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angus9259

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Meth head light two of our barns on fire last week. Lost two 30x40 barns, 60 tons of hay, my shop, all my tools. Vet supplies, livestock scales, fence parts, nuts and bolts, backhoe - everything.

They caught the guy - but he has nothing - except a long criminal record.

Call your insurance company and find out how your set up for such a thing and start taking notes and pictures of whats in your barn. Meth is a growing issue and nothing looks more inviting than a hay barn.

 
That stinks, sorry for your loss. We have a lot of those types around here, and the legal system just slaps their hand and turns them loose. Someone needs to Charles Bronson them like in his movie Death Wish.
 
I wish there was something I could say to make things better. When he is prosecuted, ask the DA if the State has a "Victims Compensation Fund". I might not be much but it could be something.
 
I sure hate that angus. Could happen to any of us for sure. I've got some good insurance and at times I question why I pay that premium every month. Your misfortune answers that. But I will definitely heed your advice and make sure everything is up to par. I hope your company treats you right. That's a big lump to swallow right there.
 
The fire chief and my insurance adjuster says it's almost impossible to prove arson (which is a felony) unless you get them on video. I think they have him now on something like breaking and entering with intent to do damage (misdemeanor). He will probably get that reduced as well because he may not have "intended" to set the barn of fire.

My policy has actual cash value on my losses - which means things don't get replaced I get the value of what things were when they were lost. And auto parts (such as my snow plow) are only covered up to a much smaller level. Actual cash value also doesn't place any value on the time it took to buy all the stuff to begin with and the time it will take to replace it.

I have replacement cost on the structures with a cap - which would have been fine - until I tied the two buildings together. Since they were tied together it becomes one structure and one cap now needs to cover BOTH buildings - which it won't.

I guess that's my point - read the fine print.

I don't blame my insurance guy either - he tried all last year to get with me and review my policies. I was too busy. :bang:
 
Man that's awful. I'd sure try to argue the point on the two barns. Hold out. Be nice. But be difficult to satisfy. Again be polite. May not do any good but then again you may be surprised. I've had a lot of dealings with them while acting as a liaison for clients. You win some and lose some. But I'd sure try to push the issue on the structures.
 
That's horrible! I'm so sorry! And I agree - definitely review your policies. We also learned the hard way after the first tornado and still got the short end of the sick after the second one hit. The barns were built in the 1920's so they weren't covered but when we rebuilt, naturally the new ones got hit and they were also tied together. Live and learn!
 
So very sorry angus. I've been through 2 fires and it's devastating both financially and emotionally. Meth is going to destroy this country. A local small town sheriff's office was shot up a few days ago by a meth head. He walked in, asked to talk to a deputy and when one appeared, he opened fire. The perp took off which led to a big chase and him taking his own life. Fortunately, the two deputies who were shot, are recovering. https://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime ... 71030.html

In your situation, I suppose the creep was looking for something to steal.
 
Sort of on the subject and very sorry for your loss. Insurance: if you sell meat from the farm or as cuts, be sure that your insurance covers that type of activity. Same for hunting leases, ... Find out before you find out the hard way.
 
Ebenezer":2opmnvpb said:
Sort of on the subject and very sorry for your loss. Insurance: if you sell meat from the farm or as cuts, be sure that your insurance covers that type of activity. Same for hunting leases, ... Find out before you find out the hard way.

To the OP, so sorry for your loss!

Typically, something like a hunting lease is more of a specialized coverage if we're talking about liability. BTW, there is a lot of grey area when it comes to deciding ACV amounts. Most fire adjusters will try to be fair, but on some rare or older pieces, it's hard. Don't be afraid to do your own background research. Best wishes!
 
That is so sad . And what makes it worse are the small items , that can't really be accounted for but will take years to replace .
 
angus9259":1knqqz28 said:
Meth head light two of our barns on fire last week. Lost two 30x40 barns, 60 tons of hay, my shop, all my tools. Vet supplies, livestock scales, fence parts, nuts and bolts, backhoe - everything.

They caught the guy - but he has nothing - except a long criminal record.

Call your insurance company and find out how your set up for such a thing and start taking notes and pictures of whats in your barn. Meth is a growing issue and nothing looks more inviting than a hay barn.


Unless it has two Belgian Malinois dogs sitting there waiting for visitors. Had a Belgian take down a guy who got me in the back with a machete one dark night about 5 years ago - the dog is one of the best for being a family dog and taking down bad guys.

Get two - they can tag team and seem to know that neighbors are not bad guys when they drop in to say hello.

If you keep them in the house I guarantee they will not let anyone in.

Sorry about your loss - hope you can recover without too big a hit to the wallet.
 
Ebenezer":btm9hc2e said:
Sort of on the subject and very sorry for your loss. Insurance: if you sell meat from the farm or as cuts, be sure that your insurance covers that type of activity.
I'm curious..What kind of liability ins would one get for that kind of thing?
If one were selling "Farm Fresh Eggs" for instance, and someone claimed they got salmonella from them, would they need that kind of liability insurance?

"Local Honey"?
 
greybeard":27rf052a said:
Ebenezer":27rf052a said:
Sort of on the subject and very sorry for your loss. Insurance: if you sell meat from the farm or as cuts, be sure that your insurance covers that type of activity.
I'm curious..What kind of liability ins would one get for that kind of thing?
If one were selling "Farm Fresh Eggs" for instance, and someone claimed they got salmonella from them, would they need that kind of liability insurance?

"Local Honey"?
I would talk to your local agent and don't just take his word for it. Have your lawyer look at the policy also. It happened just a few weeks ago in Knoxville Tn. Ten kids got E. coli poisoning and developed kidney failure from locally grown fresh "raw" (unpasteurized) milk. Our local Farmer's can no longer sell green beans that have already been broken at the local Farmer's Mkt. That is considered a form of processing and the local city has outlawed it at the City Farmer's Market
 
greybeard":3fhkrhn3 said:
Ebenezer":3fhkrhn3 said:
Sort of on the subject and very sorry for your loss. Insurance: if you sell meat from the farm or as cuts, be sure that your insurance covers that type of activity.
I'm curious..What kind of liability ins would one get for that kind of thing?
If one were selling "Farm Fresh Eggs" for instance, and someone claimed they got salmonella from them, would they need that kind of liability insurance?

"Local Honey"?
Yes. Yes. If your policy is a straight beef cattle policy it does not cover selling cuts. If chickens are a backyard venture and policy says beef then you are skating on thin ice to begin. It is a cruel world on a lot of this stuff.
 
angus9259":3inukybk said:
Meth head light two of our barns on fire last week. Lost two 30x40 barns, 60 tons of hay, my shop, all my tools. Vet supplies, livestock scales, fence parts, nuts and bolts, backhoe - everything.

They caught the guy - but he has nothing - except a long criminal record.


Ohhhhh!!!! :mad: :mad: I'm so sorry that happened to you. :( Ugghhh.
 
So sorry to see that devastation. There are no words to make it better and it will take years to get back to some sense of normal.

There are all kinds of rules now for things like local eggs and raw milk and raw honey. One place you might want to consider is "Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund" as far as getting advise for things like direct sales etc for food products. FTCLDF can help with advise and only costs about 150. a year. They would probably answer a few questions and could probably steer you to lawyers in your state that would be knowledgeable of direct sales of farm products. Most farmers markets here now require proof of 1 mil liability ins. In this sue crazy world, sometimes I wonder if it is worth the direct sales route anymore.
 
snoopdog":fxdvul3u said:
That is so sad . And what makes it worse are the small items , that can't really be accounted for but will take years to replace .

Very true. When I meet with a client on property insurance, I recommend they take videos of all open drawers, inside every box, and all open closets. Don't store the video at your home though. When insuring a home, I would estimate that you'll have more money tied up in items under $50 than you'll total in items over $50. It's fairly easy to list when you watch your videos.
 

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