a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Well, Let Me Tell You Something...

and those who know me, know that statement always precedes a tale of madness, something almost unbelievable.  I remember when Mom would start a story that way, she was going to be telling someone "how the cow ate the cabbage."

I really wanted to have a relaxing weekend, but, no, didn't happen.  I opened the mail and my nightmare began.  Official notice from the home insurance, cancelled, effective March 3rd...WHAT?  But I just had an agent out and she thought every thing was fine.  She took pictures, we made a deal.   It's a farm house, guys, an old farm house, a working farm...but they sent a city boy to take pictures and his recommendation was we had too many liabilities!!!

Weekend, not in their office, city boy out sick...this is what I finally found out...his words, "white bucket, blue barrel and pipe in yard, furniture in the yard, steps going the wrong way, one porch rail broken and the steps are too long". 

Well, Thank God, I thought something was wrong with the house!!  You've got to be kidding me, cancellation because of a barrel in the yard??  They should have seen the place before hubby hauled the equipment to the bone yard!
Keep in mind, I am showing my liabilities, baring my soul to the entire world.  See the pipe and the blue barrels?  See the lawn mowers...guess they are a liability, too.  This is the back side of the house!!!  Were the steps going the wrong way, the ones that enter the basement?  Yes, there is a porch rail broken but it's winter and I am going to fix it, sooner now, than I had planned.   A tree limb broke it, we trimmed the broken limb, cleared the mess and did not call the insurance company.  I was waiting 'cause it was a door we never use except in summer!!!  It's to the screened porch.  The blue barrels are pressure tanks from the pump, waiting to be repurposed, because on a farm everything can be used for something else.  That piece of pipe is polished aluminum that is worth a pretty penny.  Hubbs was using it for irrigation and brought it to the house!

They should have seen this before I asked Hubbs to clean it up.  The work shop is to the right so where else do you put things?  Close to the place you're going to work on them is obviously not the right place...and I did not take this picture!!!!  This is insurance boy's picture.
...and here's his second picture.  Good photographer!  I know it's not a mansion but it's our home and a pretty good one.  Maybe he was offended by the painted pelvic bone of a cow that I had hanging on the gate post, maybe my dogs barking made him mad, who knows!  The only furniture in the yard is my lawn furniture that stays out year round. 

Whew, calm down, Gail.  I finally was able to talk to my agent and she was shocked.  She said, I just took pictures, every thing looked fine to me.  Then I found out she grew up on a farm.  Sometimes, when you're responsible for acres, the yard suffers a little but it doesn't make it a libility!!!

Any way, we shall see, when I get the complete list of things he didn't like.  My agent says, we will work and take more pictues of the same spots and TRY...TRY to convince the national office, we're not a libility.  If I can't do that, I'm not sure of the direction I will take.  I know I will probably advertise for the company here...and on Facebook.

You have seen pictures of my home before and I have had nothing but wonderful compliments...now if I can just convince the big insurance guys, I am not going to burn my house down nor trip a stranger, things will smooth out...until next year.

Cross your fingers, I am battling big boys!!

19 comments:

jean said...

Ah yes, those city insurance guys. I know them well. Been there, Gail and know what you're talking of. My sympathies. I didn't see anything wrong with your pictures but, I did see the lousy photo taken by the city insurance guy. Somebody needs to show him how. I hope you win and win the battle big!

Mel said...

Good Morning Gail,

"Well, Let Me Tell You" grabbed me... my grandmother used to say those exact words. I knew, that when she said that she was pipin' mad!

Listen, my friend I want to suggest a website to you the host has a radio talk show and a TV program as well. He is a financial advisor with some knowledge on who to talk to for things such as this.
The site is www.clarkhoward.com

If you don't get anywhere by talking to the insurance's customer No Service (as Clark calls them) you may want to call on him.

City Folk...

Blessings,
Mel

Lynne said...

Yell hard and loud . . . and then louder . . . i felt the anger roaring up from my toes into an extremely loud WHAT!

I think Mel's suggestion might provide some needed HEAT!

We went through a run-a-round similar to this with a car insurance claim a few years ago . . . (deer)

The insurance is to cover
1. The House
2. The Out Structures
3. The Acreage
???

Stick with your female company advocate . . . ?

LindaG said...

Hah. It's funny you say this. It's one of the reasons BIL wanted us to buy the farm.
His insurance company drove by the farm one day and cancelled the insurance he had on the place.

One of the stipulations he wanted to make when we bought it, was that we be required to have insurance. We said no, he deleted that clause.

I told hubby it was funny that he wanted us to have insurance when his own was cancelled.
We've discussed insurance, but if we ever do get it, it would only be on the property because is will be many years, if ever, before the inside of the house could be brought up to code.

And your place looks a thousand times better than ours! What, people can't be in the process of doing things?

*hugs* Gail. Certainly hope you win this one.

Idiots all.

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Whew, makes me glad that our agent is a homeboy and not a city slicker.

Ya'll should see off the stuff Pepper Nipper has drug up in my usually perfectly uncluttered yard.

I've got bones, I'm talkin' big dinosaur size bones. Heaps of baler twine, chewed up sections of soaker hoses, hunks of linoleum I've never seen before...it goes on!!!

I've left it so she would stop eatin' my car and chewin' the corners off the house. It would give 'City Slicker' a heart attack.

'Don't know what I'm gonna do about my beautiful flower gardens this summer. I keep waitin' for Pepper to grow outta this. Hummmmmmmm.

'Not sure is she's a late bloomer or she'll never grow up.

Heeehehehehhee!!!!

God bless and good luck with your insurance sweetie. :o)

Dreaming said...

This seems so unjust. They have taken your money for how long? The house has stood for how long? And now... just like that... nope, can't/won't do!
I really don't like insurance companies.... at all!

carolina nana said...

I once had the same experience with a novice insurance rep.
I had had this same insurance agent for years, after he retired a young wipper snapper took his place probably a city boy as you said. Anyway he found all kinds of things wrong with our place such as missing stair rails where there were never any and other things that had never been, now was a big problem.
A change of insurance agent took place immediately and we were able to get things straightened out without too much trouble.
Hope you can do the same.
Good Luck
Marilyn

Farm Girl said...

Oh gee whiz, what the heck is this crazy world coming too. Yeah, our insurance company decided that my transcripts that I have used for 23 years for the good driver discount were no longer good enough. They wanted a freaking report card.
You know our insurance company just called on the phone and asked me questions didn't even send anyone out.
Man I bet you were burned up, I makes me so mad.
You yard looks fine to me. What the heck does he expect a tract home? You do things differently in the country. I hope next time they send someone who is not wet behind the ears.

Pat said...

THem thar's FIGHTIN' words! They have NO IDEA WHO they are fighting with! GO get 'em, Gail!

Country Gal said...

What a load of crap ! Its a farm house for crying out loud OH I am mad to hear this , that city slicker has no clue and made things worse by writing crap like that ! Why I ota ........ him ! I hope things work out for you my friend really I do this is the last thing you need on your plate !

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

oh hells bells. I too have had a crap encounter with our "old" insurance company which was just mind melting. Went on for months. I hope your agent will be able to help. So sorry.

Susan Anderson said...

Go, Gail! I'm rootin' for ya!!

=)

Michaele said...

How dare he!! Go get'em Gail!

jp@A Green Ridge said...

They'll reconsider, Gail...they need the business...:)JP

Irene said...

I guess he thought he was dealing with a bunch of Hillbillies. You´ll have to straighten out his way of thinking, Gail.

Sandy Livesay said...

Gail, If you don't get the answers you want or the service. I would take Mel up on using Clark Howard. He's a great guy and has helped so many people. Praying for you and your place. Go kick some butt and take names!!!

Unknown said...

We have been with Auto-Owners Insurance for quite a while now, and I have nothing but wonderful things to say about them. For they have been incredibly quick to pay what claims we have had without any negotiating, and if that city boy considered your place to have too many liabilities, he should have compared it to the trailer house we were living in before we moved where we are now. Furthermore, their rates are as low as any I am aware of. Yeah, the name of the company is a little confusing, but they cover homes, as well. They are handled by independent insurance agencies, and if there isn't one that works with them relatively close to you down there, it might be worth a trip ( or at least a call) to Springfield to see if you-all can get covered.

http://www.auto-owners.com/

Far Side of Fifty said...

If your agent gal cannot handle him then switch companies:)

Judy said...

Good Luck battling those big city boys...nothing but trouble...

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