BringBackFergy Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 This. And since this was posited as an ethical and legal question... you know what the right thing to do is. In all likelihood your rates may not increase, although you're right - making a claim is noticed and noted by your insurance carrier. Contact your insurance agent and let them know the rest of the story. I was robbed several years ago and made a sizable claim against my homeowners insurance. First and only time I made one - knock on wood. Never recovered any of my stuff, but if the police did - it belongs to the insurance company who, in your case would likely sell your stuff back to you - if you're interested in ANY of them. They have little to zero interest in possessing and selling off your items. You're in the driver's seat. Insurance is not supposed to make you better off after suffering a mishap. You were compensated for your loss. You got new stuff. Your insurance made you whole. It's not supposed to act like a gift because you were done wrong by the crooks. Just my 2¢. What about his deductible?? He's out $1000. In talking to the agent, He should be able to keep any property with a value up to the deductible. Anything beyond that, you're right, is double dipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 Place it as a "what if" question. Admit nothing, just "what if?" We want to get our house painted. I posed this to my wife. If our house gets completely gets tagged with graffiti would our homeoners insurance cover it. Felt like calling the insurance company and asking. Me [to insurance company]: Do you cover repainting a house covered in grafitti? Insurance Adjuster: Yes, we can be there in 20 minutes. Me: Give me an hour Me [to wife]: Honey!!! Get the spray paint cans!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 We want to get our house painted. I posed this to my wife. If our house gets completely gets tagged with graffiti would our homeoners insurance cover it. Felt like calling the insurance company and asking. Me [to insurance company]: Do you cover repainting a house covered in grafitti? Insurance Adjuster: Yes, we can be there in 20 minutes. Me: Give me an hour Me [to wife]: Honey!!! Get the spray paint cans!!! I can answer this one -- yes, your insurance will cover you, or at least it did when my wife's business was tagged with graffiti a few weeks ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 Just kills me that I'm required to do the right thing and report the recovery, yet the mere fact that I made a claim in the first place, against a policy on which I make regular payments, will cause my rates to be jacked up. The insurance company gets to screw me but I have to be Johnny Good Guy with them..... My take may be a little off, but you know what is the right thing to do ethically, and in the end I think it's more important that your 8-year-old see you do the right thing as a matter of integrity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 I can answer this one -- yes, your insurance will cover you, or at least it did when my wife's business was tagged with graffiti a few weeks ago. Honey!! Get the spray paint!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Avenger Posted May 3, 2013 Author Share Posted May 3, 2013 A supplemental report will need to be completed for the original burglary call. A new report will need to be generated for the recovered stolen items. Oddly enough, here in MA it is not burglary - the statute is very old and specifies that the event occur "in the nighttime" - since the break-in was in the morning we're not dealing with burglary (gotta love these quirks or criminal code). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 Agreed anout this not being a gift - not looking to really make money. OTOH, I'm out my deductable and I'm pretty sure that this will raise my rates (this is my second break-in where I've made a claim). I actually didn't want to file a claim at first becuase of the deductable/rate increase, but when I did the math about what was taken I was looking at about $4K and I didn't want to eat that. Now that some (but not all) of my stuff was recovered it kind of changes the equation - if I had suffered a smaller loss I might not have reported it. In any event, I'm feeling like I'm not completely whole at this point and recovery of some of my things isn't changing that, hence my ethical dimemma...... What are you talking about "not completely whole"? You got robbed, insurance paid you to replace your stuff (minus your deductible). Now your stuff has been found. Tell the insurance company and buy back anything that wasnt replaceable. It's how insurance works. What's the problem? What about his deductible?? He's out $1000. In talking to the agent, He should be able to keep any property with a value up to the deductible. Anything beyond that, you're right, is double dipping. Now this I can agree with, but he'll have to work that out with the insurance company. Still need to report it asap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFanM.D. Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 Make the call. It's the right thing to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Honey!! Get the spray paint!!!! Just remember not to tag it with "Jim waz here!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Just remember not to tag it with "Jim waz here!" Awwww !@#$!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 (edited) Call your insurance agent. There is a good probability that he will tell you that no additiional action will be required from you. The amount you are talking about is considered to be miniscule as far as claims go. Odds are the insurance company will not want to get involved with taking back property and then disposing of it. Following up on such a low level reimbursal would be considered nuisance work that their overworked claims people need not get involved with. There are too many claims stacking up and waiting to be processed for them to go back to your already processed claim. Edited May 4, 2013 by JohnC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Just remember not to tag it with "Jim waz here!" You would be shocked what people do: A bunch of years ago I was at work and we were locking a bunch (couple dozen) of pleasure boats down river... As I am sounding the short horn/whistle to leave the lock... I hear on marine channel 16: "Hey (name of lock) Lock, why are they making the place look like a ghetto!" I am like: "What?" The radio transmission is coming from a mid-size Chris Craft type vessel that is in the lock chamber... The guy says: "The boat back here is spray painting the wall." I go over were the alleged incident took place to look and notice that the offending vessel has moved away but, on the lock wall it says: "COMFORTABLY NUMB WAS HERE" spray painted on the concrete wall and steel rub protection... BIG BOLD WORDS! I look @ the boats leaving and low and behold, there is this big cigarette boat leaving with the name "Comfortably Numb" on its stearn... Spray paint in hands! LoL... Hmmmm, a bunch of 50 something (race of people witheld to protect other affluent suburbanites from undo stereotype ;-) ) drunk people in a 100,000+ dollar speed boat tagging their vessel name along the lock wall! LoL!!! Needless to say, it was very easy for the US Coast Guard to get the vandals to fess up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Avenger Posted June 4, 2013 Author Share Posted June 4, 2013 Update: I called the insurance company and let them know some of my things had been recovered. At first, my claims agent didn't know what to do - I got the feeling that this situation almost never happens. He had to check with management on how to proceed and intially it appeared that we would need to turn over the recovered merchandise to the insurance company. In the end, not much was recovered - the laptop we lost never turned up. The nicer jewelry was pawned but resold before it could be recovered. We got back a blue ray player, a Wii and a few Wii games and some inexpensive jewelry we never even claimed. Because it was such a small amount, the insurance company said I should just keep it, although I had already replaced the blue ray and the Wii. Looks like the insurance company will attempt to go after the suspects in civil court - good luck - a couple of career deadbeats. The way the laws are written the only charges they'll get in my case are handling stolen property - to get burglary or B&E you really have to have something on tape or some physical evidence like fingerprints - good luck. These guys are in their 20s but have already been in and out of jail on things like this - it'll probably continue until they do something serious and get some real time or they get killed - total waste of human life... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Bills Fan Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 (edited) Update: I called the insurance company and let them know some of my things had been recovered. At first, my claims agent didn't know what to do - I got the feeling that this situation almost never happens. He had to check with management on how to proceed and intially it appeared that we would need to turn over the recovered merchandise to the insurance company. In the end, not much was recovered - the laptop we lost never turned up. The nicer jewelry was pawned but resold before it could be recovered. We got back a blue ray player, a Wii and a few Wii games and some inexpensive jewelry we never even claimed. Because it was such a small amount, the insurance company said I should just keep it, although I had already replaced the blue ray and the Wii. Looks like the insurance company will attempt to go after the suspects in civil court - good luck - a couple of career deadbeats. The way the laws are written the only charges they'll get in my case are handling stolen property - to get burglary or B&E you really have to have something on tape or some physical evidence like fingerprints - good luck. These guys are in their 20s but have already been in and out of jail on things like this - it'll probably continue until they do something serious and get some real time or they get killed - total waste of human life... Good for you for calling man. In cases like this honesty is rewarded. Edited June 4, 2013 by Canadian_Bills_Fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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