Louise of Elizabeth NJ (7/16/03):
We had a tree fall during a rain storm last fall damaging our fence, after placing a claim for the damage we were re-evaluated and made to do some other repairs, which we did, now we are being charged double the cost of last year's policy.

Louise has been found guilty of being willing to file a claim. File a claim for almost anything these days and your rates go through the roof.

Anna of Bushkill, PA, writes:
I had water damage from frozen pipes back in Jan 16, 2000. My whole house was ruined. Walls, cabinets in kitchen and bathrooms, floors in entire house except for one small bedroom, front door rusted from water, heating cover panels, entire wall paper in bathrooms, and large kitchen along with walls and the insulation in first floor was ruined in its entirty.

We also had to rent a Dumpster to take all the ruined carpenting, cabinets, wall paper and insulation out. The adjuster alloted me $4431.71 to hire someone to take down and replace wallpaper, paint, install carpenting, install kitchen and bathroom cabinets, take down and install insullation, replaced damaged walls, etc.

The cabinets alone cost $3,440 without installation and settling for less cabinets than what I originally had. Leaving me with very little to hire the contractor, and purchase the other necessary items. I gave the contractor his name and number to call and the contractor finally was able to get through to him and faxed him an estimate, but the adjustesr never got back to him.

I have left him numerous messages on his machine and he has failed to call us back. At one point he told me I should take the money given to me for personal damage and buy and fix what was needed. I do not know if being a female minority has any thing to do with him not wanting to even discuss this matter or what. It is impossible to purchase and repair all that's needed for that kind of money.

I purchased this house 5 years ago and when I purchased the house it was fairly new.

I can not stay in the house. It's been six months since this happened and my hands are tied. I cannot do the work myself, I cannot hire anyone. I live from paycheck to paycheck, I cannot afford to hire and buy the stuff needed out of my own pocket.

Anna should not feel that this is happening to her because she is a minority. It happens to everybody. This is how insurance companies operate. Perhaps the best option for someone in Anna's predicament is to sue Prudential in Small Claims Court. Armed with a written estimate of the cost of repairing the damage, she has a chance of winning a settlement that comes closer to being adequate.

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