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Topic: Sarah's Saturn (Read 2 times) previous topic - next topic
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Sarah's Saturn
Yahoo Message Number: 24639
Anytime something is lost or stolen there follows a sinking feeling, but luckily with this group there's also a lot of buoyancy around. Keep afloat Sarah! In the resulting turmoil of such a lost, sometimes the little details are forgotten. One of these might be to forget to claim the cost of the service work you had done. Bill n Bess "Merlot"

Sarah's Saturn
Reply #1
Yahoo Message Number: 24640
Good point, Bill - I hadn't even thought about submitting the repair bill I just paid for the car that's gone!
 Actually, I've received several good ideas from people in the LD group. Because of them, I found out that my insurance co. is dealing with the repair place's insurnce company - they'll probably do the paying out rather than my company.
 Then the personal stuff that's not covered via my policy - someone suggested that I contact the repair place's company. I did, and he told me to just send him a list with replacement costs - it sounds like that's not going to be a problem, either.
 Thanks to all of you who've lent your shoulder for venting and to those of you who have given me things to include and to think about. Yeah, Lazy Dazers!!

Sarah and Mz. Daisy, in Ellensburg with the grandkids.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Sarah's Saturn
Reply #2
Yahoo Message Number: 24650
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Thanks to all of you who've lent your shoulder for venting and to
those of you who have given me things to include and to think about.
Yeah, Lazy Dazers!!

 Sarah,

The insurance company's obligation under the law is work in good faith to make you whole, i.e. to put you back in the position you were in just prior to the theft. To me that means an identical or better vehicle in identical or better condition, with your contents or equivalent restored and your car equipped for towing. My recollection is that you had a lot of work done to make your car towable. They must put you back in that position physically or give you the cash equivalent plus taxes and other expenses to get you there. My experience is that you must be polite but persistent and be prepared to back up your claim with facts, such as locating the car you feel would be an adequate replacement and negotiating a price, getting a quote to equip that car for towing in the same manner yours was equipped and making a list of your lost possessions and what it will cost you to replace each. If they claim they can get it all done for less just give them your list of requirements and say, "Great, do it." Don't leave this up to your insurer to negotiate on your behalf.
They have nothing at stake. Your recourse is to your State insurance commissioner or equivalent.

Terry

Palo Alto, CA
Terry
2003 26.5'RB
Gardnerville, NV

Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Sarah's Saturn
Reply #3
Yahoo Message Number: 24654
Terry, your message is so clear and focused that I've printed it off. It's going to help me stay focused with the insurance company. Thank you so much.

Sarah & Mz. Daisy, in Ellensburg

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Sarah's Saturn
Reply #4
Yahoo Message Number: 24664
"The insurance company's obligation under the law is work in good faith to make you whole, i.e. to put you back in the position you were in just prior to the theft."
 It would be nice if all policies were written that way, but they're not. For example, I can't insure Gertie for full replacement cost--RVAA, like most insurers, won't write that kind of coverage on a coach older than 5 years.
 I don't say this is the case with Sarah's Saturn, but I just wanted to make the point that what an insurance company owes you is entirely determined by what your policy says--and that may be a lot less than the kind of full replacement you're talking about.

-- Andy Baird
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"

Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Sarah's Saturn
Reply #5
Yahoo Message Number: 24667
Quote
It would be nice if all policies were written that way, but they're
not. For example, I
 
Quote
can't insure Gertie for full replacement cost--RVAA, like most
insurers, won't write

Quote
that kind of coverage on a coach older than 5 years.
By and large, most policies are written to exclude almost anything they can, and regulators tend to allow this. CA seems to have a tough time electing insurance commissioners who don't end up in cahoots with the industry, for example.

However, it pays to fight tooth and nail. The bottom line for these companies is time is expensive and eats into profit. They DO try to settle, even if they claim you aren't covered. They also do not divulge any information they don't have to. Twice when rear-ended on contested claims I was told by insurers my collision deductible would not be refunded if THEY could not collect from the other party - and they did not. In both cases - and different insurers - the check for the deductible just came in the mail about 6 mo later.

Steve
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit

Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Sarah's Saturn
Reply #6
Yahoo Message Number: 24670
Quote
"The insurance company's obligation under the law is work in good faith to make
you whole, i.e. to put you back in the position you were in just prior to the theft."

Quote
It would be nice if all policies were written that way, but they're not. For example, I can't insure Gertie for full replacement cost--RVAA, like most insurers, won't write that kind of coverage on a coach older than 5 years.
My understanding was that the repair shop, through their insurance company, had agreed they were responsible for Sarah's loss. In that case neither the terms of Sarah's policy nor the terms of the shop's policy are relevant. Her claim is against the shop and what the shop's insurance company will pay is between them. I should have said that the shop's obligation is . . .
 Ironically, you often do better when collecting under another, at-fault, party's policy then under your own. As you say, recovery under your own policy can be limited by its terms.
 All insurance companies are required by law to work in good faith to make a fair settlement. It is important to know, for instance, that they are operating illegally if they misrepresent the terms of your coverage during a settlement, which I think some are prone to do.
Terry
2003 26.5'RB
Gardnerville, NV