r/phoenix • u/Cool_Eth • 1d ago
Weather Massive mesquite fell on my house.
Does insurance help in this situation or am I on my own?
36
u/malachiconstant11 Phoenix 1d ago
Hopefully they do. My parents had one fall on their house last year. They reduced the payout to compensate for the roof's age. They also paid out months later. I think they spent around $30k up front and got less than $20k from state farm.
20
u/samwise970 1d ago
I'm dealing with a plumbing claim at the moment, and my insurance claim agent and the restoration guy were chatting, they both said state farm is the absolute cheapest.
6
u/malachiconstant11 Phoenix 1d ago
Yeah they came in cheaper on my quote for home owners, but I went with usaa after their agent clarified that they pay out full repair cost on claims. It's a couple hundred extra per year. But I felt like it was worth it, especially the first couple years when something ugly may reveal itself. I also was worried that state farm would threaten cancellation if we didn't replace the roof immediately. They have done that to 3 people I know. All of them had 10 or so year old asphalt shingles, that still looked fine, even the roofers were like these still have life in them. But they weren't given a choice.
7
3
u/22220222223224 South Phoenix 21h ago
Hmm, it took us six months, but because the shingles on our roof were no longer made, they couldn't just give us a few thousand to repair it, they paid for an entirely new roof. Took so long, but in the end, it turned out great.
42
u/bossMarqus Phoenix 1d ago
if you own the home, do you have home owners insurance? file a claim.
if you rent the place, the landlord will/should have insurance.
4
u/smile_politely 1d ago
Does insurance usually cover the tree replacement as well?
10
u/bossMarqus Phoenix 1d ago
most homeowners insurance will cover landscaping. i am a claims adjuster but i can’t definitely say as every carrier writes their policies a little different from each other. landscaping, to include trees is a “Covered Peril”, usually it’s not covered for improper maintenance, wear and tear, neglect. i dont see you running into that issue though.
also be mindful of your deductible. trees are expensive but depending on what was selected for the deductible amount, it may not be worth filing a claim. expenses to consider if it does meet your deductible is the tree, disposing, labor, irrigation etc… if the tree fell on the home, it’s easy to meet the deductible as all the home expenses will also be accounted for as it will all be considered one claim.
16
u/mackNwheeze 1d ago
Read your homeowners insurance policy and see how much tree removal/debris is covered. Sometimes it’s only $500, plus your deductible. Make sure to speak to your agent if it’s even worth filing a claim. After filing a claim, your premiums will go up next renewal.
14
u/chinesiumjunk 1d ago
Sorry OP. :( I hope it's an easy cleanup/fix.
Take a look at the damage. If it's not bad, depending on your insurance deductible, you may consider paying out of pocket to avoid the claim since insurance companies are sometimes a bigger hassle than they're worth.
2
u/candyapplesugar 1d ago
This should be higher. Tree removal shouldn’t be more than how much your insurance will raise for filing a claim, unless there is house/roof damage
7
6
19
u/brighteyes_bc Likes to crap in a Barrel 1d ago
Idk anymore, my friend’s house was damaged by a neighbor’s house fire, and their insurance threatened to drop them if they filed a claim.
45
17
u/speech-geek Mesa 1d ago
That sounds illegal. If true, they should’ve filed the claim anyway and contacted their state’s Department of Insurance.
10
u/speech-geek Mesa 1d ago
Companies may possibly non renew for extensive loss history but they have to provide notice and detail the losses.
4
u/brighteyes_bc Likes to crap in a Barrel 1d ago
I agree. They are still sorting things out so I don’t want to say too much, but the company was pretty crappy about it up front.
4
u/Cbtwister 1d ago
What the fuck?
16
u/redditisembarassing1 1d ago
Insurance is not your friend
5
u/Major-Specific8422 Phoenix 1d ago
I once asked MetLife home owners about getting a horse. A week later they sent me a letter stating I needed to prove I owned no horses within 30 days or they are dropping me. All because I asked a question about my coverage.
4
u/SubRyan East Mesa 1d ago
This is why I believe certain institutions should have a government run alternative
There are things that would be nice to have a government option for (and since conservatives want to run the government like a business, let the government run a business or two)
- Auto insurance
- Home insurance
- Basic banking and savings
- Health insurance (vision, dental, general, emergency, etc)
4
u/redditisembarassing1 1d ago
Exactly. If I’m legally required to pay a private company there should be a government alternative.
3
3
u/RogerRabbit1234 22h ago
Assuming you were never told by your insurer that this tree was unsafe and needed to be removed, you are no doubt covered.
4
3
u/Fungi_Fritti 1d ago
What a headache, hang in there OP. Call your homeowners insurance, they will help or at least guide you through the process. Let me know if you need an arborist to chop it up. I can take the wood off your hands if you don’t want it.
1
u/tiddy-drip 1d ago
Are you an arborist?
6
u/Fungi_Fritti 1d ago
Negative, I’m a wood turner. However, I am friends with an excellent arborist. The guy is literally like a tree doctor. DM me if you need his contact info.
1
4
u/Salted_With_Sea_Salt 1d ago
My jaw hit the floor when I saw this then when they started interviewing YOU guys. I was like, omg, that's Exxxx and Wxxxxxx!
2
u/Cool_Eth 1d ago
lol so funny. W sent a pic, they asked to check it out. Called her and asked for an interview so we popped out.
3
2
2
1
1
u/Crazy-Weather-3185 1d ago
My husband works in roofing and will help fight the insurance for you!! DM me if you’re interested :)
1
u/dark_sage94 Tempe 1d ago
Hope this is covered that sucks, also on a side note my brain read this as a giant mosquito and i was totally confused
1
u/moxiemoon Peoria 1d ago
That stinks! This is why we have to thin out mesquite trees. If you can’t see the sky through them, they’ll get whipped around by the wind. There’s way too many outgrown suckers on that tree. Hopefully you don’t have any issues with insurance!
1
1
u/MrAngel2U 1d ago
will they replace the tree with an equally large and old mesquite. That thing is beautiful.
1
u/sleeping_in 1d ago
Your front yard looks almost exactly like my parents and got very worried for a second
1
2
u/di2131 1d ago
Mine is huge. Can’t see it in the pic. I got lucky. Things been there since I bought the house in 1986
4
u/Rea1DirtyDan 1d ago
That thing is average size idk who told you it was huge
5
u/Flibiddy-Floo 1d ago
"can't see it in the pic" is on par with "you can't see my girlfriend she lives in Canada" lol
1
u/398409columbia Glendale 1d ago
The claims from this storm are going to increase insurance risk and make living here more expensive
-2
-26
u/PsychologicalTry892 1d ago
Your massive tree that should have been cut down. Your insurance might take issue.
3
u/Cool_Eth 1d ago
Ive been trimming and pruning that thing yearly taking out huge chunks.
-4
u/PsychologicalTry892 1d ago
It was way too big, any landscaper would tell you that was a time bomb. But you do you lady
144
u/arizona-lad 1d ago
Call your agent. You are most likely covered.