1987 single wide rental with roof damage/use insurance?

1987 single wide rental with roof damage/use insurance?

Member since 2018 · 76 posts · 23 votes

Hi all.  I have a 1987 single wide rental on 1.5 acres in South Carolina.   A tree limb fell on one end and busted the roof.  Whole roof had to be replaced as no way to patch it in.  It was $6000.   To fix the ceiling inside is going to be abou $2000.  When I spoke to my insurance agent he advised me to think about whether I wanted to file a claim as it was a ACV policy.  After doing some research, I assumed the the underwriters would probably depreciate the roof down to next to nothing as it is the original roof.  So if I was basically going to get next to nothing from the insurance claim and then that insurance claim could cause them to drop me  (at this point I guess the only thing about the policy worth anything is the liability coverage) and probably raise all my other insurance policiy rates, I decided to just pay out of pocket.  Now I am wondering if I did the right thing.   It has been 7 weeks since the damage and I had the roof replaced two weeks ago.   Any advice you guys can give about this situation?  

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  • Rod HanksBusiness Member
    Insurance Agent · Dallas, TX · Member since 2013 · 743 posts · 462 votes
    1y

    Carol, given the age of the roof and the fact your policy is ACV, you probably would have seen heavy depreciation — possibly leaving you with very little payout after your deductible. In that situation, paying out of pocket to avoid a claim on your record was a reasonable choice, especially if you want to avoid possible non-renewal or rate hikes.

    I would, however, review your policy before the next renewal to see if replacement cost coverage is an option for future losses, and make sure your liability limits are where they need to be. For now, it sounds like you made a smart call based on the facts you had.

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