Should I file a claim against our property insurance?

Question

Last July, our builder parked a work truck on the street blocking our driveway and we had our landscape trailer parked IN our driveway. While it was parked there and his men were working in the driveway, somehow it rolled down the driveway and hit the gate of the truck with the top of the trailer frame, scratching the truck's paint. The builder said, "Don't worry about it", but of course we didn't get a release signed. In December, we made a large claim against our new home warranty. Lo and behold, we just received a copy of a repair estimate for $500 for the truck, and a letter from the builder requesting payment. First of all, the estimate contains $200 of charges listed as "misc" beyond the paint and labor costs. Second, it seems excessively high. We are really upset at this and are fairly certain that the builder has used this as a way to recover some of the costs for our home repair and get revenge. Should we file an insurance claim? Request an estimate from another shop?

Answer 1

Was your trailer attached to your vehicle? If it was, contact your auto insurance carrier--they may extend coverage to the trailer if it was attached to the auto. If not...

$500 doesn't sound excessive, but I am curious to know what the $200 MISC charge is for. You have a right to a break down of ALL the charges, and this includes MISC charges. It doesn't sound like the work was done by a body shop, so chances are the work hasn't been done. You are entitled to inspect the vehicle and pay for "reasonable" charges relating to the repairs...ask the guy if the repairs have actually been made. If not, GO WITH HIM (or her) to the repair shop of THEIR choice and obtain an estimate.

You could file a claim with your h.o., but what is your deductible?
Also....h.o. should only be used for "large loss" claims, such as fire. I wouldn't risk your h.o. rates rising because of a $500.

Answer 2

Was the trailer attached to a vehicle? Did it have a plate on it?

It's likely your homeowners policy is NOT going to cover damage by the trailer - especially because it happened to a vehicle on the street. It's also likely that unless the trailer was hooked to a vehicle, or scheduled seperately on your auto liability policy, that you're not going to have coverage under the auto policy, either.

I would make them take you to court over this - because "misc" costs aren't going to get awarded. Only paint and labor. And FAIR paint and labor, is probably going to run you around $45 an hour. And we ALL know, he's probably not going to have it repaired anyway.

Answer 3

call your coverage agent today and checklist this. you will desire to have stated this while it got here approximately. Reporting claims previous due isn't a reliable element. do not make it even later. Your belongings proprietors coverage has 2 aspects that could shop on with here. medical money and criminal accountability. medical money will pay for medical costs incurred by others at a similar time as on your belongings no remember if there is fault or not. This coverage has a decrease decrease between $500 and $5,000. that's decrease as fault or negligence does not would desire to be shown. there exchange into for sure no fault by you thus. This coverage purely will pay for medical money, not misplaced wages. Then there is your criminal accountability coverage. this saves you from criminal accountability once you're at fault. This decrease is oftentimes between $one hundred,000 and $a million,000,000. For this to kick in, your buddy needs to sue you. Now your neighbor who actual brought about this incident additionally could have criminal accountability coverage and looks to be the guy maximum possibly to would desire to pay. tell your "buddy" to checklist this incident to his coverage corporation. yet to be secure, additionally checklist the incident on your coverage corporation. additionally, verify your different acquaintances who all observed this got here approximately agree which includes your component to the tale. sturdy success!