The massive storm has taken down many trees in my Fairfax neighborhood, and there are trees uprooted. All of these trees need to be cut up and hauled away. What or who is a good quality tree removal company that charges a fair price?

Only your insurance company knows for sure...

Most of the bad stuff so far has blown by us to the south, but it looks like we'll be getting some bits of it here in the next hour or so...

They have been round along time now.40+ years. Good people. There yard is down at Fairfax Circle off Pickett across from the Pizza Hut...That was there 20 years ago, Now a Japanese place.

DAJAX

Insurance only pays if it damages a structure. If on the grounds,it is an act of God.

Two options --

1. Build more structures.
2. Buy better insurance.

Contact you neighborhood Civil Defense Commander.

Some issues still out there for F-burg and worse ones for Richmond, but we're about past it all now.

So it is ok to come out of the closet now?

Was nuffin.. It din do nuffin. Far as I can tell, blew a plastic over on my deck. Watered my garden.. Richmond may get hit harder.

DAJAX

Have a plan Wrote:
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> Two options --
>
> 1. Build more structures.
> 2. Buy better insurance.

There is no insurance for wind damage to trees. The coverage is for damage to something the tree lands on......house, car, wife. If it just blows over and lands in the yard.....it's on you. And believe me, it isnt cheap getting a tree removed.

Jake from State Farm Wrote:
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> Have a plan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Two options --
> >
> > 1. Build more structures.
> > 2. Buy better insurance.
>
> There is no insurance for wind damage to trees.
> The coverage is for damage to something the tree
> lands on......house, car, wife. If it just blows
> over and lands in the yard.....it's on you. And
> believe me, it isnt cheap getting a tree removed.


^ True.

And if you ever do have something fall on something then don't move it until you contact them for a claim. I made that mistake once.

MGmYe Wrote:
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>
>
>
> And if you ever do have something fall on
> something then don't move it until you contact
> them for a claim. I made that mistake once.

Not always true. If you need to make emergency repairs (like leaking roof) you can remove the tree or have it removed. Just take some pics. You might be waiting a while for the insurance guy.

Jake from State Farm Wrote:
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> There is no insurance for wind damage to trees.

There is insurance for anything and everything. You merely have to ask and then pay for it.

> The coverage is for damage to something the tree
> lands on......house, car, wife. If it just blows
> over and lands in the yard.....it's on you.

That's the fix you're in if you bought a crap policy and ended up self-insuring for a known risk without realizing it. Your bad on that one.

> And believe me, it isn't cheap getting a tree removed.

That would depend on how impoverished you are. Removal of a large oak tree for example would run to no more than a few thousand dollars.

hEnGD Wrote:
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> Not always true. If you need to make emergency
> repairs (like leaking roof) you can remove the
> tree or have it removed. Just take some pics. You
> might be waiting a while for the insurance guy.

You want to get yourself out of the line of fire ASAP. Call your insurer immediately and provide a full description of the event and situation. Now it's all on them. The rest of your job is simply to do what they tell you to do.

Limbs Everywhere Wrote:
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> The massive storm has taken down many trees in my
> Fairfax neighborhood, and there are trees
> uprooted. All of these trees need to be cut up and
> hauled away. What or who is a good quality tree
> removal company that charges a fair price?


we all know your lying so does the insurance company

get a life

Have a plan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jake from State Farm Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There is no insurance for wind damage to trees.
>
> There is insurance for anything and everything.
> You merely have to ask and then pay for it.
>
> > The coverage is for damage to something the
> tree
> > lands on......house, car, wife. If it just
> blows
> > over and lands in the yard.....it's on you.
>
> That's the fix you're in if you bought a crap
> policy and ended up self-insuring for a known risk
> without realizing it. Your bad on that one.
>
> > And believe me, it isn't cheap getting a tree
> removed.
>
> That would depend on how impoverished you are.
> Removal of a large oak tree for example would run
> to no more than a few thousand dollars.


No companies write policies for trees apart from structures other than to the extent that they may be damaged by fire or similar circumstances apart from storms and then typically limited to a relatively low dollar cap each and for total landscaping damage.

A few thousand dollars is money to anyone high roller.

Have a plan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> hEnGD Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Not always true. If you need to make emergency
> > repairs (like leaking roof) you can remove the
> > tree or have it removed. Just take some pics.
> You
> > might be waiting a while for the insurance guy.
>
> You want to get yourself out of the line of fire
> ASAP. Call your insurer immediately and provide a
> full description of the event and situation. Now
> it's all on them. The rest of your job is simply
> to do what they tell you to do.

You are wrong. The homeowner is responsible to "MITIGATE" (look it up) his damages. That means you cant sit on your ass waiting for the insurance guy while you have a giant hole in your roof which is allowing your house to fill up with water 2 weeks later.

6nbNy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No companies write policies for trees apart from
> structures other than to the extent that they may
> be damaged by fire or similar circumstances apart
> from storms and then typically limited to a
> relatively low dollar cap each and for total
> landscaping damage.

Insurance companies wish to make money. Actuaries will figure out premiums for just about anything. If you bought a plain vanilla homeowners policy right off the shelf, you were likely not a smart consumer. Had you asked about riders for extended risks and coverages, you might have found some that would have been beneficial in whatever your circumstances happen to be.

> A few thousand dollars is money to anyone high roller.

It's peanuts no matter who you are when you are talking about catastrophic losses. Many people do choose however (whether knowingly or not) to self-insure against a whole array of such seemingly minor risks. They just want the big stuff covered at the lowest possible cost. That sort of thing can leave you hanging over a barrel if you are not careful.

m3GMx Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You are wrong. The homeowner is responsible to
> "MITIGATE" (look it up) his damages. That means
> you cant sit on your ass waiting for the insurance
> guy while you have a giant hole in your roof which
> is allowing your house to fill up with water 2
> weeks later.

You are an ASSHOLE. Look it up. The homeowner is NOT responsible for deciding what forms of MITIGATION are appropriate. As the eventual subrogee, that is the insurer's right and domain. Call your policy issuer ASAP, explain the situation, then do what you are told to do. You otherwise risk things like voiding coverages you had otherwise paid for and creating uninsured losses.

Have a plan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> m3GMx Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > You are wrong. The homeowner is responsible to
> > "MITIGATE" (look it up) his damages. That means
> > you cant sit on your ass waiting for the
> insurance
> > guy while you have a giant hole in your roof
> which
> > is allowing your house to fill up with water 2
> > weeks later.
>
> You are an ASSHOLE. Look it up. The homeowner is
> NOT responsible for deciding what forms of
> MITIGATION are appropriate. As the eventual
> subrogee, that is the insurer's right and domain.
> Call your policy issuer ASAP, explain the
> situation, then do what you are told to do. You
> otherwise risk things like voiding coverages you
> had otherwise paid for and creating uninsured
> losses.

And you are an uninformed nitwit. If a tree falls on your house and knocks a hole in the roof and you get someone ASAP to patch the hole to protect your property...... you honestly believe the insurance company is going to penalize you for that?

It's my fucking house so it's entirely up to me. I'm not going to stand around with my thumb up my ass waiting for some moronic insurance adjuster to call me to tell me to get the roof patched.

You're insane

Have a plan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 6nbNy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > No companies write policies for trees apart
> from
> > structures other than to the extent that they
> may
> > be damaged by fire or similar circumstances
> apart
> > from storms and then typically limited to a
> > relatively low dollar cap each and for total
> > landscaping damage.
>
> Insurance companies wish to make money. Actuaries
> will figure out premiums for just about anything.
> If you bought a plain vanilla homeowners policy
> right off the shelf, you were likely not a smart
> consumer. Had you asked about riders for extended
> risks and coverages, you might have found some
> that would have been beneficial in whatever your
> circumstances happen to be.

Which means that they don't write policies including or riders for a wide variety of things including general storm damage to trees. Call around and ask for yourself. Maybe if you have some historically significant tree or you might find somebody like Lloyd's to write a specialty policy but as a typical homeowner for the trees in the yard you're out of luck.

>
> > A few thousand dollars is money to anyone high
> roller.
>
> It's peanuts no matter who you are when you are
> talking about catastrophic losses. Many people do
> choose however (whether knowingly or not) to
> self-insure against a whole array of such
> seemingly minor risks. They just want the big
> stuff covered at the lowest possible cost. That
> sort of thing can leave you hanging over a barrel
> if you are not careful.

We weren't talking about catastrophic damage. The post is about a fallen tree. A few thousand out of pocket to have to have a tree removed unexpectedly isn't something that anyone does without rubbing their ass a little when they get the bill.

MPbNX Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Have a plan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > m3GMx Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > You are wrong. The homeowner is responsible
> to
> > > "MITIGATE" (look it up) his damages. That
> means
> > > you cant sit on your ass waiting for the
> > insurance
> > > guy while you have a giant hole in your roof
> > which
> > > is allowing your house to fill up with water
> 2
> > > weeks later.
> >
> > You are an ASSHOLE. Look it up. The homeowner
> is
> > NOT responsible for deciding what forms of
> > MITIGATION are appropriate. As the eventual
> > subrogee, that is the insurer's right and
> domain.
> > Call your policy issuer ASAP, explain the
> > situation, then do what you are told to do.
> You
> > otherwise risk things like voiding coverages
> you
> > had otherwise paid for and creating uninsured
> > losses.
>
> And you are an uninformed nitwit. If a tree falls
> on your house and knocks a hole in the roof and
> you get someone ASAP to patch the hole to protect
> your property...... you honestly believe the
> insurance company is going to penalize you for
> that?
>
> It's my fucking house so it's entirely up to me.
> I'm not going to stand around with my thumb up my
> ass waiting for some moronic insurance adjuster to
> call me to tell me to get the roof patched.
>
> You're insane


Then you'll bear the risk for doing so. Happened to me. Big-ass limb fell on my roof and punched a hole through it. I moved it off and patched the hole before the adjuster could get there since it was going to be a week or more after a big storm and they were busy with lots of other claims. When they finally came out they wanted to see that it was storm damage not something existing that I was trying to blame on the storm, that it wasn't a dead limb that I should have taken care of, etc., etc. Ended up costing me some money because I had settle for somewhat less than what they really should have paid because of the uncertainty around the claim. Basically used it as an excuse to reduce their cost.

hMJ3k Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
> Then you'll bear the risk for doing so. Happened
> to me. Big-ass limb fell on my roof and punched a
> hole through it. I moved it off and patched the
> hole before the adjuster could get there since it
> was going to be a week or more after a big storm
> and they were busy with lots of other claims.
> When they finally came out they wanted to see that
> it was storm damage not something existing that I
> was trying to blame on the storm, that it wasn't a
> dead limb that I should have taken care of, etc.,
> etc. Ended up costing me some money because I had
> settle for somewhat less than what they really
> should have paid because of the uncertainty around
> the claim. Basically used it as an excuse to
> reduce their cost.


Well you got fucked and you're just the type of victim the insurance companies like State Farm and Allstate are looking for. You should have filed a complaint with the Bureau of Insurance. You would have won. There is this thing called the Fair Claims Practice Act which insurance companies are governed by. What you described (if accurate) is a clear violation. You might not have been awarded damages but they certainly would have paid every penny of your claim after the Insurance Commissioner got done with them.

MPbNX Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And you are an uninformed nitwit.

No, I'm a homeowner with a lot of trees who understands insurance and the law quite a bit better than you do.

> It's my fucking house so it's entirely up to me.

Not after the lender to whom you still owe so much requires you to carry hazard insurance under which damaged property becomes an asset of the insurer.

> You're insane

You're an ignorant douche. Hopefully, your ignorance will never come to cost you anything, but there is certainly no guaranty of that.

4jMuJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Which means that they don't write policies
> including or riders for a wide variety of things
> including general storm damage to trees.

I have such policies. I also have riders for jewelry, for original artwork, and to cover the costs of scheduled higher-end materials. Insurance companies make their money by sharing for a fee in the risks that an asset will be damaged. They don't care what the asset is. If you don't talk to them about what sorts of assets you have and what sorts of coverage you'd like, all you'll ever have is a plain vanilla policy that leaves you to self-insure for what may be a great deal more than you realize.

As for trees, if you have a new tree planted on your property, you can expect it to come with a significant warranty. The grower is not carrying that exposure himself. He has an insurance policy in place to cover the risk. Homeowners can and do arrange for similar policies if they choose to.

> A few thousand out of pocket to have to have a tree
> removed unexpectedly isn't something that anyone does
> without rubbing their ass a little when they get the bill.

You'll have to speak for yourself. To rather many people in this area, a few thousand dollars would barely be a bump in the road. The bigger picture here is that if you have significant trees on your property, you need to think about what the risks of them are and how you want to address those risks. If you want to go it alone, that's fine. But there is help available if you decide to go in a different direction.

Have a plan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 4jMuJ Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Which means that they don't write policies
> > including or riders for a wide variety of
> things
> > including general storm damage to trees.
>
> I have such policies. I also have riders for
> jewelry, for original artwork, and to cover the
> costs of scheduled higher-end materials.
> Insurance companies make their money by sharing
> for a fee in the risks that an asset will be
> damaged. They don't care what the asset is. If
> you don't talk to them about what sorts of assets
> you have and what sorts of coverage you'd like,
> all you'll ever have is a plain vanilla policy
> that leaves you to self-insure for what may be a
> great deal more than you realize.


You have no rider for storm damage to trees. Nor does virtually anyone else.


>
> As for trees, if you have a new tree planted on
> your property, you can expect it to come with a
> significant warranty. The grower is not carrying
> that exposure himself. He has an insurance policy
> in place to cover the risk. Homeowners can and do
> arrange for similar policies if they choose to.


Nobody's talking about planting new trees.

>
> > A few thousand out of pocket to have to have a
> tree
> > removed unexpectedly isn't something that anyone
> does
> > without rubbing their ass a little when they get
> the bill.
>
> You'll have to speak for yourself. To rather many
> people in this area, a few thousand dollars would
> barely be a bump in the road. The bigger picture
> here is that if you have significant trees on your
> property, you need to think about what the risks
> of them are and how you want to address those
> risks. If you want to go it alone, that's fine.
> But there is help available if you decide to go in
> a different direction.

You're full of shit. No matter how much money you have, NOBODY wants to drop "a few thousand" on cleaning up a damn tree.

7bkNG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> hMJ3k Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> >
> >
> > Then you'll bear the risk for doing so.
> Happened
> > to me. Big-ass limb fell on my roof and punched
> a
> > hole through it. I moved it off and patched
> the
> > hole before the adjuster could get there since
> it
> > was going to be a week or more after a big
> storm
> > and they were busy with lots of other claims.
> > When they finally came out they wanted to see
> that
> > it was storm damage not something existing that
> I
> > was trying to blame on the storm, that it wasn't
> a
> > dead limb that I should have taken care of,
> etc.,
> > etc. Ended up costing me some money because I
> had
> > settle for somewhat less than what they really
> > should have paid because of the uncertainty
> around
> > the claim. Basically used it as an excuse to
> > reduce their cost.
>
>
> Well you got fucked and you're just the type of
> victim the insurance companies like State Farm and
> Allstate are looking for. You should have filed a
> complaint with the Bureau of Insurance. You would
> have won. There is this thing called the Fair
> Claims Practice Act which insurance companies are
> governed by. What you described (if accurate) is a
> clear violation. You might not have been awarded
> damages but they certainly would have paid every
> penny of your claim after the Insurance
> Commissioner got done with them.


Yep, I did. I've had many other claims with the same company and no problems otherwise. You learn the hard way sometimes.

I did file a complaint. Nope, I got nothing more. They did pay for the majority of it, just not what they would have had I not cleared the wood and largely done most of the repairs before they had a chance to see it and pre-approve what was to be done and who did the work. But I was staring out of a giant hole in my roof at the time so...

Simple solution.

1. Buy or rent a chain saw. Cut up the trees into firewood. stack it and put an ad in the local paper until someone buys it all.

2. Go spend some time on a Saturday morning at the local 7=11. Lots of illegal aliens there hanging out are looking for a day or two work. It won;t cost you thousands of $ this way.