixie.

Couldn't disagree more Jay Smith! We also had Allstate insurance and not only purchased insurance to cover our fully finished basement but also took out an additional policy for an extra $300/month to cover sump pump failure. It did us no good. The sump pump went out March of 2012 and to this day we haven't seen a penny from Allstate and they refuse to return our calls. They assigned an "outside agency" to pay our claim and no one wants to admit fault. Moral of this story...DON"T buy insurance through Allstate! You are NOT in good hands!

In NH the banking, insurance, security and utility industries have an exemption from Consumer Protection law. Our legislators have identified this yet SB186 closing this loophole is still not passed. Basically, large corporations have the right to exploit average Americans by getting a free pass like this one. I can tell the people below have never dealt with a mortgage company that baits your with "the President's Home Affordable Program (HARP)" then conveniently "loses" your file until it shows up at an attorney's office notifying you of foreclosure. That would be Citibank and that is why there is a government law suit against them. Then take for instance how our home was destroyed last Snowtober in that blizzard hurricane. Nationwide hired an engineer, not a structural one mind you, to say our home is structurally safe even with the tree falling on the house, a huge hole in the roof and broken walls and floor joists. Nothing to do with the fine print, it's all there they just don't have to obey it and the state of NH can't enforce it because they are exempt from protecting us, the consumer. No the Insurance Commission won't do a thing I'm on my third complaint with them. NH LEGISLATORS HAVE FAILED US & NATIONWIDE IS ***NOT*** ON YOUR SIDE they are jerks who endangered my family with their lies.

There is no "fine print" in an insurance policy. It's illegal to have "fine print" in an insurance policy. It's no illegal, though, to not read your policy or ask questions until you have losses that aren't covered. None of that money you give them every month goes to pay for losses that are excluded.

The government should make a law with all types of business and the government itself that all print fonts should be no smaller than say 11 or 12 points. Or maybe the"fine print" should be no more than 1 point smaller than the font size of the main body of the document. They control everything else why not this too????

It's so good to be perfect,Jay, but some people are vulnerable because they are young and don't have experience yet, or are too old and easy to take advantage of. I am SICK of your philosophy to blame it on the people all the time and not have the insurance put to task for being greedy slimeballs and stop taking advantage of people. They sure as hell are quick enough to want their payments but when it's time for them to pay up, they drag their feet.How fair is that? I had a tree fall on my roof one day and had full coverage by those dirtbags The Hartford and someone came out, didn't even climb the roof, and then sent me $1100 to replace my roof.Really? It cost $8000 to replace.I had them for 10 years that they ripped me off by taking my money. The the scumbags DROPPED me 6 months later. Yea, that's taking responsibility, sure.

Jay if you read the story you would see that he did have the right insurance.

No, his adjuster did not advise him properly. He now should get a contractor to give a bid as to how much it will cost to repair his home and submit it back to allstate, we went through this with hurricane rita in Louisiana, fortunately we did not have any flooding to our home. they original gave us $600.00 after the bid was submitted we got the necessary funds to fix our home as well as funds to stay in an apartment while we waited for the contractor to complete the work.

quit building near ocean and you will not have this problem wake up folks quit whinning!!!!1

some people buy insurance and riders to cover those things that will hurt if they are lost. it is not fair to those who pay for the insurance they need to have to pay through goverment or other entitlements for the lack of preperation of others. some things i chose not to insure and take the chance of losing them, this is a risk perhaps these and many others take. if you play the slot machine of inadequate insurance you are taking that chance.

In May of 2010 both our home and our Son's home were flooded here in Nashville, Tn. Watching Sandy results and reading this is all the same we went through here in Tennessee. Flood Insurance covers only the Structure. We didn't have Flood coverage. Fema lead us to think they would cover our Central Heat. I replaced it. They didn't pay for it! My son had AllState. They paid nothing! Our Safco policy paid for Sewage back up and clean up. $2,000 better than nothing. Our Son rebuilt from donations and help from volunteers from Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvanian, etc. The funds he got from "We are Home" required a 2nd mortgage. He does not repay unless he sells his home. The home value is much less now than the original Loan plus the rebuild. I also spent $9,000 on his home. They are back in. Insurance does not pay for downed trees. I've paid $8,000 in tree removal since 2010. Insurance is only good for Fire and actual damage. If the trees fell into the house then they pay. Flood and trees are not! Were on our own in that event! Both our Son's "family of 4 each" lost their jobs in 2009. Unemployment of $250 wkly does not get it. We stood by them! Helped pay bills took them in after their home flooded! It's been bad all around this country. The Mississippi Valley, Katrina and all I can say is God Bless you. Stand strong and stand together. You will make it!

mr. smith mabey you r a lawer and understand contracts and legal terms, but most people are common people that dont understand all the legal shi??? insurance co. put into contracts and insurance agents are not their to tell you about untill you need it. shame on insurance co. and shame on you for being such an ass. tim

Ive been an insurance professional for 32 years. I live in Brooklyn NY and had over 20% of my customers lose almost everything they own.
About 80% of them will have EVERYTHING REPLACED (WITHOUT DEPRECIATION= BRAND NEW EVERYTHING)
The 20% who will not be in the same position as the were before the storm are the ones who do not have Flood Insurance or had items in their basement
Flood Insurance is sold through the Government ONLY and has maximum amount of coverages for both contents and structure.
Its sad to see but when many just want the "cheapest price".....ever think you may be at risk?

"get proper insurance & you will have no problems" ? either jerome smith is an insurance agent, an imbecile or maybe both. insurance from my experience is more designed to avoid paying claims. how does one upload a pic ? i want to make sure cna & the city of memphis receives all the credit they deserve from this public notice & warning to those insuring with cna or considering locating to memphis tn. of course, i'm sure now the city & state would like having my 33 employed back & benefits considering the fantastic job they have done running business & home owners off to adjoining counties for a more peaceful & secure environment. if your needing a good laugh, look up our very own AC aka "a cadillac" wharton, the current city mayor, then ask him how our airport is doing to get the conversation cozy.
From a burned city homeowner & biz owner

As an upstate, NY insurance agent that helped my clients with their flood claims from TS Irene, I know first hand the limitations of the Federal Flood Insurance Policy. I agree that the program should include coverage for contents in a basement, but folks, get ready to pay a huge premium increase if the policy is changed to include contents in basements coverage! It just might be much more cost effective not to store valuable contents in a basement no matter if you are in a special flood hazard area or not.

Actually flood insurace is run by the government it is the same for everyone. As a consumer you need to read your Dec page and know what is and what is not covered, and if you do not understand then you need to ask. Basements are not considered living spaces nor storage spaces they only cover unfinished dry wall, boiler, and hot water heater.The first thing that will always flood is a basement as it is below ground. A lot of basements flood with just normal rain so it makes sense why it would not be covered for storage or living. All if this information is on the Dec page and it is in big print.

Why didn't he take all of those valuable contents from his basement and at least move them upstairs before evacuating? It's not like they didn't have plenty of notice. He would have to know that, IF there was flooding, everything in the basement would be damaged. It sounds like he didn't read his insurance policies and didn't take necessary actions to protect his property and now he's looking for someone to blame.

I live in woodbridge, va, and Im still having similar problems with Farmer Insurance. they have been working on my claim since 10/29/12, playing head games, and trying to undermind my contractors even after I've gotten five estimates, pictures and the like. It is not fair, not only to me but to other servive-connected disabled vets, and the like; who lack the resources to fight back. Can someone out there please HELP!

You can buy up to $100,000 of flood coverage on your contents. Flood insurance does not just cover the structure. There is a lot of bad information on this page.

St.Clair

2:55 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013

In May of 2010 both our home and our Son's home were flooded here in Nashville, Tn. Watching Sandy results and reading this is all the same we went through here in Tennessee. Flood Insurance covers only the Structure.

JAY SMITH.. you are a total moron. The homeowners HAD flood insurance. The insurance company said the basement isn't part of the home and isn't covered.. and it's stated in the fine print. Funny thing is, I have Nationwide and MY basement is considered part of the home.

This guy DID take responsibility for his life. The insurance company let him down.

You need to educate yourself more and learn how to read before posting stupid, inbred, and jackass'f comments.

There is NO fine print on an Insurance policy or contract...NO HOMEOWNERS POLICY covers FLOOD...it is specifically excluded in every policy....call NFIP that is what it is for...also your SUMP PUMP coverage excludes your actual sump pump..it covers the damages as a result of a sewer back up...READ your policies before your complain

I live in a flood zone too---- and thats the way it is with all flood insurance companies-they all sell you the same FEMA policy--- however the Basement itself or any part of the building like a furnace are covered

Many are blaming the govt for this debacle and in some cases they are right. Most of the govt blame is that politicians, not civil servants who have to follow laws they have passed or not passed, have neglected their duties by not properly regulating these insurers. During the recent election we heard pols,particularly GOP, tell us that the govt was the problem that if we only let private industry do what they wanted that they would take care of us. Well they sure did! The foundation in Mr Crea's house is clearly distressed and the house should be declared a total loss by the insurer, but they are making the govt. make that decision! No one in their right mind would try to stay in that house. It looks like the "Good Hands" of Allstate dropped that house from an airplane!

There is a lot of misinformation and untruths in this section wow

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This is the result of not doing one's homework and not paying attention to what one does. It's hard to blame the insurance company when their policies lay it all out. Sure it's huge, and it's in fine print, but it would be beetter to lern what they're signing than to end up in this mess.

Jay Smith has obviously never had to file a major insurance claim. It doesn't matter how much money you spend on a policy, or smart you think you are or how "responsible" you are, how good you can read and comprehend..insurance companies are in business to make money, not pay claims and that is the bottom line. There is no "proper" insurance policy that will give you back the equivalent of what you have paid into it. If Jay Smith thinks he has one, some day the joke will be on him. The best thing for a homeowner to do is put the money away the money spent on premiums and take care of losses himself. If he ever has to file a major claim with an insurance company, he will find himself paying for his own repairs anyway. Shame on all you people who can't read what you signed, have found out the hard way and are complaining! You have made poor, "smart" Jay Smith "sick".

Jay Smith, the dreamer, has obviously never had to file a major insurance claim. It doesn't matter how much money you spend on a policy, or smart you think you are or how "responsible" you are, how good you can read and comprehend..insurance companies are in business to make money, not pay claims and that is the bottom line. There is no "proper" insurance policy that will give you back the equivalent of what you have paid into it. If Jay Smith thinks he has one, some day the joke will be on him. The best thing for a homeowner to do is put the money he would spend on premiums into savings and take care of losses himself. If he ever has to file a major claim with an insurance company, he will find himself paying for his own repairs anyway. Shame on all you people who can't read what you signed, have found out the hard way and are complaining! You have made poor, "smart" Jay Smith "sick".

I am an insurance agent and I can tell you that homeowners insurance DOES NOT cover any damage caused by flooding. Also, flood insurance DOES NOT cover contents in the basement!! As emphathetic as we can be to Mr. Crea's plight, it isn't like he didn't know the storm was coming! My daughter & son-in-law emptied their basement prior to the storm to protect their valuables. The damage to the house should be completely covered by the flood policy. In most cases, the homeowner only buys whatever insurance the mortgage company requires, so it's likely that his flood policy did not include any contents coverage anyway!! Had he called his agent prior to the storm, he might have been advised to move his valuables(music equipment & gym set) to a safe location. An ounce of prevention would have avoided the need for a pound of cure!

isn't great to live in a country where the insurance is required and they just ram it home like this every chance they get. the banks have raped and robbed us blind with impunity and all we can do make sure we know where to find the jar of vaseline. the oil companies get billions is govt. subsidies but we can always reach for the oil if we can't find the vaseline. the mortgage companies and real estate guardian angels,, well we know all about them..
grab those ankles and hang on for the ride our lives in the greatest country on earth.

Your in good hands with Allstate--what a joke. I know several people now that have been screwed over specifically by that company.

Jay, i agree with 100%. Home owners want to continue living in those areas and they don't want to spend the money to buy the proper insurance...They will continue to depend on tax payers for help and that is wrong. Is going to happen again and again are tax payers going to continue to bail them out ???? Want to continue to live in those bad areas ? get proper insurance. duh.

Vin----i agreed with your point. Illegals in tax payers money waste $$$$$$ millions $$$$$$$$ Billions ???? Free hospital care for their kids birth---schooling--welfare---section 8 ..

You get what you pay for ... Read the small print or ask question and have the agent answer them on paper ...

Jones----i agree with 100%. why continue to live in those areas ????????? Is going to happen again and again.

Jay Smith, you are an A$$whole!!!!!!

I know everyone would just love to blame the insurance companies for everything,but the truth is,this man never read his policy. There is no "fine print". Even if there IS fine print,YOU are responsible for reading a contract and knowing what you are signing. Just like all of the underwater homeowners blaming the banks for them signing for mortgages they couldn't afford. Just because the bank tells you you can have the money,doesn't mean you shouldn't perform due diligence and find out for yourself. It;s all about being PROACTIVE,whether it be your healthcare,your contracts or anything else that's important. Don't expect everyone else to do the work and then complain when you do't understand what happened.

You are so correct and anyone that says get proper insurance as obviously never made a claim. I had a claim with allstate over an auto accident. Two police officers one local and one state happened to be at opposite corners when I got hit and were my witnesses. Allstate refused to cover my deductible even though I had insurance to cover if if the accident was not my fault. I sued them and won in court. Would never use allstate, or farmers as well. Have had great luck with State Farm although I know some have not.. This is not about proper insurance this is about insurance companies getting away with further destroying lives when they are at the lowest point in their lives and need help.

As a homeowner you are responsible for having insurance and making sure you're covered enough. Period. Bet he saved with the "bare bones" coverage. I live in Florida where we have plenty hurricanes (we even had four in a row in a month) and they do do damage....have enough coverage. And for those people who CONTINUE to rebuild on a flood plain.........don't come crying your tales of woe when it happens again...and it WILL.

Read all of the ins paperwork and have ENOUGH coverage...and you will be fine. Try and skimp or cut or save...it will cost you. Quit crying we had four hurricanes in a month in Florida and it didn't make a dent on the news but I had to hear and watch where a typical storm came to the "shore" for more than a week. If you live on a flood plain or close to the ocean...you take your chances. Quit relying on others to fix your problems.

It's amazing how many people have never read their insurance policy or their mortgages. They have no idea what they have signed. Then when they run into a problem, they cry that the mortgage company or insurance company is screwing them.

Insurance is nothing more than off-track betting. You are betting you're going to have a loss. The insurance company is betting you're not. If you don't read and understand the fine print, don't blame anyone but yourself, when you find, the policy doesn't cover something, you assumed that it did.

Mortgages: You don't own the house. You and the bank, each have an equity interest in the house. As you continue to pay your mortgage, your equity increases and the bank's decreases. In the documents you sign, you and the bank agree, not do anything to devalue the property. You also agree that any item belonging to the property, including landscaping or anything attached to the structure may be removed as long as it is replaced with same or better value. This means, if you remodel the kitchen, you can't take it with you or sell it in foreclosure, without committing mortgage fraud, theft and a couple more acts that can be criminally prosecuted.

Your Mommies and Daddies can't protect you from the bad guys all of your life. At some point, you must take responsibility for your own actions. Mortgage and insurance companies are not your friends. They are there to make a buck and could care less about you. It is up to you to protect yourself.

moral of the story, have a personal relationship with your insurance agent and know exactly what is covered by your policy and what is not. With the prewarnings about Sandy and being on a flood plane, homeowners should have moved anything of value out of the home and to a safe area. Yep, Allstate is being a buttface with the people it covers, but homeowners also share some of the blame for not taking appropriate actions.

Jay - read the article - the man has home ins and flood ins. He was not told by the ins co that items in the basement weren''t covered. We have family staying with us because their home on the bay was destroyed by Sandy. They have three policies, and have not collected a dime. Luckily, they have a place to stay and the money to pay up front for what the insurance should be paying. I worked in the homeowners insurace industry in the 80's as a claims adjuster. I am shocked by how low the industry has gone. But I am not surprised - we have DEREGULATED a lot in the name of saving premiuns. Was it worth it?

I agree Ms White.
Looks like there are a lot of insurance company employees on here disagreeing tho. LOL

Moral of the story. READ your policy. Don't assume that evrything will be fine. If you have valueable jewelery you get extra insurance and so on. He didn't buy the flood insurance, because he was "fine with it" that's why they didn't fix up the basement. What made him think that the insurance would cover the stuff in the basement when it wasn't fixed up "for obvious reasons"? Flood insurance doesn't just cover the basement during a flood. It's the foundation and everything attatched. It's kind of like a renter not buying rental insurance then crying "HELP ME", I lost everything.

Jay Smith
1:34 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013

Get proper insurance for your property, and you will have no problems.
I guess the money these folks saved by not insuring properly does not look as good now.....

And I am so sick of people saying they were cheated on mortgages, insurance, or whatever - take responsibility for you own lives.
If you can't read what you are agreeing to - maybe you belong in an apartment, and not your own home

What insurance company do you work for JAY SMITH...? ........INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE THE BIGGEST THIEFS OUT THERE
next in line are BANKS then CAR DEALERS ..! I had a sinkhole claim the tried denying it saying it was organic material was buried under my carport /back yard when the neighborhood was built. Well I filmed the surveyors they sent and got samples for my self I knew they would try that BS. When they said it was organic material I asked since when is sand organic like what I said listen jerk off I filmed the whole drilling by the people you sent out and I had them give me jars sign and date them. So go ahead deny the claim I will call every news team down go over to the VA since I am a 100% disabled Veteran and we will see were this goes he hung up Next day they were out repairing the sink hole biggest thief's out there INSURANCE COMPANIES they want there money fast enough when you have a legit claim they deny deny deny know matter what for

If you want something for nothing go to wal-mart. In the real world people know their policy and have enough insurance. Cheapskates and idiots buy minimum coverage, but expect the world when they have a claim. THAT IS NOT REALITY!

Still, it is the responsibility of the buyer to read the fine print! Fine print is found in all legal papers, and when someone wants to buy on the cheap, is the same one who does not read the fine print... until this happens. Amazing!

Stealing is more like it.You pay for years with no claims then you make a claim and they try to give you the shaft. The insurance business is the biggest racket in the world . They profited 11 billion dollars in the past 7 years. while screwing their customers.Legalized robbery is more like it.Allstate is the worst of them all.

I battled Allstate years ago....finally got a lawyer and they had to pay up....it took several years...the most crooked insurnace company there is!!! They ripped my Mother off also!!!!

Allstate paid my claim of 3,000.00 all except the 500.00 deductible.They were very quick to help us. I had replacement insurance and they even replaced my freezer that was damaged.We had no problem at all!

I have to agree with everyone of these posts. My big bitch is companies legally selling worthless policies. I have to abide by the laws, however it seems insurance, banking,wall street and and the damn politicians live by another set.

There is so much info here that is utterly false............................wow........................

and Pam.......where do you live that you had to pay 300 per month for sump pump coverage ??? most places you can get that for less than 200 per YEAR

I don't disagree with your comment. However, it is up to the homeowner to read and understand the fine print. If you don't understand it and If the insurance agent that sells you the policy can't properly explain it to you or just smiles every time you tell them something or when you ask a question that is a sign you should NOT purchase from them.

Most Insurance Policies, one needs a "Philadelphia Lawyer" to understand what you are reading!, especially the fine print. Some States require Insurance Companies to write everything in Laymens Language

All Homeowners policies EXCLUDE FLOOD DAMAGE so anything that is damaged or destroyed by floodwaters is not covered what is so hard to understand about that !!! if the writer of this story would check the facts he wouldnt be repeating a innacurate criticism of any company Buy flood from the govt and dont leave contents in basement

John - He did have FEMA flood insurance ( government) Read the article. I am appalled that they are saying he makes too much money to get paid on that? Seems to be something needs looking into....

Odds are the Govt.'s HAARP facility created Sandy anyway,,, amazin how the rats in New Orleans got gobs of money instantly,,, NOT white man!!!!!

not wrong Roman..........................what do you want them to do...................pay for flood damage when the policy does not cover flood losses..................you want Life insurers to covere those who are terminally ill etc.....................none of them would be in business if the ypaid claims that are not covered by the policy...............whats so hard to understand ??

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I've been with Allstate for over 30 years. I'm appalled at their treatment to their customers that were hit by Sandy. I think it's about time I look for another insurance company. Absolutely discusting.

I'm sorry for your situation but you should have read the policy better to see what was covered rather than relying on a smiling agent eager to cash your check. I was with Allstate for 20 yrs and never had a problem.

I have Allstate and plan on changing companies. I have them for my house and 2 cars

Hey Bree, you said you WERE with Allstate. If they are so perfect, why aren't you with them anymore?

Mr. Crea, FYI our adjuster informed us there are whole areas, thousands of home, in the South that were never repaired and never rebuilt. I have been fighting Nationwide for over a year to no avail. Judging from what happened in the aftermath of Katrina, the system sucks you into back breaking labor to clean up your property and your town only to discover a year later what you are realizing right now. They never had any intention of helping you rebuild your life it just would take even more resources if everyone evacuated permanently, to sanitize the area.Your love of your domicile granted the system free labor. EVENTUALLY THOSE PEOPLE TOOK THE BUS AND FOUND A NEW PLACE TO LIVE. THEY HAD NO CHOICE.

Good Luck Jason
We had the same problem out here in Southern Ca during the fires all state sucks we cancelled them last year cause they keep raising their rates on us to the point we have to look else where they will leave your area soon due to Hurricane Sandy pure pricks I say !!!

I had Allstate for many years until I got divorced and then all of sudden I was a bad risk and my premiums went sky high, although I have never had an accident or made any insurance claims of any kind, EVER! Needless to say, I went with another company, Allstate sucks. You are not in good hands, more like fimble fingers.....

Allstate is one of the worst!! They screwed me 40 years ago, never been back, and have bad mouthed them to anybody that would listen, for 40 years!!

I remember years ago a guy went back to his house after a flood and his house was gone. When he looked closely he noticed the house burned. The insurance company said the house flooded first and then burned so it was not covered. Then he was watching the news and a news chopper was showing film of the area and there was his house burning and not a drop of water had yet reached his house. He got a copy from the TV station and was able to prove his house burned before it flooded. A nuisance technicallity. I am sure the insurance company was not too happy. But the homeowner sure was.

the whole story hasn't been told Jason...............too much info missing

The article says he had flood insurance.

It said that he had flood insurance, but the basement wasn't covered under that flood insurance. Too bad his attic didn't flood instead of his basement.

Well that sounds redundit...who made up that stupid rulling--the insurance co??? Who would think to have flood insurance if you live in an area that isn't a flood area??? These people should have been covered period.

What you wrote is true. There is no coverage for rising surface water, tidal surge or flood water under a homeowners policy. NFIP insurance does not cover contents for tidal surge or flood and has limited coverage for damages. The fact that the insured had contents stored in a basement room beneath the surface of the ground and had warning of an approaching hurricane speaks volumes to their lack of preparedness and personal responsibility. Insurance and government assistance can only do so much. Man up.

It's not clear in the story whether Allstate insured them with just a homeowners policy or if they placed flood insurance through Allstate as well. While the government underwrites flood insurance, it's sold by insurance companies and agents. Flood insurance doesn't cover basement damage. Blame the government for that, not Allstate, since it's a government insurance policy.

About 1/4 to 1/3 of all flood losses occur outside special flood hazard areas. The National Flood Insurance Program runs commercials on TV, in magazines, and elsewhere making it clear that most people are a candidate for flood insurance. Even someone living on a mountainside may need it since it also covers mud flow due to flooding.

Pat De Range
2:02 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013

Well that sounds redundit...who made up that stupid rulling--the insurance co??? Who would think to have flood insurance if you live in an area that isn't a flood area??? These people should have been covered period.

Cajun Proud part 1
I've read most of the comments on flood vs home owners insurance and the lack of payment issues. Here is just a few comments / advise. I am from Empire la. been through my share of storms, Betsy, Camile, George, Rita, Ike, Katrina, Issac. Lived here most of my life except for a few years in Allentown Pa. Know about the cold / basement isuues etc. If you live in a flood plain area Fema provides the flood insurance. Damages to your home and belongings that are the result of a flood will only be covered if they are at or above the base flood plain stated in the Fema flood plain map for your area. Any part of your home that is below the base flood plane are not covered period. Like basements even a/c units set outside the home etc. All outside buildings would have to be added to the policy. Rooms added to the base structure that did not have a perimt / building inspection done and approved when added will not be covered.Make a point of knowing what and where you buy!

Cajun Proud part 2
If you live in a flood zone and buy flood insurance you can apply for a LOMC with fema. This is a letter of mandatory coverage exception. It basically states that you are in a flood zone area but your home is above the base flood plane elevation and you are exempt from having manadatory flood coverage. This will lower your flood insurance cost by over half!! This is how it works. You have to get a ceritified elevation survey done for your property. Your property has to be above the base flood elevation mandated by the fema flood plane map for your area. Fill out the apporpiate paper work with fema. ( Did not hear any one mention this yet how astonising for the so called informed ones!!) Fema will also provide elevation grant monies to elevate properties in flood plane areas. Buy wind and storm damage coverage with your home owners policy, total home replacement (this will cover the foundation), loss of use coverage, Itemize your belongings with your insurance company. Keep your reciepts for everything you buy it all adds up!! Here is one more tid bit buy your house hold and personal items with american express they will reimburse you for everything you bought back 3 months if lost / damaged!! wow. Hire a seperate claims adjuster, have your property value checked at least every 4 years by and independant property value assessor. Compare his data to the local Gov't property assessor this will help with taxes and insurance to keep them in line.God Bless.

n May of 2010 both our home and our Son's home were flooded here in Nashville, Tn. Watching Sandy results and reading this is all the same we went through here in Tennessee. Flood Insurance covers only the Structure. We didn't have Flood coverage. Fema lead us to think they would cover our Central Heat. I replaced it. They didn't pay for it! My son had AllState. They paid nothing! Our Safco policy paid for Sewage back up and clean up. $2,000 better than nothing. Our Son rebuilt from donations and help from volunteers from Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvanian, etc. The funds he got from "We are Home" required a 2nd mortgage. He does not repay unless he sells his home. The home value is much less now than the original Loan plus the rebuild. I also spent $9,000 on his home. They are back in. Insurance does not pay for downed trees. I've paid $8,000 in tree removal since 2010. Insurance is only good for Fire and actual damage. If the trees fell into the house then they pay. Flood and trees are not! Were on our own in that event! Both our Son's "family of 4 each" lost their jobs in 2009. Unemployment of $250 wkly does not get it. We stood by them! Helped pay bills took them in after their home flooded! It's been bad all around this country. The Mississippi Valley, Katrina and all I can say is God Bless you. Stand strong and stand together. You will make it!

the flood policy doesn't cover the PERSONAL PROPERTY in the basement

Basement is covered area for maintence items etc, washer dryer a-c

ins nerd..................flood insurance is underwritten by fed but not "sold" by ins co's.........................they do the servicing......................fill out apps, submit to D.C. etc.............answer questions.........do all the leg work...................fed could not do it any longer............couldn't handle it............thats why Obamacare is scary..............if fed could not handle one policy with one peril (flood)...............how they gonna handle health care for 315 million people..................answer is ..........they won't be able to handle it................yikes

THE ARTICLE SAYS HE HAD FLOOD INSURANCE!!!!! DON'T YOU PEOPLE READ WHAT IS PRINTED????

Any money FEMA gets must be borrowed from your children and China, it's broke.

And we pay their salary, medical and SS (they don't even contribute to them) and this is how they treat the poor people who were affected by that storm, they should all see their homes be washed away anddistroyed and see how they feel. It is disgusting how they are treating those poor people, I know all of them are going to remember this at election time.

It is not Your Money, It is not the Congress's money. It is the Taxpayers Money. I think people should stop thinking everybody else should pay for their problems. If you didn't buy proper insurance thats your fault. If it didn't cover what you thought, thats also your fault. I'm so fed up with this " I messed up, gemme goverment (other people's) money. Oh, and "Boner" is no worse then "Obummer" who promised you the world,which is not his to give.

Not Whining: sounds like you are freaking whining to me.Oh, so clever with your "obummer"...how stupid.

n May of 2010 both our home and our Son's home were flooded here in Nashville, Tn. Watching Sandy results and reading this is all the same we went through here in Tennessee. Flood Insurance covers only the Structure. We didn't have Flood coverage. Fema lead us to think they would cover our Central Heat. I replaced it. They didn't pay for it! My son had AllState. They paid nothing! Our Safco policy paid for Sewage back up and clean up. $2,000 better than nothing. Our Son rebuilt from donations and help from volunteers from Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvanian, etc. The funds he got from "We are Home" required a 2nd mortgage. He does not repay unless he sells his home. The home value is much less now than the original Loan plus the rebuild. I also spent $9,000 on his home. They are back in. Insurance does not pay for downed trees. I've paid $8,000 in tree removal since 2010. Insurance is only good for Fire and actual damage. If the trees fell into the house then they pay. Flood and trees are not! Were on our own in that event! Both our Son's "family of 4 each" lost their jobs in 2009. Unemployment of $250 wkly does not get it. We stood by them! Helped pay bills took them in after their home flooded! It's been bad all around this country. The Mississippi Valley, Katrina and all I can say is God Bless you. Stand strong and stand together. You will make it!

So very true!!!

Putting ALLSTATE in a bad light! Read my post about ALLSTATE and tell me why I shouldnt be upset...if they (ALLSTATE) doesnt like it they are more then welcome to contact me since they wont bother returning calls regarding settling any portion of the wreck....Please explain that!

People just don't bother to read their policies, myself included. I will certainly read mine now.

I agree the article is misleading, but so is this posting. "Blame" FEMA? If you think it is necessary to place blame, blame your Congress representatives - they write the laws for fthe National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or blame people who buy or build homes in flood plains. We cannot tell from the article whether the check only is for contents or whether it also is meant to covers repairs to the basement. If it's content only that is not covered under the NFIP, then the article only tells half the story. Frankly, I'm a taxpayer, also, who doesn't want to see the American people foot the bill to rebuild shoreline communities in New Jersey or anywhere else. Reimburse people what they legally are due, but don't offer them any more federally backed insurance if they rebuild in high-risk locations.

Yes, it would appear he is wrongly maligning Allstate.
However, the agent appears to have not properly explained what was/wasn't covered by the HO policy, especially since the property is in a flood plain. If his municipality does deem it officially destroyed/uninhabitable etc., and he is then fully 'made whole' by Allstate, he probably needs to put up an apology sign to Allstate.

The only thing that is misleading is the standard homeowner's policy. I have been an adjuster since 1969 and I am amazed and disgusted by how much coverage has been removed from the homeowner's policy. Back in the days when I actually handled property claims any damage from storms like this was covered and the "storm troopers" sent out to handle these claims went out of their way to ensure that they included everything in their estimate. Today these adjusters primary goal is to find ways to deny your claim or to exclude as much as they can. Too add insult to injury they double your deductible for hurricane caused damages. They have cut back the coverage extended while raising their premiums.

Remember, the adjuster who shows up to handle your claim does not represent you, he represents the insurance company and his main job is to pay as little as he can and these guys are good at their jobs. Why do you think you now see ads for attorneys to represent policy holders on first party loses? It's because insurance companies do not take care of their insureds, they screw them.

Correct, FEMA is the one you should be bitching to!!!!!

You can buy Flood coverage for certain types of contents through a HOmeowners policy, maybe not Allstates' They are called "Inland Marine Floater" .. MOst of the items covered under IM coverages need to be appraised and scheduled on the policy before they are Insured. Tools, Musical Instruments, jewelry, art work are all "Insurable."
The article is not clear as to whether or not Allstate is also the designated company for NFIP in New Jersey. NFIP Policies exclude basements.. so this homeowner is probably not likely to collect much even from NFIP, unless he can show the entire house is totalled out "Unrepairable."

Homeowners policies have NEVER paid for flooding/storm surge damage.

RWD

1:51 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013

The only thing that is misleading is the standard homeowner's policy. I have been an adjuster since 1969 and I am amazed and disgusted by how much coverage has been removed from the homeowner's policy. Back in the days when I actually handled property claims any damage from storms like this was covered and the "storm troopers" sent out to handle these claims went out of their way to ensure that they included everything in their estimate.

The adjuster's job is not to pay as little as s/he can, it's to pay what the policy says is covered. Homeowners policies don't cover flood damage. Flood policies don't cover damage to contents in the basement. THAT is the reality, not the claim that adjusters are all frauds.

RWD

1:51 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013

Remember, the adjuster who shows up to handle your claim does not represent you, he represents the insurance company and his main job is to pay as little as he can and these guys are good at their jobs

n May of 2010 both our home and our Son's home were flooded here in Nashville, Tn. Watching Sandy results and reading this is all the same we went through here in Tennessee. Flood Insurance covers only the Structure. We didn't have Flood coverage. Fema lead us to think they would cover our Central Heat. I replaced it. They didn't pay for it! My son had AllState. They paid nothing! Our Safco policy paid for Sewage back up and clean up. $2,000 better than nothing. Our Son rebuilt from donations and help from volunteers from Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvanian, etc. The funds he got from "We are Home" required a 2nd mortgage. He does not repay unless he sells his home. The home value is much less now than the original Loan plus the rebuild. I also spent $9,000 on his home. They are back in. Insurance does not pay for downed trees. I've paid $8,000 in tree removal since 2010. Insurance is only good for Fire and actual damage. If the trees fell into the house then they pay. Flood and trees are not! Were on our own in that event! Both our Son's "family of 4 each" lost their jobs in 2009. Unemployment of $250 wkly does not get it. We stood by them! Helped pay bills took them in after their home flooded! It's been bad all around this country. The Mississippi Valley, Katrina and all I can say is God Bless you. Stand strong and stand together. You will make it!

FEMA did NOT SELL this policy to the homeowner- ALLSTATE DID! It was Allstate that collected the payments every month and it was an Allstate representative that smiled and SOLD the homeowner coverage for contents he KNEW would NOT be covered so I say blame the INSURANCE company NOT FEMA!!

THAT's why one needs to have a law degree to understand all of that BS writen in the FINE print..it was written BY lawyers. I don't know anybody in my groupe of friends who understands all of that little print??? AND that's what they count on, us not understanding any of that and then they say latter "Well you should have read the fine print" It should have been written in English or explained to them in English" before they signed anything. They are a bunch of crooks!!!!!!

Insurance policies, by law, are written to meet the requirements of the Flesch readability test. Insurance policies are usually written at the 5th grade level.

Paul Atkinson you hit the nali square on the head!!

Paul, interesting comment, can you explain to me then how I as a sober driver minding my own business on a mid-Sunday afternoon drive when out of nowhere a drunk driver hits me head on with such force that my Escalade is totaled, I am ejected out the drivers window and the back seat is completely riped from the bolts am I suppose to be "EDUCATED" on what his insurance company will or will not cover. I was completely insured including under/unisured, medical, liability and comprehensive with 1m in coverage. So tell me why ALLSTATE refuses to even cover the actual expenses.....

I am glad to see the comments on here from insuarnce professionals - read your policy and understand what you buy - bottom line

To Al;

I am not sure what expenses Allstate refuses to cover or even what state you live in (as the rules of auto insurance differ from state to state, in particular with any medical coverage) However, you might want to consult an attorney especially considering the severity of the accident. Without the complete facts, including a review of your policy, nobody here can really answer your questions.

This is BS! Insurance is about profit...period. Ask anyone from Katrina.
Ins. Companies are only interested in the bottom line. The mathematical calculations that insure that they profit. If they pay out too much they could lose money. They can't have that. My wife has been in insurance for 30 years and knows this all too well. Policies with12 to 20 pages of fine print... good luck to us all?
These folks need help, not more right wing BS.

Exactly Paul!! I sympathize with the plight of the victims of Sandy but the truth is that most weren't prepared for this type of event.

I agree with Anita Ball...............Kudos to Paul because he did hit the nail on the head.

Robert, I agree with most of what you say but it's not right wing BS, I've been an adjuster since 1969 and I'm a little right of Attila the Hun. Insurance companies are like big government, they promise you everything and give you as little as they can. Tort reform is one of the biggest scams of all time.

do your homework , allstate has the worst rating for claims , i wouldnt recomend allstate to any one , they are by far the worst

According to a survey done by the NY Times, 98% of Katrina victims who were insured were satisfied with their settlements. The problem was with the huge number that had no insurance or the wrong kind.

Robert

1:50 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013

This is BS! Insurance is about profit...period. Ask anyone from Katrina.
Ins. Companies are only interested in the bottom line. The mathematical calculations that insure that they profit.

al cialone...Looks like you scared paul atkinson away. He can't answer you with truth.

You do have a valid point. It was only after I was after my homeowners insurance was cancelled (no claims-company wanted to get rid of high risk hurricane prone areas) that I looked very carefully as I sought other companies. I now have full replacement value on my home and contents and a 2% hurricane deductible. I raised my deductible from what I had at my previous unsurer and hurricane deductible dropped from 5% to 2%. Now for a couple of hundred more a year I have far superior coverage than I had. The kicker is I kept my original company for my auto insurance because they still give me a discount as if I still had my homeowners with them and my new company couldn't come close to matching it and told me to stick with them.

I too am an insurance professional, SCLA designation (Senior Claims Law Associate) and it is SO easy to blame the insurance company and state they are only for profit etc....duh--they are a business and expect to make a profit. There is no 'fine print' and it is the DUTY of the insured to READ the CONTRACT (policy) to assure they are covered--the ignorance and vitriole on this thread are scary--people have NO clue but are ready to blame without knowledge or experience. The author also needs to be educated before writing.

Paul Atkinson...I can read and use proper grammar, so let ME set you straight...I have had multiple insurance agents intentionally mislead me in order to sell a policy...not only did they not explain the policy terms, but because they thought I would not know any better, they attempted to mislead me when I asked questions about the policies. Insurance companies are in business to keep all the money that is paid to them and they have no intentions of paying anything out....those big expensive buildings that they put up to house their corporate headquarters cost big bucks. Then of course, they have to pay their employees so that they can continue to mislead people into believing that they must have the "insurance" so they can recover their losses... Insurance companies have been robbing the public since the day of their inception and it is legal for them to do it. I have never met anyone more "smooth" talking than an insurance "professional." So take your "rules" and eat them. Insurance companies are comprised of thieves and liars... a prerequisite to be a employed by one is: you must be able to do WHATEVER it takes to sell their product. Who are you kidding?

hey Al.............need more info....................and then I'll tell you why

I completely agree Sheriffchris....I've been in the insurance biz for over 30 years & we try to get our customers to come in & do a review of their coverage on a yearly basis for their home & auto insurance but only about 5% ever respond.

Maybe a little more honesty on your part would help the situation don't you think Anita Ball? Instead of getting online and implying it is YOUR CUSTOMER'S fault that these things happen, you could instead send out letters to YOUR CUSTOMERS whom you know this could happen too because of crappy insurance with misleading "fine print". I guarantee if customers received letters or emails from you saying they are inadequately covered and the insurance YOU have sold them would not cover a damn thing, you would hear from them. You ever think of that??

People don't want to take the time to do things like that. There are uninsured people who lost their home in Katrina, and they are still waiting for the "government" to rebuild their house.

absolutely Anita........................and in the consumer's defense...............they think they cannot understand the coverage but they can if they break through that feeling

InsuranceNerd

2:57 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013

Legally, in most states, it is NOT the agent's responsibility but the insured's. The agent's legal responsibility is to provide what is requested, nothing more, although many agents will use exposure/coverage checklists to assist in the process. Howeverer, if you don't have one of these agents, you're on your own.

See..la Dur is telling you that it is legal for insurance agents to mislead consumers. They are not required to tell you the truth unless you request it...and if you are NOT in the insurance business, it might be a little difficult to know all the "inside secrets" about how to mislead people into buying a policy so that you can get your commission and therefore, you won't know all the "right" questions to ask to avoid being hoodwinked...imagine that! Even the insurance "professionals" admit that it is legal for them to mislead consumers.

Obviously most of us out here who must purchase insurance must be really stupid...according to the so called insurance professionals who are posting on here. The reason people don't respond to solicitations by insurance companies is because they are afraid they are going to get scammed even more! The biggest lie ever told by an insurance agent is: I'm here to help you! Yeah right!!

That's because you are supposed to get a rider for the sump. In our neighborhood every hiouse has a sump pump and no one has had an issue getting repairs done due to sump pump failure ( no electricity) if they had a rider on their policy. Once again home owner error in not getting the right coverage or asking the right questions.

Susan, it is the responsibility of the "insurance professional" to make sure you have the coverage you need or to at least offer it to you. Allstate is one of the worst companies when it comes to finding ways to deny claims.

Legally, in most states, it is NOT the agent's responsibility but the insured's. The agent's legal responsibility is to provide what is requested, nothing more, although many agents will use exposure/coverage checklists to assist in the process. Howevere, if you don't have one of these agents, you're on your own.

RWD

2:03 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013

Susan, it is the responsibility of the "insurance professional" to make sure you have the coverage you need or to at least offer it to you. Allstate is one of the worst companies when it comes to finding ways to deny claims.

the entity with the worst claim cases..........denies the most claims is the Federal Govt

health (medicare) and otherwise

the first response from insurance companies is to deny, deny. don't give up, appeal, appeal, and appeal again.

i had allstate insurance, i hated their guts, and found a better insurance company

It took me 2 yrs to resolve a claim from an accident where the other driver was at fault. Just be diligent about keeping your expenses recorded. I had to get a lawyer in the end.

Get a lawyer............

have you called State Ins Dept or an attorney ??

The problem the guy in the article is having is his basement - where the majority of his loss occurred - was not covered by either policy. It was not considered part of his home, so in truth, he has no coverage. His home may be declared a total loss, which will be covered, but it doesn't cover the contents, which is usually a separate part of the policy. So he failed to read his policy and failed to properly protect his possessions.

excellent point Ted......................and the HO policy cannot pay for flood................specifically excluded......................Flood policy pays only for flood damage................evrything else excluded

the basement is considered part of the home and there is HO coverage for stuff damaged in the basement but not against flood.........................

there is no small print.................................even with some parts that can be a bit confusing its easy to understand (if you read it) what is not covered

there is NO small print...nothing is covered and your premium money just goes to keep the insurance company in business so they can obtain more premium money. There is nothing confusing about that... except the laws that allow the insurance companies to continue their dishonest practices.

what was the rerason for the cancellation ? that must be disclosed

lar Dur...They do NOT have to disclose that. I asked that question and they told me they do NOT have to disclose the reason...they can just say you are a bad risk, and that is what they say when they drop you because you have filed a claim.

By law the reason for cancellation or nonrenewal must be included in the written notice provided to the insured......................that is a State law requirement in every State

thats because the entire story is not divulged in the article.......................

Karlene Larkin...You are correct! That is the way insurance companies operate no matter what the story is.

We had the proper coverage, and all insurance companies have 2 years to settle. If you are able to survive for 2 years, and wait our the court time then all well and good, but they do not have to pay until the court says they have to. We knew what was in our policy. An agent saying it is covered, is not what to look for because when a tragedy happens they are not the people that help you. You talk to the insurance company, and if you get no where you have to hire a lawyer. We had plenty of coverage, had a no fault of ours total loss fire, and anybody with a total loss is at the insurance companies mercy. They will tell you what you want to hear, but it is not up to the agent.

and I do feel very bad for all the people tragically effected by Sandy. There is only do much we can expect Insurance to do for us. Millions are in the same situation and they cannot make exceptions for just one. We all pay in the end. I live in Florida and my homeowner’s bill went from $400 to $5,000 after our “hurricane” years and I had not made one claim myself.
I hope our government can get together to help people like this caught without protection get back to normal.

I too, have Allstate and they have been quick to resolve any claim I had. While i do have a good agent, I think they would have paid out anyway because it is clear in my policy what is covered. I agree, you must read the fine print and hopefully you will have an agent that makes sure you fully understand your coverage and your policy exemptions.

I wondered the same thing. I wouldn't think you would store expensive equipment in an area that has had even a little flooding. Seems it would be rather damp or humid there and ruin your equipment. Sadly many folks just buy a policy and assume it covers everything. I feel bad for this couple, but am sure they have learned a valuable lesson.

And I'm sure you have read yours word for word and are completely understanding of what your coverages are? He asked questions, even bought a flood insurance policy. He asked about the valuables in the basement and not a word was mentioned that they would not be covered. And don't even get me started on the fact that FEMA is not available to him because of his income level... a storm is a storm, and I thought FEMA was there to help victims of the storm... income has nothing to do with that... but I'm sure the guy down the street who opted for no insurance or the bare minimum and who hasn't really worked too hard in his life will get a fine payout of my tax payer dollars... sickening...

Ashley, I agree with you as my policy with Allstate covered a new roof and tree removal due to a storm with high winds, but I am wondering about the fact that some of Mr Crea's damage was surely caused by high winds not only water seeping in. just wonderng....

PLEASE READ THE ARTICLE... HE HAD FLOOD INSURANCE AS WELL AS HIS HOME OWNERS POLICY... GEEZ... THERE ARE SOME STUPID COMMENTS BY PEOPLE WHO OBVIOUSLY HAVE NOT EVEN COMPREHENDED WHAT THEY ARE COMMENTING ABOUT... and he even asked about his valuables that would be stored in his basement and his agent said nothing...

Good Luck to you, Ashley! If you ever have to file a claim for flood damage you are going to be in for a big surprise. And..don't depend on the courts to back you up when the contract wording is disputed because you will be disappointed with that outcome, also.

Yet another example of someone who wants to say negative comments without reading and comprehending what you are commenting about... he told the insurance agent he would store valuables in the basement... and they said nothing. He even bought flood insurance. There's not a single one of us that has read word for word our policies, mortgages, etc... but when you do ask questions and are told nothing by the person you entrusted your homeowner's policy to, then you have every right to be upset... And the fact that he makes too much money for FEMA assistance... well that is just a crock too... I'm sure the guy who was not responsible down the street and either opted for no insurance on his house or the bare minimum will get a nice payout... just another fine example of those who are hardworking and trying to be responsible by protecting their assets getting screwed by the government...

I don't think that $1000.00 would do much toward paying for the damage that home has obviously sustained...the level of comprehension by some of these posters is really sad.

That's right, Harry!

OMG..why are these pople insisting he did NOT have flood insurance where, in fact, HE DID HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE AND HIS INSURANCE COMPANY ''INSISTED '' ON HIM GETTING IT!! He had flodd insurance, so why are the NOT paying him!?!? Im pretty sure we are capable of reading his story!!

BLK....These people obviously have no comprehension skills.

Yup! We need to all read he article and then open our mouths. Alot of people on here like to put their two cents into something they don't understand, like Mr Crea not having flood insurance where it CLEARLY states that recommended that he get flood insurance, so he did along with other coverage. Why do people STILL insist he didnt have the proper insurance and then bad mouth him!?!? Put yourslf in that situation, people. The way some of these insurance companies work makes me sick! They want their money ASAP but when something happens they drag their a$$. Just my opinion.

His insurance company did not insist that he buy flood coverage.......................the mortgage company or nank requires it in order to get a mortgage.......................the only thing that ins company tell you (and is in the policy in 12 point print..........no "small print" as some ignoramuses have suggested)........is that Flood damage, eathquake, etc damagew is NOT covered

Mortgage company or Bank

WOW... want to talk about stupidity... why don't you read the article before casting your negative comments???? This guy did ask questions, he mentioned he would store valuable belongings in his basement and his agent said nothing. He went as far as to even buy flood insurance. Sounds like he was pretty thorough and responsible to me... and there is not a single person out there who has read their home owners policy word for word... I've glanced at it, I've also asked questions about different scenarios so I would know I was choosing the right policy... And I've even got flood insurance and I'm in the hills of tennessee but have a dry creek on my property line... but I'm sure in a disaster that wouldn't be enough either. And the fact that he makes too much money for FEMA assistance... just another fine example of the government helping out the have-nots instead of those who work hard, choose to be responsible and then get faced with a natural disaster... sickening... but really, please comprehend what you are reading before commenting...

Double WOW...I guess it never dawned on some people that it does not matter where you live, there can be a disaster...you are not immune and if you actually own your own home and have been forced to buy insurance your posts might make more sense. it's NOT about how to save money...ALL insurance is expensive and if your house is mortgaged, you are REQUIRED to have the insurance and it is dictated to you what coverage you MUST have. This poster obviously has no clue about insurance and what is involved in purchasing it. He just likes to make negative posts and finds pleasure in the misfortune of those who actually had enough ambition to buy a home. He is too oblivious to realize that his "tax" money, if he pays any, funds all kinds of programs for people who could work and won't, but that's ok. They deserve it and people who work hard and have the ability to buy a home do not deserve any help...Shame on Jason Crea for buying a house...he should just be on the "system" and then he wouldn't have anything to loose, and no reason to "cry and expect Wayne Porell to pay for his loss..because the "government would already be taking care of him... Now that post was almost as stupid as the "people" Wayne Porell refers to in it.

He did ask questions... mentioned that he would store valuable items in his basement and his agent said nothing... you need to read the entire article before commenting... he even went as far to buy flood insurance... And what about the fact that he makes too much money for FEMA assistance? Last I checked, a storm is a storm, and income should have absolutely NOTHING to do with helping storm victims... but yet I'm sure the guy down the street who choose to be irresponsible and not insure his home (or get the bare minimum) will get a nice payout... it's ridiculous!!!

Totally agree with this comment. They have no rules.

English please?????

en ingles por favor.

What a sad existence you must lead. Do you see evil in everyone? Do you work for free? Or is is just everyone ELSE is greedy for success. Insurance is a business just like everyone else. It doesn't make them evil. Theirs is a business that helps people who have tragedies occur. If they give all their money away to uncovered people, how do they take care of others with policies?

Im in the same mess my home was destroyed from Sandy and FEME will not help me.
Because they told me to get flood inc. but I'm not working so who can afford.
I had no choice then to charge it on my credit card a week before the starm, but didn't know it took 30 day to be active..... So my home is destroyed and got no money to fix it.....

Nobody is asking them to give money away, but when you have the proper coverage they should have to pay what they say they are going to pay in that policy. I have lived it. I read my policy, I had plenty of coverage, I went through all there was to go through, we had a no fault fire at a business, lost everything we worked hard for and our insurance company did not do what they should have been obligated to do. They don't tell you in the policy they have 2 years to pay, and that by the end of this time you are completely broke and can't go on, but they do continue to take money for a policy and then drop you. It is a win, win situation. Most agents are not even sure what they are selling. I can read, I had the coverage.

it was johnson, a democrat president, who start raiding social security funds to cover the budget. every single president since then, democrat and republican, has done the same.

and this 60 billion dollar pork-laden bill should have been thrown out. wth do alaskan fisheries and the smithsonian roof have to do with sandy victims? let the democrats get a clean bill and have an up and down vote. then you can rant.

It wouldn't have mattered if he didn't have the $1000.00 deductible...his losses would not have been covered.. So what did he actually get for all the money he paid out in premiums?...NOTHING..So what good was the insurance anyway?? No good..He just gave them money for nothing.

So...buying insurance is a waste of money. Put all your premium money in savings and then when you have a loss, use your own money to cover it. Insurance is worthless!

I don't care for ALL State but for other reasons......................do not make a decision based on an article that is incomplete

So what is the answer, Toads McGee? What do they pay insurance for? If they don't have any coverage, why are they paying anything??? What should people hear that their agents are NOT telling them? It has already been said many times in the posts on this article that insurance agents do not have to tell customers anything that they do not ask about.. In most business it is considered unethical to mislead customers by omitting all the truth about a product, but it has been stated many times on here that it is an acceptable practice for insurance agents to do that very thing,.

You are absolutely correct in all details.

Read the article. He had flood insurance. The article states:

"The house sits in a flood plain, and Crea was required to purchase federal flood insurance. He was fine with that".

"The upshot is that none of Crea's belongings in the basement were covered by the flood insurance or by the Allstate contents policy".

Flood Insurance does not cover anything. It is a waste of money.

You didn't read the article...he has flood insurance...It amazes me that people do not know what flood insurance really is and what it does NOT cover.

THE ARTICLE SAYS HE HAS FLOOD INSURANCE!!! DON'T YOU PEOPLE READ "THE PRINT" IN THE ARTICLE??

Hope you get some relief with a program similar to the Road Home that we had after Katrina. Ridiculous amount of red tape and time but it did help us. Didn't make us whole and its taken 7 years to get us back to square one. The first 2+ years was the hardest. Good luck to you!

I think for people who are not directly effected its just to hard to contemplate losing absolutely everything they have worked their whole life for so its pushed out of their mind. I know people got sick and tired of those "poor people" in Louisiana & Mississippi. Then it happens again with Rita 6 weeks later. Then BP. Then again with Issac 7 year later. The Gulf Coast has used up all their good will. Hope the North East can hang. What I don't hear about NE disaster is "pack the meager items you saved and move away because you were so stupid to live there in the first place".

Where I live since Katrina is not in a flood zone. Even if I lived on a mountaintop I would still buy flood insurance because you never know what Mother Nature has in store for you. Hard lesson to learn and worth $350 a year. Our mortgage company failed to pay the flood insurance on our drowned house as the loan had just been sold to someone else for the upteenth time.

Agreed. However, FLOOD insurance if he has it, NEVER covers the basement or items in it. Living in a flood zone and putting your most valuable possessions in the basement is not a smart move. Read your policy & ask questions if you don't understand...it's called responsibility!

not for the stuff in the basement (below ground level)

Flood Insurance does NOT pay for anything! He had flood insurance...it was required.

People feel for all of you but it's also being judged on living on a flood plain, on the shore where you're at peril, basements being "under" the flood plain which are going to flood sooner or later and not having bought the correct type of insurance - perhaps not you...but most won't pay for it. Call the Pres at the WH...he's the one who promised everything and anything you needed would be provided. Obviously he fooled all of you and most of the nation, as usual.

Was it for their home? I ask because Progressive doesn't write homeowners insurance.

then the jerk that was settling that claim was incompetent. Acts of God are covered by homeowners and other property insurance policies.............what is a lightning strike.....................thats covered..........................some inexperienced people simply make mistakes............................when an adjuster or other emploiyee informs you there is no coverage for whatever reason...............always ask to speak with his or her supervisor and ask them (and get their name)

Good point, Ralph. People who buy insurance based on price will always get a big surprise in the end....the Wal Mart mentality!

That is ok to do, Pete, but fighting for payment on a non-covered peril, like Flood, will be a waste of time, and the insurance commissioner will tell you its not covered.

Well...good luck with that one..I have done it , but the only thing that happened was that the agents got reprimanded for misrepresenting the policy, and I still lost out.

Agree Evidently all these people posting have never had to put their insurance policy to task.....So how do they all know what will happen. I also happened to work for an insurance...trust me they love all you people that keep paying and never have to put your policy to the test

Sandyfeet2 is right. This has been in the making for many years. Even the right insurance makes little difference.

sandy and richard are WRONG...............................there will always be "claim problems"............................but the vast majority of companies would not be in business if they did not pay legitimate claims

Sandyfeet2---The majority of people who are posting on here and defending the insurance companies have never had to file a major claim and if they ever do, they will find out the hard way just like you and I. Every thing you said here is exactly "spot on".!!

Sandy and Richard are exactly correct, la Dur.. I have experienced the same thing and more than once!

Don't waste money on an attorney. If an insurance company is TRULY fraudulent, you should take it up with the department of insurance, and that won't cost you anything.

It won't cost you anything, Laurie, but it doesn't do much to help the consumer either. The insurance companies know exactly how to cover themselves and the laws protect them much more than they do the consumer. It's all a big farce.

there is no clause discussing acts of God...........you mean the exclusion section ?

States specifically flood damage and other types of water damage exclusions

i think its going to hell because all the whiners here voted for the wrong guy....................you want big daddy to take care of you cuz you're not cerebrally competent...................eveybody is the boogie man since you don't do your own due diligence...................wow

That's what I wondered. Even the article says, " ...there had never been anything more than a few inches of water in the basement." Who puts anything in a basement that has even "a few inches of water" in it ever? His instruments would have been ruined before the storm. Hey, maybe that's it...

Having read the fine print in our policy, we had the coverage. What you are failing to state is that when major loss occurs, it is not the agent that the client speaks with, it is the insuarance company. The agents are not responsible for helping settle a major loss, and are not involved. They sell the insurance, not settle claims.

Well Sharon...another poster on here said that there is no such thing as "fine print" on a policy, so what exactly are you referring to??

the basement is a covered room in the homeowners policy.....................its the flood policy that does not cover personal property below ground level..........thats the Fed policy............the author of the article has no clue either

A federal flood policy does not cover any personal property above the ground level, either. It only covers structural damage and if you are in a flood plain and your house is mortgaged, the mortgage company requires you to have federal flood insurance...if you do not get it yourself, the mortgage company will obtain it for you so you do not do any "shopping". All the flood policies I have seen were pretty much in the same price range, so "shopping" does not "save" you anything. It's all a "scam". One day FEMA decided our house was in a flood plain, then 10 years later they changed the map again so we were not and then after 10 more years we are now in one again...we never moved and neither did our house or the lay of the land.. and the river is several miles away. Explain that one.

Ms Samson....not true. You can purchase personal property coverage on your flood policy, but its optional/your choice. You do not have to but it is there if you choose to take it out. Then, your PP will be covered for flood losses if you were to have one. As far as the flood maps - they change quite frequently, but its the government..what can we say?

Nat Flood Ins Prog....................offers personal residential coverage up tp 250...............personal property (contents) up tp 100....................contents are covered while in a covered structure.............but not below ground level or out in the open...................................................

You would never get the money grubbing lawyers to allow that.

because he apparently got the $37 from Allstate for contents coverage, less his $1,000 deductible, but that was for items not damaged by the flood. The only way that contents are covered under FEMA (your flood policy) is if you have taken out the coverage on it (you can take out just your house or house AND contents)..apparently this guy only took out the flood on the home, not the contents. The contents that you mention above that were damaged via flood are NOT covered under your homeowners policy...ie...furnace, freezer, drywall, food, etc...because apparently they deemed it to be damaged via flood ( a non-covered peril) after investigation.

Salley I agree I spend $1200 a year for house insurance and if it burns to the ground I only get $375,000 for the building, $262,500 for my personal belongings and $75,000 to live in a hotel while my house is repaired. WHAT A DAMN RIPOFF

Salley Ore These Insurance companies are nothing more than theives

Don't buy the home if you are unwilling to pay the insurance company what they want to cover your home for full replacement value. READ the policy - there is no fine print, because the exceptions are included in the various sections of the policy. The insurance companies of the world are not always the bad guys; they provide a service for a fee and it's up to you, when you engage them to provide their service to you, to read and be sure you understand policy you sign. And if you claim now that you didn't understand all the words they used at the time you insured with them, YOU should have spoken up THEN and had those words explained until you did understand them, especially as they applied to your policy. The onus in on US, people, to read the policy and submit claims with the documentation the policy requires. Acts of God, damage as the result of war...these are the things insurance does not cover. How do I know? I READ MY POLICY. BEFORE the rains and wind and hail came, so I knew what was on them and what was on us. Grow up. There are two sides to every story and when one side is whining, we should be sure we know what the other side has to say BEFORE we start dissing them.

funny - My brother had Irene tear off the shingles off halve his roof - so the insurance adjuster came out and paid for halve a roof - he toldmy brither,he should have got up on the roof and tore some shingles off the otherhalve and he would have got a whole new roof

Unfortunately, it is not so simple. We live outside the flood plain at 38ft above sea level and had 6 feet of water in our home from Katrina. The flood insurance is relatively cheap but the windstorm is approx 10% of the value of our house PER year and that still leaves regular homeowner insurance and flood. It is difficult to pay for insurance out the yang yang. The population of our town is still down 25% because people can't affort to build back.

Well, those people who didn't have coverage for personal property on their flood policy obviously didn't take it out. You CAN take out personal property coverage on a flood policy for an additional premium, but many people do not, they only cover their home structure. Just like a homeowners policy - your personal property is a separate coverage on the policy than the home itself.

When you receive your policy, you read it over, very, very well. You have up to 3 business days to cancel the policy or ask any questions you'd have. Not Allstate's fault even though they smiled, it's up to you, the purchaser, to know what the heck you're buying.

So Don, I see that you just completely ignored the fact that insurance companies are so shady that you can do this over the phone.. but also you are stating that it's not Allstates fault and they just smiled and took his money knowing that he was paying insurance for a room that wasn't covered..? This makes sense how..? I can't wait to see how much fine print you've read when a satellite falls out of orbit and lands on your house..

they did not tell the guy that his stuff wasnt covered in the basement because the basement wasnt a covered room.......................................he's confusing what the flood policy states.............that personal property in the basement is not gonna be covered by the flood policy..................with what the homeowners compnay told him.........................

In court it is the written word that counts. Therefore if he does not have it in writing it is going to go in the insurance company favor. It is a bad move to be buying insurance over the phone. This is your home, Act like it, and protect it! These people don't care a flying fig about homeowners loss. They want big money coming in steady monthly. Paying off home owners losses at a fair rate means no profit. No profit means no perks for them. So who do you think is going to get ripped off. Bottom line here is, If you have a premium house, or possessions, you need premium insurance. Not a no frills basic policy and expect to be made whole.

It is Allstate's fault because they misrepresent their product. Oh yes, by all means, you MUST read the policy, but if an agent tells you something that it false, it IS their fault for attempting to mislead you, even if you are smart enough to read the policy. A consumer has the right to expect an insurance agent to tell the truth about what he is selling, so stop defending the thieving weasels who care more about their commission than they do the customer.

MS Samson, if an agent or insurance company tries to mislead you, then you need a new agent and company. We are all bound by ethics and can lose our license if we purposely mislead you. However, you can't just say someone mislead you and get away with it...to get anywhere you will have to be able to prove it, which is very difficult unless its in writing. This is not a he said-she said game. That won't cut it. again, ignorance is no excuse in any situation..its time people own up and start being responsible for themselves in this world...too many excuse makers and finger pointers.

Tell me how All State misrepresented their policy Ms Sampson.........................

but the owner was wrong about the basement not being covered....................if there were a fire in the basement and all his stuff was destroyed there would be coverage

Yes, a fire would have been covered under his homeowners policy with Allstate. That is a covered peril clearly stated in the policy language....the part that most people are too lazy to read...

The damage to the structure of his house is more than the value of the personal possessions, anyway. So where is the reimbursement for the structure damage? Yes, he should have told Allstate to get lost and not bought a policy from them...what company should he have bought it from?? They all try to avoid paying claims and it doesn't matter how much you pay out in premiums. Of course all the people who like to criticize others are making their assumptions on here and assuming that such a thing would never happen to them because they are so fracking smart and they have read and know all the loopholes..well when you get "bitten" or "taken"..remember how you ranted and raved about this. Those who think they know everything are so annoying to those of us who have actually experienced life. I did not read anywhere that Mr. Crea did NOT ever read his contract before he signed it. If you can't trust the agent who is selling the policy, then how you ever trust the company?

The structure of the house that was damaged by flood was the basement....that is NOT covered, Ms Samson. That is not Allstate's responsibility as it is clearly stated in the policy that FLOOD damage is not a covered peril. It is also not FEMA'S responsibility because basements are not covered under flood policies. That is well known and has been that way for many many years. Ignorance of the law or your insurance coverage is nobody's fault but Mr. Crea's or anyone else with a policy for that matter. I am so tired of people trying to blame others for their ignorance in this world...own up, people! wow.

I understand now..............only Ms Sampson has experiencd life.......................now I get it

what was the reason that the auto ins was cancelled denis ???

there are plenty of companies that have taken a beating.....................Travelers got hammered by hurricane Andrew in 1992...............and didnt have a billion in cash to start paying claims..........so they borrowed money from a large investment / credit company in NYC..............................and the lender ended up taking over Travelers a year later................the "old" Travelers became the "new" Travelers.................new management (same name) after ONE storm

I live on LI. Had 4 ft. of water on main level of house from Sandy. Approx. 100k claim. We just received our check. Paid us the full amount needed. You need to call your adjuster REPEATEDLY. Several times a day if necessary! And have all the proper documentation, estimates, bills etc. handy. And I think I saw you had another comment on this thread about furniture and appliances being on you for not removing it. That is untrue. It is NOT on you to remove stove, fridge etc. I was reimbursed for all of that. And furniture even though we put up 40 "on cinder blocks, the surge knocked most of it down (waterline is 45"). Just note that washer, dryer, microwave and stand alone freezer are personal contents, NOT structure. Stove, dishwasher and fridge are covered under structure.

Frank...the ONLY reason someone would defend an insurance company is because they are getting some kind of compensation for doing so. Anybody who has ever been through a disaster or has had a major claim knows what the outcome of expecting help from one of them is like. I paid my exorbitance business insurance premiums for years and when my property was damaged by a negligent motorist without insurance, my insurance company cancelled my policy and refused to insure us because they had to pay for a small part of the damage, even though I paid for the majority of the repairs myself. That's how they operate..and yes, I did file a complaint with the insurance Commission. I don't know what the outcome of that even was...the Insurance Commission even failed to inform me and I was too busy to keep attempting to get the information from them. I am so sorry for what you are going through...unfortunately it is typical and anyone who goes through what you are going through will find that out. There are idiots on here that will say it is all your fault for choosing to live where you live and how DARE you expect any help! Wait until they have a disaster, not if...when. Best wishes to you!

only reason Ms Sampson ?? Good to know that you are on top of all this

thats why insurance runs our country big money

sorry to say this,,, they will spen millions to save a dollar. all a deductable to them

Sal....they WILL pay as long as your loss is a covered peril on the policy...you need to read your policy & educate yourself. You can sue all you want, but will not win if its not a covered peril in the policy that you signed and agreed to, Insurance companies have more lawyers and deeper pockets than you could ever come up with...and no I don't represent Allstate...just stating facts.

They will wiggle, wiggle,wiggle. The windstorm company will say the damage is flood. The flood insurance (max around250k) will say it is wind. The insurance company will have record profits after massive storms, fires, earthquakes...by the way, Percheron, where do you live that there are no weather perils?

you must work for them. I had 4ft of water INSIDE the house. I know fridge, stove, furniture is on me because it was "moveable and I could have moved it to higher ground" But 4 ft. of water??? My neighbors small boat came through my living room window. How can you defend against that?

Percheron1....do you live under a rock? That would be the only place where there are no weather perils.

Public adjusters also do work for lawyers, and in the end you end up paying a lawyer because the adjuster normally waits out the 2 years to see what the insurance company offers, then if it is not agreed upon the case goes to court, in which case you have to have a lawyer, so then you have to pay a lawyer and adjuster. If you need help just start out with the lawyer,because if you need help getting your money, it will probably end up in the lawyers hands in the end.

AMEN! Or at least the reporter/author could have at least got BOTH sides of the story and THEN wrote the article truthfully.

While I agree this guy should have taken better precautions (hell, we did more prep for Sandy and we live in Albany!) but it sounds like he got screwed. If he has a mortgage then that bank WILL NOT allow you to not have the structure properly insured. Flood insurance is not "insurance" as far as a mortgage bank is concerned. They require AT LEAST enough structural insurance to cover 100% of the mortgage amount. If you live in a "flood plain/area/whatever", then you will be required to by the government flood insurance IN ADDITION. So...either the mortgage holder let it slide (doubtful), or Allstate is screwing this guy. You cannot have it both ways. If this guy has a mortgage, homeowner's insurance, and flood insurance, he should be covered for EVERYTHING, except perhaps the contents of the basement.

Donna...if Allstate did that, shame on that adjuster! What I would recommend in the future is to have a licensed contractor inspect your damages prior to the company adjuster coming out. Have them note on the estimate what the cause of the damage was...a good contractor can tell the cause. then, show that to the adjuster or claims department when they arrive at your house.

Yep...they were in the right because that is a covered peril on the policy. They didn't pay for the pipe because that is considered maintenance for a homeowner. Any of our companies would have done the same.

The best advice I can give in that situation is get an estimate from a licensed roofer or contractor that will state on the estimate that the damage was from hail. have them do this before the adjuster comes out to examine so you can show the adjuster you had a professional look at it already. Heck, get more than one estimate if you want to. What you have to remember, is, the insurance company is only required by law to put you back to your original state...meaning, they only have to repair the damaged portion. Your insurance company should allow you to pick your own contractor, so if the siding isn't make anymore or doesn't match, its not the insurance company's responsibility for cosmetic repairs. They will pay for the damaged portion, and if you want it to match and redo everything, then that is out of your own pocket. Its not the insurance company's fault that whatever siding is on the house isn't made anymore...heck it could be 40-50 years old...pretty common. Therefore, if your company gave into repairing what they are not required to, consider yourself lucky.

But insurance is a gamble for both parties....will it be used by the buyer ever to recoup his investment of coverage or will the insurance company only collect years of premiums with no claims and make a 100% finacial gain on that buyer.

I don't think there was anything in this article referring to fire or tornadoes. I am confused about what flood insurance pays for. The article says he has flood insurance and I thought flood insurance pays for structure damage caused by flooding. I know it does not pay for contents stored beneath ground level and I don't even think it covers anything but structure at all.

InsuranceNerd...Because their salaries are too high! Not because of payouts...You already said that flood insurance does not cover anything except the structure above the basement. So I guess that means that a basement is not part of the structure... your kind of explanations are the reason so many people are confused about insurance coverage. You also said that insurance policies are written so a 5th grader can understand them, but even you can't explain the terms properly...or is that just the way you insurance people like to keep people confused? And then you call your customers ignorant and whiny because we trusted you to explain something that is part of your business, but...you also say that you are not obligated to inform us of anything we are too dumb to ask about! Just the sort of person I would rush to do business with..I think not!

AMEN!

Better than the insurance system...that's for sure!

Well if you can save enough money to rebuild your home and replace your belongings in possibly a short period of time, more power to ya...however, you must remember a home policy covers more than just that - like liability - yes, you have none if someone sues you for getting hurt on your property or off of it...loss of use - which pays for you to live elsewhere temporarily if your home is not live-able after a loss...and some policies (depending on the company) have other miscellaneous coverages like identity theft, refrigerated products coverage, water sewer backup coverage, mechanical breakdown coverage and more...but, hey - if someone has that kind of money to cover those things, that is awesome....I know I don't! lol

Yeah...all you who make your living selling insurance really would hate it if everybody saved their money for their own repairs instead giving it to the insurance companies...LOL What did people do before the insurance business was invented to make a living off the misfortunes of others??

InsuranceNerd...Insurance policies contain a lot of exclusions. An agent can't explain one without explaining them all. Otherwise, if property is damaged by an exclusion they didn't explain, the insured would sue them for explaining one exclusion and not another. That's why YOU the insured are obligated to read your own policy then ask questions about anything you don't understand. Unfortunately, most people will invest hours watching American Idol, but not a couple of hours reading contracts that protect all of their possessions. You reap what your sew.

Sooo....you are saying that the only thing you insurance agents are responsible for is selling the policies..as long as you are making money, you could care less about all us "STUPID" policy holders... It would take way to much time for you to explain what is in the contracts we are signing?? This is exactly the sickening mentality that I find disgusting about all of you. You have the audacity to call everyone stupid and lazy and say that it is not your responsibility to explain anything. You are only in business because people are forced to buy your product. As far as I am concerned, you and Laurie are the typical representatives of your industry!!

it does not take long to explain the exclusions and limitations in a HO policy.........an open peril / all risk policy.............any good producer will take the time to at least review the major ones (like Flood and earthquake), the water damage limitations etc...................

So how do you go about buying insurance from the government? Who do you see about that?

Exactly InsuranceNerd! I keep reading these comments and keep hearing the same thing...BUY FLOOD INSURANCE. For the LAST TIME people...the person in this story DID HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE!!!!! Do you understand now? Geezus!

WTG insurance nerd! Agree 100%...uneducated people post here like they are victims instead of asking questions and learning their policy...that would get them alot further than bitching! lol

InsuranceNerd...I am posting just to irritate you! Now it will not have to be a mystery to you! LOL! Why are you bothering to post so much? Oh wait....you see the need to defend your "professionalism"...

Hmm..you sound rather judgmental and condescending.. I hope you don't attack me like you did that guy. I thought everyone had a right to post here. Isn't this a public article?

Insurance Nerd...you are correct. Actually, I am an independent agent (we write for 12 companies, not just one, for those out there who don't know the difference), and I have said in previous posts on here that Allstate is not at fault...our companies would not have paid either since it was a flood. The guy needs to take up all concerns with FEMA, but anyone who has educated themselves knows that FLOOD INSURANCE does not cover basements....never has.

InsuranceNerd...your reply makes you sound exactly like the type of unscrupulous insurance person everyone is talking about on here... Nice one!!

InsuranceNerd...is this what you think of people who could be your customers?? WOW...you don't take the time to explain anything...just attack and call people ignorant because they have had a bad experience! Oh yeah..you are typical.

Insurance Nerd is correct. The only law is that if they cancel you they have to give so many days notice before your renewal comes around. In Illinois it is 60 days. Other states may be different. Most companies will give you the reason in a letter and it can be as simple as "claim experience". It's perfectly legal. The biggest problem I see is that most people aren't educated about insurance and just assume everything is covered. It is NOT, and it is stated clearly in the policy, but most people are too lazy to read it and those are the first to complain when something isn't covered. This is why having a good agent who will answer your questions is important. If you buy insurance on the internet or through an 800 number, you are a fool, IMO.

InsuranceNerd...I am sure everyone will want to bo business with you after reading your insults!! LOL

certainly do

not only a (1) written notice

(2) required number of days to send notice (which varies by State)

(3) reason for the (cancellation or nonrenewal) action

and(4) they must also inform the insured that they may be able to get desired coverage thru an assigned risk or State ins program (e.g., Fair Plan for HO, PA Auto Ins Plan.........every State has a comparable assigned risk auto plan)

E.g. nonrenewal reason could be as simple (and nebulous) as negative claim experience................cancellation notice has to include a reasopn as well...............nonpayment, misrep or fraud..........................all states, all of em have specific instructions for cancellation and nonrenewal.

Exactly. Too many people want a Cadillac for a Ford Focus price. You get what you pay for in all industries. As far as insurance goes, why would someone want to insure one of their most valuable assets like their home or autos for cheap? Again, you get what you pay for.

That's right!! Shame on all you DUMB people for wanting to save money! Don't you know that is an insult to all the insurance "professionals" who need the commissions from selling MORE insurance?? They get what YOU pay for!!

Ms Samson...I don't know what insurance companies you have dealt with in the past, but I would recommend doing business with a more highly rated company. You can check insurance company ratings on ambest.com. I have my insurance through Auto Owners Insurance, and they are one of the best in the country. They are not high profile like State Farm or Allstate and advertise the crap out of everything and saturate the market with advertising, that people automatically assume they are the best. I always recommend to people to check ambest to see which companies are really the best rated and most financially stable. For instance, Auto Owners is one of only 6 companies that has the highest rating, A++. This is because they are a great company and pay claims fairly as to what the policy language states. You can also check JD Power and Associates as AO received their award now for 5 years straight for customer claims satisfaction. That is coming right from the customer as to how they were treated and their claim was settled. Of course, no company is going to pay for a flood, but there are particular perils by law that must be covered, and good companies will pay when they are supposed to. This is why they are highly rated and highly graded by customers. Check it out. The awards speak for themselves. Good luck!

LAURIE...who would you recommend? I have tried Allstate, State Farm, Erie, Nationwide, Auto Owners and Merchants Insurance Co. There is not much difference in any of them. I have been in business for over 25 years and in that length of time, I have one claim, which was for property damage caused by an uninsured motorist. As soon as
the claim was paid, the insurance company cancelled us. I have been lied to and taken for a ride and I know that I am not alone.

Ms Samson....If a company cancelled you for one claim then that is bad. None of the companies I represent would do that unless you have turned in a bunch of little claims and then one big one. A lot depends on claim history and type of coverage you want. I personally have Auto Owners and if you have had a bad experience with them, then you are one of the very few. I would first recommend getting an experienced independent agent, who has been in business for a long time and who has more than one company they represent. They have more flexibility than those like State Farm, AllState and Country Companies, etc...those are all direct writers who can only write for the one company they represent. Not sure if that helps, but it may be a start. Best advise - don't turn in small claims...save your insurance for the larger stuff that you definitely cannot pay for. If you nickel & dime a company to death, they don't want to do business with you....insurance should be for disasters/large stuff that is not affordable to repair yourself. People think that "that's why I have insurance" and turn in every claim...that's not smart. I am not saying that is you, but those who do, can't figure out why they get cancelled, so we always advise our customers to save insurance for larger losses, not for the wind blowing your screen door off, for example. Hope this helps.

My father made a living selling insurance, Mr. 64 year old insurance "professional". He is retired now and he was a real professional...so my problem is with the companies because I know what they are all about. Don't make assumptions about what you "suspect"....If the insurance companies and their agents were so honest and forthright, you would not have to feel the need to defend the business you are in.

notsofast...Sometimes we don't have a choice. We were not in a flood plain for over 20 years, then FEMA updated their maps and decided we ARE now in a flood plain...we did not move our house and the river is still several miles away..it did not move, either. Would you like to pay for me to relocate?