Response from David R Webb Builder, Inc.
I am in receipt of your feedback and I understand your frustration. Please remember that you called me to your home to "get a letter to my insurance company as soon as possible because we want them to have another opinion." I told you it would be a couple weeks because I was so backed up with projects from paying clients (You were not billed yet, we accrued 6 hours time on your project and two additional hours in the office doing research and writing the letter you requested.) The results of my letter should have been no surprise to you as I explained my findings. After my explanation, you took a phone call and I promptly departed. At no time did you mention to me to refrain from sending the information to the insurance company. I certainly could have used my time more productively on projects for contracted clients. Regardless, i did what we agreed for me to do. In the event you would like to review the letter, I have copied/pasted it below. Unfortunately, I am unable to insert a file. I am not certain how the MS Word document will copy/paste below. Regardless of the formatting this site sets, the words will be the same. May 15, 2014 [Client name] [Client address] [removed members city and zip code] Re: Suspected Wind Damage, Claim #XXXX [insurance company] Dear Mr. and Mrs. [client last name]: At your request, on May 14, 2014, I visited your home for the purpose of conducting an inspection with regard to potential wind damage that is not being covered by insurance. You advised that the engineering firm hired by your insurance provider previously conducted an inspection and reported that the damage was caused by water vapors wicking through the walls to the ceiling. You further indicated this was reported to have been going on for a period of nine years, not sudden and/or accidental as you described to me. Upon my arrival, you provided me a tour of the outside of your home. You expressed the following concerns: 1. The side wall framing is very wavy. You were concerned with structural failure and were not satisfied by the opinion of the engineer. 2. On various areas of the roof, there appears to be shingle lifting which you indicated was not noticed prior to the wind event within the past few months. 3. On various areas of the home, siding is loose and some is broken. 4. Your electrical service meter mast fell and caused roofing and siding damage. 5. The front porch posts appear to be dislodged. 6. The side and rear decks appear to have fallen and are pulling away from the house. 7. The shed was displaced on its foundation. Upon completion of the exterior tour, you provided me a tour of the interior of the home and expressed the following concerns: 1. Miscellaneous cracks and nail pops in various rooms of the house 2. The three skylights in the front room were rotated by the wind. You report they have leaked, as well. I understand that your ultimate concern was that the insurance provider reimburse you for the damage caused by the covered peril. You expressed extreme discontent with the lack of explanation provided, to you, by the insurance company. You do not understand why a crawl space inspection would have been conducted for a wind claim and you are furthermore uncertain why the discussion of water vapor would enter the equation. To address your concerns, I was required to do a thorough inspection of your property to determine my point of view on this particular loss. I had access to the engineer report, but I did not ask for access to the adjuster’s estimate because I wanted to provide a non-biased opinion on the coverage questions you had. Regardless of my personal point of view, please understand, it is the sole responsibility of your adjuster and/or his/her assignees to interpret your policy and/or to verify and extend coverage for any damage resulting from a covered peril. Exterior Concerns: 1. Based on the inspection I did of your wall from the interior and exterior, it is my opinion that your wall was in this condition prior to the wind event this year. To have an opinion otherwise, I would need to see obvious signs of shifting which may include: doors and windows not operating properly; loose siding; drywall cracks on the interior; improperly aligned trim on the interior which does not have paint in the miters. I do not feel this wall is to be considered as a part of the claim. 2. Using my training and experience as a Haag Engineering Certified Residential Roofing Inspector, I do not feel your roof should be considered a part of this claim. Because the roof was wet due to the rain, I was unable to get on the roof to provide a thorough inspection. My inspection was conducted from a ladder at the eave line. In 100% of the shingle lifts that I inspected, I observed roofing nails from the underlying row sticking up between ¼” and 7/16”. This was not caused by the wind; it is due to installation error. It is my opinion that the roofing should not be covered by the claim. 3. The areas of loose and broken siding may be an item to discuss with your adjuster. My observation was that the siding was incorrectly installed, but if not for the wind, the siding may have remained in place, as it would appear to the naked eye. I am not certain how your policy or insurance provider would interpret this situation. My opinion is that if the siding were installed properly, you probably would not have had a problem with the siding falling off. I believe its integrity was compromised by the wind, but the wind did not act alone in the siding’s failure to remain in place. My observation was that the siding rows were not spaced in a manner that would allow the next row up to be securely fastened. In regards to the broken siding, it is plausible that the wind jettisoned a projectile that struck, and subsequently broke, the siding. 4. Upon review of the meter mast that has been dislodged from its mounting brackets, I have no reason to believe this was caused by the wind. I believe it was caused by the weight of snow/ice on the power lines leading to the street which may be the responsibility of your power provider. This is a question for your claim’s adjuster. 5. I reviewed your concern with the front porch posts. Like the broken siding, it is plausible that a projectile struck the posts and dislodged them. I do not see reason for replacement based on the wind damage alone. Realignment is suggested. 6. Your side and rear decks may be something to mention to the adjuster, but be prepared for them not to be covered under this peril, if at all. They have clearly sunk below their intended elevation. Wind may have been a contributing factor to them separating from the house, but it is more plausible to think, if it is any covered peril, it would have been the weight of snow/ice, based on your testimony to me. Without your testimony, I would have determined the deck did not have proper footings and was sinking, possibly due to the heaving of the ground over the course of the winter. If the adjuster were to agree with it being caused by the weight of snow/ice, it would be under a separate claim and a separate deductible from your current wind claim. I would not count on this being covered as the deck was probably not installed correctly and the drop was probably caused by ground shift, not the weight of snow/ice or wind. If the adjuster determines there is no coverage on this, I would not engage in a disagreement. 7. I agree, the shed has been displaced from its foundation and significant framing work, not replacement, is necessary. Interior Concerns: 1. It is my opinion that these cracks are not solely due to the wind. I do not disagree that high winds may have exacerbated the situation with the cracks due to minimal wall shift. Aside from the wind event, I am confident that some of the cracks would have been an issue regardless. In one area, I noticed the drywall seam tape was loose. Based on my observation, it was not properly installed. In other areas, I observed paint inside the cracks which indicate that the cracks are not new. If the insurance company owes to repair any of the cracks, it is my opinion their repair responsibility would be minimal. 2. Your concern with regard to the rotating of the skylights is unfounded. As I explained yesterday, for a skylight to rotate, the shingles would not fit as well as they do. In addition, the skylights are typically installed with several nails around the perimeter. Including during a tornado, I’ve never seen windows or skylights rotate. It was a pleasure meeting with you yesterday and getting to know your home. Unfortunately, I am in agreement with the majority of the findings of the insurance company and the adjuster. If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you, Kevin D. Webb Insurance Restoration Manager David R. Webb Builder, Inc. cc: Mr. XXX XXX and Mr. XXX XXX, Jr, [insurance company]