So, a car hit my house...

In reply to 4cylndrfury:

I've heard first and second hand from too many people about their positive claims experiences to not know that my story is an outlier for the most part.

That's all great to know but as you could imagine, it makes me MORE frustrated. What do the kids say nowadays? FML?

And as I read the clarification of your analogy, I agree.

I've been watching tons of Congressional hearings and can see just how insulated certain departments can be from other departments within any given company.

Contractor brought the concrete guy over this morning to survey the damage.

He told me there was supposed to be a structural engineer after the crash to decide whether or not it's safe to live in.

(We were in NH during this period and there's a check written to someone I was told was an engineer but there's no paperwork on his findings)

So contractor is getting (another?) engineer as well as a different inspector.

Looks like we're finally in good hands. (Allstate joke)

Edit: now when he gets the pricing figured out and submits it all to Liberty Mutual, I'll report how they respond good or bad.

not that I wish it on you, but the joy to find out your house is not habitable. It would definitely be a lawsuit time

In reply to mad_machine:

Not sure if you can elaborate on that point but I'm listening!

mad_machine wrote: not that I wish it on you, but the joy to find out your house is not habitable. It would definitely be a lawsuit time

I know that tends to be a knee jerk reaction, but stop and take a second to think about it. Sue who? Liberty Mutual? No, can't really do that...there's an arbitration clause in the policy to resolve disputes. The other driver? Sure, you can do that, but guess who's going to step in? Her insurance company...the same one that OP didn't file the claim with initially. If you think the process was already slow, wait until you see what happens when you file suit against the other driver (unless that carrier decides they want to settle quickly...which you'd be gambling on). Definitely understand the frustration, but frankly I think litigation at this point would only slow things down more. Stay on the Liberty Mutual manager.

In reply to Klayfish:

In all honesty, we just want the house fixed and nothing more, that's all we've wanted since July.

It's just an interesting thought exercise to me to wonder: "Hey, thanks to these shiny happy people, we've been living in an unsafe house because they didn't follow protocol and have an engineer out to look at it!"

(Which considering we just got 19.5" of snow, much of that was on the roof and then all the 50-60 degrees of rain, makes me wonder how safe this house has been)

well, it just seems that if you are living in a house that is suddenly deemed unsafe, and the insurance company cut a cheque to somebody to make sure it was safe and somehow nobody knows who that was, where the report is, or if the house is safe or not, somebody really dropped the ball

In reply to mad_machine:

I know the Fire Dept called an inspector. But at 2:30am I'm sure he couldn't see much. If fact, most of the damage could only be seen after my wife and I exposed the foundation and studs by tearing the Sheetrock out after we got back from vacation.

I assumed Liberty Mutual and the contractor had knowledge of an engineer coming out and what his findings were. But from the comments I'm getting from my new contractor, I have my doubts that any protocols were followed.

And if an engineer DID come out, I'll bet he didn't factor in almost 10,000lbs of snow-load on the roof in January if he came out in freaking JULY!

It sounds to me like the friend (first contractor who estimated the repair) isn't an insurance claim contractor, and your trust in him cost you about six months of delays getting the house repaired.

This story has been long and interesting as a third party. Lot of knowledge being shared in Typical GRM fashion. I wish you the best of luck getting made whole.

In reply to OHSCrifle:

You're absolutely correct. My only addition to your point would be that we hired a private adjuster (on the contractors recommendation) and that adjuster was supplied with the estimate however informal the form of that estimate was.

I assumed between the two of them, things were going to get done. Learned an important lesson and the one I learned is only part of the equation. Liberty Mutual has to take some blame even if it's only because they still haven't called us back after two more calls going on two weeks now. And the almost total lack of response is a pattern they've followed since day one.

Our new estimate is due by the middle of the week. And as I mentioned previously, this contractor is not one to get pushed aside or ignored by the insurance companies. I knew that about him but he stated as much when we met up (in a completely matter of fact way).

I'm very hopeful.

Good luck buddy. Sorry this has been such a PITA

In reply to old_:

Thanks! The sympathy helps!

(I'm in seriously uncharted waters: I, much to my wife's chagrin, can't let anything slide in everyday life. In fact, just Thursday I had to be called back after going to tear a new one of someone that belittled a woman working under her in front of me at the hospital. This settlement and how it's gone this far is very uncharacteristic of what I let happen normally)

Just be careful who is running the train. YOU and the insurance company should be in charge not the Contractor. Down the road it puts you in a bad position.

In reply to dean1484:

I'll get to that point soon I think. I'm just holding out until I see the estimate and how Liberty Mutual reacts.

Basically, we need to start as if it happened last week not last year.

I would be ALL OVER that it was 7 months ago if it started last week then no one will be in any hurry. I would be hammering that home in every communication with everyone every time.

In reply to dean1484:

I was led to believe that things from a certain point on, that I could be basically hands-off as the contractor and the adjuster would be my surrogates (and I had NO experience in this sort of thing)

Things have changed

Mini-update: My contractor has emailed and left a phone message to the Liberty Mutual adjuster with no response yet.

The LM adjuster still hasn't returned my last two phone calls.

He told me if he didn't hear back from him by today, he's going to call me and let me know about his Plan B.

I'll post here whatever happens.

Maybe I missed this earlier, so I apologize if this has been covered. Is the adjuster local? Is there an office you can show up at? Its hard to say no to a face. Its much easier to say no to a voice, especially a voicemail.

Maybe carrying in a Louisville Slugger (of course, with a softball glove hanging off the end, which makes it sports equipment, not a weapon) would get things moving. No problem is so big that the appropriate application of a Louisville Slugger can't fix.

I keed I keed...sorta

Jesus. Get an attorney!

Today marks the last day of patience (even though I KNOW that should've been months ago, we've since removed two people from the equation so is some respects, we're starting anew but fully realize that this is 7 months of crappy service)

We are prepared to not get any replies today if things go as they have been. The gloves will come off and Liberty Mutual will be forced to make this right.

Hope this gets resolved soon. Just to lighten things up a bit, vehicles into houses may not be as rare as some think.

In the last couple/ few weeks there has been a stolen pickup into a house that resulted in a house fire, perps were later apprehended.

In another, a SUV into the foundation of a house that resulted in a two alarm fire. Driver fled in the nude, assaulted state troopers attempting arrest and claimed he was Jesus. Can't make this E36 M3 up.

ebonyandivory may not have it as bad as it could be.

In reply to fasted58:

The real Jesus would have gotten away.

fasted58 wrote: In another, a SUV into the foundation of a house that resulted in a two alarm fire. Driver fled in the nude, assaulted state troopers attempting arrest and claimed he was Jesus. Can't make this E36 M3 up.

Sounds like bath salts or PCP.

Mine was boring in comparison.

But why does it seem every idiot who drives into a house makes the news but mine didn't even raise an eyebrow?

Hell, a Mustang hit a front porch and was headlining the news.