A sad day on the farm

[ovrszd]

When I turned in my list, jointly assembled with the claims adjuster, it was verified by a cost analysis guy. He called me several times about items. When that was completed the insurance company sent me a check for 50% of the total. Then it was up to me to go purchase items and send them the receipts. They then paid the balance on that item. I had to annotate on the receipt what item # it applied to. If hammers were item #2 and I had seven of them and sent a receipt for purchasing four, the adjuster added the money to be paid in the next installment and adjusted the remaining number on the list. It was a bit overwhelming in the beginning.

I can't remember exactly, but my first check was very large. I then did an Excel sort on my list showing most expensive item first, down to least expensive. I started with the top item when purchasing and worked down the list until I had spent all of the installment. Sent the receipts and waited for the next installment.

Maturity and logic is required to keep from having to invest personal money to replace items. My wife and I were very diligent about that. We never left any contents money on the table.

An amusing story regarding creation of the list. I had a large tool cabinet on wheels. 20 drawers. Each drawer full. I diligently dug thru the burned cabinet counting tools. Cataloged them on the list according to guidance from the adjuster. After I had been in the replacement mode for a couple months it dawned on me that I had forgotten to list the cabinet itself. Contacted Monique and she laughed and said no problem, send me the addition. We discussed how the human brain handles stress. And under such stress makes really stupid analysis of the situation. How could I forget the tool cabinet!!!!! You'll have a similar story before you get done.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm very sorry for the loss of your building and all your possessions. That is a nightmare that I've had all my life.

 

[mx842]

When I turned in my list, jointly assembled with the claims adjuster, it was verified by a cost analysis guy. He called me several times about items. When that was completed the insurance company sent me a check for 50% of the total. Then it was up to me to go purchase items and send them the receipts. They then paid the balance on that item. I had to annotate on the receipt what item # it applied to. If hammers were item #2 and I had seven of them and sent a receipt for purchasing four, the adjuster added the money to be paid in the next installment and adjusted the remaining number on the list. It was a bit overwhelming in the beginning.

I can't remember exactly, but my first check was very large. I then did an Excel sort on my list showing most expensive item first, down to least expensive. I started with the top item when purchasing and worked down the list until I had spent all of the installment. Sent the receipts and waited for the next installment.

Maturity and logic is required to keep from having to invest personal money to replace items. My wife and I were very diligent about that. We never left any contents money on the table.

An amusing story regarding creation of the list. I had a large tool cabinet on wheels. 20 drawers. Each drawer full. I diligently dug thru the burned cabinet counting tools. Cataloged them on the list according to guidance from the adjuster. After I had been in the replacement mode for a couple months it dawned on me that I had forgotten to list the cabinet itself. Contacted Monique and she laughed and said no problem, send me the addition. We discussed how the human brain handles stress. And under such stress makes really stupid analysis of the situation. How could I forget the tool cabinet!!!!! You'll have a similar story before you get done.

Yes it is quite overwhelming to say the least and it's also mind boggling to realize just how much you can accumulate money wise over the years. I believe I gave her a base idea of what I paid for each thing then she depriecated them at 25%. Some items a little more like 4 wheelers and lawn tractors. I took another hit on the cash I had on hand. I normally like to keep $1,000.00 in cash to buy consumables and metal items I needed for different projects. They will only cough up $200.00 for cash. I haven't even gotten to all my Snap on and Mac tools and boxes yet An I don't know how I will come out on that part. I had a lot of speciaty tools Like Mercury/Mercruiser special tools I used when I was in the boat business and I also don't know how that will shake out either.

One thing we worked out already was the fact of all the stuff I had looked like I was running a business. In fact I had more tools than most pipe fitting, plumbing and welding shops had on hand. I could fix or build just about anything you could think of in my shop. I'm a tool fanatic and never minding buying what I needed to get a job done. If I ever needed to borrow a tool after that job was done I went out a bought one. I explaned that to her and she seemed ok with it and added that her husband was the same way so she knew how that was.

 

[ovrszd]

Also, another insurance thing that really surprised me. No one ever questioned my list. No one ever asked to see any item I listed. I was surprised by that. When we cleaned up my fire we did it by hand. Dug thru the debris by hand. Palletized everything that I would later claim. I had 25 pallets stacked with smalls. I kept them until the end of my claim period. 24 months.

 

[ovrszd]

Yes it is quite overwhelming to say the least and it's also mind boggling to realize just how much you can accumulate money wise over the years. I believe I gave her a base idea of what I paid for each thing then she depriecated them at 25%. Some items a little more like 4 wheelers and lawn tractors. I took another hit on the cash I had on hand. I normally like to keep $1,000.00 in cash to buy consumables and metal items I needed for different projects. They will only cough up $200.00 for cash. I haven't even gotten to all my Snap on and Mac tools and boxes yet An I don't know how I will come out on that part. I had a lot of speciaty tools Like Mercury/Mercruiser special tools I used when I was in the boat business and I also don't know how that will shake out either.

One thing we worked out already was the fact of all the stuff I had looked like I was running a business. In fact I had more tools than most pipe fitting, plumbing and welding shops had on hand. I could fix or build just about anything you could think of in my shop. I'm a tool fanatic and never minding buying what I needed to get a job done. If I ever needed to borrow a tool after that job was done I went out a bought one. I explaned that to her and she seemed ok with it and added that her husband was the same way so she knew how that was.

I have Replacement Insurance. I had to list paid price and estimated current value. Not sure why other than to determine the original 50% payment. Once I started replacing items they paid the full price listed on the receipts I turned in. No questions asked.

I hope you have a similar outcome.

I'll never have anything other than Replacement Coverage Insurance.

 

[joeyd]

Can't say I'm sorry in a way that will make it any better. I spent 30 years as a fireman and saw many lives turned upside down like yours. You have a good outlook on focusing on the rebuilding and replacing what you can.

 

[two_bit_score]

Very sorry for your loss. It can be devastating. Sounds like you are reconciled to dealing with it in a positive way. You are fortunate for that. Prayers everything goes smoothly.

 

[mx842]

Also, another insurance thing that really surprised me. No one ever questioned my list. No one ever asked to see any item I listed. I was surprised by that. When we cleaned up my fire we did it by hand. Dug thru the debris by hand. Palletized everything that I would later claim. I had 25 pallets stacked with smalls. I kept them until the end of my claim period. 24 months.

Yeah me too, that's one good thing in all of this. Same here with regard to questions about the stuff I had. They wanted as many before pics as I had but a lot of the pics I had were lost on the computer I had in the shop. I have been dragging out stuff for the past week and taking pics of them but some of them have already gone to the scrap yard. Yesterday I pulled over 1000 lbs of nuts bolts and screws I had in one carousel parts bin in one corner of my parts room. I hated to send them out but if I try to keep them here I would just be better off leaving them where they are at. I really don't have any place to keep all that stuff. Hopefully that wont present a problem later on. Most of the stuff is unrecognizable anyway. Most of it, if I didn't know where it was before the fire I probably wouldn't be able to tell what it was. Stuff like 4 wheelers, lawn mowers, presses and heavy machines yeah but all the other stuff is partly plastic and wiring and is all gone. I had a $750.00 Bosch hammer drill and all I could fine is a burnt wire, the part you put the bit in, 2 gears a piece of a small spring and a big paddle bit that was still in the drill. If it had not been for that bit I probably wouldn't have figured out what it was. I don't see why a pic of what's left wouldn't be good enough for something like this.

 

[ovrszd]

Oh man, your last post brings back such memories. Sad memories. You described this so well. I can hear the stress and depression in your writings.

My thoughts about saving things were if they questioned that I actually had it. But they never did.

After my claim was closed I dug thru the pallets and saved some things that the insurance company had replaced. Small tools, etc. I discovered that if a hand tool still had the plating finish on it, even though discolored, it was minimally useful. If the plating was gone it was just mild steel and worthless.

Here's a pic of a couple wrenches I saved with a non burned one included.

 

[mx842]

Oh man, your last post brings back such memories. Sad memories. You described this so well. I can hear the stress and depression in your writings.

My thoughts about saving things were if they questioned that I actually had it. But they never did.

After my claim was closed I dug thru the pallets and saved some things that the insurance company had replaced. Small tools, etc. I discovered that if a hand tool still had the plating finish on it, even though discolored, it was minimally useful. If the plating was gone it was just mild steel and worthless.

Here's a pic of a couple wrenches I saved with a non burned one included.

View attachment 779851

Those pics bring back long ago memories. My dad was a mechanic and had a small shop not far from here. I got most of his tools when he passed and they were all craftsman tools back from a time when a tool was really a tool and not like the stuff they are putting out now. I had one tool box in my little work shop area that had all that stuff in it. I haven't got that far yet but hopefully I can save some of that stuff too. I can see one little corner of the toolbox peeking out from mass of metal and charred mess. The bad thing is this is in a spot where there was a massive amount of heat because it was inbetween that big PC oven and the metal connex that was my compressor and paint booth. The oven was skinned with 26 ga metal sheets and in that area there were several spots that actually burned through and into the Mineral wool insulation. That stuff won't actually burn but it will just dry up and crumble away. So it was plenty hot in that area. If they are gone I'll scrap up what's left and use them for wall hangers in my new shop.