Insurance work

[Abbershay]

I worked on a huge tree that was up rooted and on the house , i took great care because of risk to me and the house, i even when out at midnight to check the thing to see if it was safe for the people ... I spent the day working on this tree and taking out the huge up rooted stump. just to have the adjuster say anything over 500 was too much. since it only took me ten hours..... he says my lawyer doesnt even get paid that well...

This guy makes me look like a jerk while i really went out for these people.

Plus because it was an emergency it took away from my regular customers.. now i have no return biz there and i am stuck trying to get the rest of the money for the job.


Then there is the otherone that they like to screw the home owner on ...

well we will only pay for the removal of the broken limb on the house ... what percentage of the work did this entail? I usally say 95% ...

Meanwhile whats left standing is more of a hazard than the branch that has already fallen.

Not only that but then the adjuster comes along who should be called the screwer...

I get my price but they are sure that the person thinks the tree guy is the one doing the screwing because they will only pay a small portion of the price

 

[TREETX]

You can whine or you can learn a lesson.

Choice is yours....

 

[Abbershay]

so whats the lesson? i tell people to have there insurance checked ahead of time.... and to not believe what the dealer of indsurance says. case in point .... one ins guy told the women they wouldnt pay much .... she ended up finding that not only would the iunsurance pay her for the removal and damage but they would also pay for the loss of the trees value... that was a hard one .. what kind of value do you put on a full grown huge elm tree.. its not like you can ever get it back again..

and i take offese at your comment saying that i am whinning this is a forum to discuss tree biz and this is a good topic. comments like yours are less than profitable... thank you.

 

[TREETX]

Originally posted by Abbershay
so whats the lesson? comments like yours are less than profitable... thank you.

Less than professional maybe. Profitable, yes they are. Keeping yourself from getting burned by an insurance adjuster again = $$.

more $$ = more Profitable

I said whining because you threw out problems over looking obvious solutions.

The homeowner can deal with THEIR ins co. I do the work, give them an invoice, they give me $$$$. If they get reimbursed or not is totally their issue.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Part of the problem is the insurance company only pays for removing the broken limb that fell on the house. They will almost never pay for a tree that's about to fall on a house.
Another part of the problem is most insurance jobs I've dealt with have a $500 limit that they pay out for tree removal. Add that to the $500 deductable and you have a $1000 limit. They do not like to pay out more unless they give you permission in advance of the work.
We always take pictures and make sure the customer talks to their agent with our bid in their hand. That way they know how much the insurance will pay and how much they have to cough up. Either way, let them know they are ultimately responsible for the payment.
As far as the insurance guy making you look bad by telling the customer your rates are too high, have them call around. In my area, an INSURED two man crew goes for about $200 an hour. Make a few calls and prove your point, then tell the customer his insurance company is a rip off!

 

[TREETX]

Originally posted by Mike Maas
Make a few calls and prove your point, then tell the customer his insurance company is a rip off!

Good point. Why would you look bad?

The ins guy is the marsupial who sold them the policy and then is shorting the claim.

You are the arborist providing the professional service. Midnight check up and all.

I did the midnight check ONCE. Set a price, rescheduled - showed at 8am to find another company there removing the tree. Took pics at midnight and at 8am. They called AFTER the tree was gone requesting the pics for insurance. I told them they were for sale

 

[NeTree]

Originally posted by TREETX

The homeowner can deal with THEIR ins co. I do the work, give them an invoice, they give me $$$$. If they get reimbursed or not is totally their issue.

Thats's my MO as well, and I think it's pretty much standard practice.

I'm an arborist, not an insurance rep.

 

[Abbershay]

well , i am not working for the ins company... but i do want to please the customer. i am small town and these people are friends and neighbors.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Slap a lien on 'em!!!

Before THIS happens!

 

[Abbershay]

i would never do such a thing.

 

[Abbershay]

oh i am not doing them favors or even giving them a break on the cost. i just treat all my customers as friends. For the most part that is the way they treat me aswell.

I go by the rule do unto others as i would have them do unto me. with it slightly tilted in their advantage.

 

[Abbershay]

true enough..... but i still dont like adjusters..

 

[Dobber]

Its been my experience that most Ins. co. will pay to remove the danger, that is get the tree to the ground and thats it. As for leaving a standing danger tree just because it hasent caused any damage yet, is outrageous. wouldnt they assume the lower cost of removing the danger tree, rather than the tree and fixing a house or maybe medical bills.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by Abbershay
not only would the iunsurance pay her for the removal and damage but they would also pay for the loss of the trees value... that was a hard one .. what kind of value do you put on a full grown huge elm tree..

There are appraisal formulas but it takes experience to apply them so they'll stick.

This is why I love insurance companies more than ever. There are more now that allow for replacement value--USAA, State Farm, Nationwide etc.; imo they all should.
Aside from the appraisal work, ins. cos are a great source of storm damage work. Getting on the good list of these companies will get you referrals from agents, a lot of good work in the future.

Learning about policies and what they cover can open up new income doors for you, way beyond cleaning up storm-broken trees (though working behind Isabel was fun that way). If customers are your friends, helping them maximize their claims--creatively but legitimately--is doing the best kind of favor for them and for yourself, and often for the trees.:angel:
Many policies will pay for repair of storm-damaged trees, which means all aspects of tree care can be involved in one way or the other.

 

[rwilk]

If you are still wanting to take care of the customer and get the ins. co. Have your customer submit the invoice up too at least three times. I was told be in independent adjuster once (while he was strapped to my backboard in the back of my ambulance) that you have to submit claim at least 3 times to get your way. The insurance people always (usually) say no at least twice. Just think if half of every claim took no for an answer on the 1st shot, they save tons of money (which they don't pass on to you) to line their pockets. Help the customer with advice, but they hired you not the insurance co. The customer owes you.

Just my thoughts,
rwilk

 

[geofore]

homeowners ins.

I have to go with rwilk, the homeowner should submit 3X to the insurance co.. Most homeowners don't know what their ins. will or won't cover because the homeowner never asked. About half the homeowners do take "No" for the answer the first time and do not pursue it any futher. Remember years ago when the auto insurance wanted three bids to fix your car after an accident? Some of the homeowners ins. companies do this with trees. The more hoops the homeowner has to jump through the more likely they are to just give up because they don't want the hassle added to their busy lives.

 

[Greg]

I've never heard of an ins co only paying $500 to get a tree off of a structure. Removing a standing lightning damaged tree will only pay out $500, but if it is on a structure that they insure I thought they had to pay what ever it takes. I just did an insurance job last week to take a fallen tree off of a shed, the cost was $1300. But like was mentioned before I deal with and get paid by the homowner, and the home owner signs my estimate that says they are gonna pay when I have done what I promised to do.
I love insurance work!!!
Greg

 

[Abbershay]

A person about 20 miles away called me to give an estimate on taking out big oak tree over the top of an old trailer house flower garden all around the tree and the thing had been dead for a long time ... just looking at that thing wrong could put a limb though the roof.

I told them a 475.00 they then told me another guy had given them a bid of 200.00 with the stump. then i said well where do i send the bill .. they got a little flustered.. ....

 

[MasterBlaster]

They have to know beforehand that you charge for an insurance quote.

You have to ask them during the initial contact. You can't ask everyone that calls, but after awhile you get a feel for the ones that are just trying to do you that way.

It sucks that you even have to worry about it at at all.

 

[Lumberjack]

I bid 600 dollars on a removal and stump of 1 tree. I gave the guy a break because he is a decon at the church and all that, not because he asked me. i figured normally it would be $850 so I would nock off $250, because I thought that he would have to pay for it outright. Then he tells me that it was for insurance, and that kinda busted my butt, because I won't ask for the fair $850 because that aint right (and I never told him that I was giving him a deal), and I thought I was doin him a favor. Then today he calls and asked me to make the bill for 1000, so he can have some extra christmas money. Now that pissed the hell out of me. I give him a deal, don't tell him that I am going easy, throw in a little extra work (not much) for free, and then he wants me to comit insurance fraud so he can get an xtra 400 dollars, when even though he don't know, I aint makin my fair share. I am going to send him a bill for 600 and include a letter why I think that he should consider what he asked me to do and that if he decides to get mad then we can talk to the preach and see what he thinks about insurance fraud.


This really pissed the hell out of me and he thought that I would do it. What kinda crap is that, you give a great deal, find out that the bid you gave is being covered by insurance, keep quiet and do a good job, and then be asked to screw the insurance company to get him a healthy sum of money, and risk going to jail.

P.S. He asked for the bid sheet after did the work, so now he wants me to post mark the invoice so he can submit to the insurance company for aproval, after asking him in the begining after I found out that he was gettign his insurance to pay I even asked if he wanted a bid sheet for approval and he said, "No, go ahead and do the work and I will get you the check.". I learned alot about him on this job.


Carl