Homeowner's Insurance Claim -- use it to repair roof?

[ms960]

There was a hailstorm that came through our area last year, and I got around to filing a claim as I suspected that some damage was sustained to our roof. Just about everyone on our street had suffered roof/siding damage as well.

The adjuster came out and found no damage to the roof, but did find damage to the siding, so they paid a claim to have the siding repaired only.

My siding is fine, the damage is cosmetic. The roof is shot and desperately needs replacing. Can I use the claim money paid for the siding to replace the roof instead? What trouble will I get myself into? My insurance company is USAA.

Need help/advice as I'm going to have to figure out how to cough up almost $10k if I have to replace the roof out of pocket.

Thanks!

[Colbyt]

They won't cover damage to the siding if it occurs in the future unless you can prove that you replaced it after the last claim. Or in the event of a total loss they will deduct the previously paid amount from the total loss value.

If they cut you a check for the damage and you have in your hands you can spend it any way you like. Getting someone to give you a bill for siding when they are really doing a roof would be fraud and both of you can get in a heap of trouble for that.

Colbyt

[JimT]

Have a trusted roofer come out and assess your roof. Then submit the claim to your insurance company.

Jim

[ransley]

If there was hail damage you should be able to photograph it, get a roofer out to look it over because maybe the insurance co adjuster missed it. Did you get siding bids as well to see if he offered enough? How about gutters and cracked glass. You can use the money for whatever you want. Get a few contractors out to look it over

[zek]

Hail can not damage roof, but it can dent flashing. I don't see why you can't use money as needed.

[clare]

His roof is shot, but apparently not hail damaged, so it is not an insurance claim. He needs to replace the roof, even if it means a second mortgage on the house to pay for it.

[Reed]

What ?? Go to Google Images, search "hail damaged roof", you will see thousands of pics of roof damage. (Especially slate roofs, they look like they have bullet holes in them !)

[HeyBub]

You may use the money to repair your roof, fix the siding, or have wild week-end in Vegas. The money is yours to do with as you see fit.

[ChairMan]

Really? I had my roof replaced 19 years ago because of hail. Please don't tell Liberty Mutual than, Mkay?

[ms960]

------------------------------------- I had a "storm-chaser" company come out and do an assessment of the roof. They then met with the insurance adjuster. After which, the adjuster denied there was hail damage anywhere to the house.

I then hired a respected company come out and perform their own assessment, along with photos, estimates, and sketch-ups. The insurance company hired a structural engineer to meet with this second company. The structural engineer found hail damage to the siding, but not the roof. The insurance company paid the claim for the siding to be repaired, but obviously nothing for the roof.

I really could care less about my siding. As I said, it's mostly cosmetic, and my house has a brick front, so it's not very visible. The roof, on the other hand, from everyone's assessments, is shot. It's a 30- yr old roof and desperately in need of replacement, but without any help from the insurance company, it's going to be expensive.

So that's the impetus for my first question -- can I use the money from the insurance company that was for the siding instead for the roof? I've heard from a lot of people, here included, and there doesn't seem to be a clear cut answer either way. Thanks again!

[ms960]

responding to

ms960 wrote: A little more details, for those who asked:

I had a "storm-chaser" company come out and do an assessment of the roof, and claimed there was all kinds of hail damage to the roof. They then met with the insurance adjuster. After which, the adjuster denied there was hail damage anywhere to the house and flat out denied my claim.

I then hired a respected company come out and perform their own assessment, along with photos, estimates, and sketch-ups. I pressed the issue with the insurance company, so they hired a structural engineer to do a reassessment. The structural engineer meet with this second company and found hail damage to the siding, but not the roof. The insurance company paid the claim for the siding to be repaired, but obviously nothing for the roof.

I really could care less about my siding. As I said, it's mostly cosmetic, and my house has a brick front, so it's not very visible. The roof, on the other hand, from everyone's assessments, is shot. It's a 30- yr old roof and desperately in need of replacement, but without any help from the insurance company, it's going to be expensive.

So that's the impetus for my first question -- can I use the money from the insurance company that was for the siding instead for the roof? I've heard from a lot of people, here included, and there doesn't seem to be a clear cut answer either way.

Thanks again!

[HeyBub]

Yes.

[Han]

mark3431_at_gmail_dot [e-mail] (ms960) wrote in news:77cc0$4dbfed07$45499b77$ [e-mail]:

As has been said here before, the money is yours now to be used as you see fit. For the next claim on damage to your home, the insurance company will look at what you did with the proceeds of this claim.

If your car gets rear-ended, and the insurance company pays for the damage to the rear end of the car, you can use the money to buy a new motorcycle. But if you get another accident with the car, say a sidewswipe, the insurance company will see what you did with the previous claim, and it will be a corrupt or stupid adjuster who says that the sideswipe caused the damage to the rear of the car.

I think the insurance company is saying that you have a roof that's at the end of its life. Normal maintenance requires replacement. There is no hail damage of any consequence since the roof was shot before the hail. Unless you make new dormers or otherwise remodel (when the new roof would be an "improvement", taxwise), the new roof is an out of pocket expense.

[jamesgangnc]

I agree. I think you can use the money anyway you like. It's not fraud unless you have another storm and try to claim the siding got damaged again. That's fraud.

Peple do the same thing with car insurance all the time. You can decide not to fix your car if you think you can live with the damage.

[dadiOH]

You got a check? Use it anyway you want...take a trip to Tahiti (Quinn's is gone), do roof, whatever.

[trader4]

I don't know why he thinks he hasn't gotten a clear answer. I didn't see a single reply that said he couldn't just use the money anyway he wants. Essentially, the insurance company is compensating you for the loss of value you've incurred. Whether you seek to apply it to the specific damage is up to you. The only issue would be if you had damage that is significant enough that it puts the rest of the structure in jeopardy. For example, if a tree fell through your roof and you chose to use the money to go to Vegas, then they would have a right to deny any claims for subsequent damage that was a result of not fixing it.

[Peter]

I've had USAA insurance since 1976 and unfortunately, have had many auto and homeowner's claims with them. My experience has been excellent. I have found them to be very customer oriented and to provide excellent claims service.

You did not say explicitly why you feel that your roof is "shot". Is it because of the storm, is it near the end of its normal lifespan, or both. If you feel that the storm significantly damaged your otherwise in-good-condition roof, call USAA back, explain your concerns, and ask them for a second adjuster to come and take a look. Your investment will only be a toll-free call and a few minutes of your time. Chances are that they will agree to your request. However, if the roof is near the end of its normal lifespan, it will probably be considered the same as a 1990 Chevy with $7,000 of collision damages - i.e., you would get a few hundred $ at most, even if you were paying for comprehensive collision coverage with no deductible.

As for using the proceeds of an insurance claim for a purpose other than intended by the insurance company, I'm not a lawyer and won't offer a legal opinion. I would be concerned however that it might violate the terms of your insurance policy and be grounds for USAA to cancel your policy and/or your eligibility for any other insurance products that they sell.

[ms960]

The roof is shot because it's at the end of it's lifespan. The shingles are just worn out. None of my neighbors have the same insurance company that I do, but they all had their roofs replaced due to the hail storm after filing such a claim. My insurance company is the only one I know of to deny a claim from the same storm. None of the houses in my neighborhood are any older than mine, yet mine is the only one to be denied. Makes me wonder.

I did get some advice elsewhere (not here) that said it is fraud to use the money for anything other than the intended repairs (siding). Most, if not all, the replies here have said that I can use it however I want.

My hesitation comes from using the money intended for siding replacement on the roof, and then later having a siding problem for some reason.

I guess, ultimately, the decision is mine to weigh and figure out how to proceed. I just don't want to run afoul of the insurance company in any way.

Thanks.

[jamesgangnc]

You're going to have to sign something when you get that moeny. Read it.

[hrhofmann]

A 30 year-old roof is probably shot due to age, in addition to any hail damage.