Our "New to Us" Winnie

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jon_d
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Re: Our "New to Us" Winnie

Post by jon_d »

Over due for you to be getting the TV Current affairs on the case
This enters into uncontrolled territory. Yes, you get to tell your side, then they get to tell their side. If there is a difference, the tv station loves it.

Be careful what you ask for.
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Dot
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Re: Our "New to Us" Winnie

Post by Dot »

So what do you do, who can help ?
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jon_d
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Re: Our "New to Us" Winnie

Post by jon_d »

Been thinking about your question Dot......

When we had the 2009 fires go through Taggerty, I was speaking to the assessor and asked him how it worked.

For a partial loss, they would establish the loss, compare it to the value of the house and policy insurance amount. Make an adjustment if necessary and then pay out.

For a total loss, they would pay out the amount on the policy and sign a release.
In both cases, you assume the responsibility to sort it out afterwards.


So, if I was in the position of all this hoo-haa going on, I'd simply approach the insurance company and say "It's a total loss. The building insurance policy is $x,000. Pay it out and let's sign a release." Then you assume the complete responsibility to demolish, plan, seek approvals and then build.

If you're under insured, then, that is and always has been your responsibility.

Most house building insurance policies should be at least 700k. Our's is close to 950k. Crazy as it seems, when you get on the calculators that's what it works out to. 15-25% for demolishing, architects, planning approval, rent while building. project management etc and 75-85% for actual build including having to adopt new building standards and ever increasing costs.

Finally, if you're under insured, don't expect any sympathy from the insurance company. You signed the contact, had opportunity to read the PDS and elected the amount insured.
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T1 Terry
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Re: Our "New to Us" Winnie

Post by T1 Terry »

jon_d wrote: Wed Jun 04, 2025 8:16 pm Been thinking about your question Dot......

When we had the 2009 fires go through Taggerty, I was speaking to the assessor and asked him how it worked.

For a partial loss, they would establish the loss, compare it to the value of the house and policy insurance amount. Make an adjustment if necessary and then pay out.

For a total loss, they would pay out the amount on the policy and sign a release.
In both cases, you assume the responsibility to sort it out afterwards.


So, if I was in the position of all this hoo-haa going on, I'd simply approach the insurance company and say "It's a total loss. The building insurance policy is $x,000. Pay it out and let's sign a release." Then you assume the complete responsibility to demolish, plan, seek approvals and then build.

If you're under insured, then, that is and always has been your responsibility.

Most house building insurance policies should be at least 700k. Our's is close to 950k. Crazy as it seems, when you get on the calculators that's what it works out to. 15-25% for demolishing, architects, planning approval, rent while building. project management etc and 75-85% for actual build including having to adopt new building standards and ever increasing costs.

Finally, if you're under insured, don't expect any sympathy from the insurance company. You signed the contact, had opportunity to read the PDS and elected the amount insured.
I guess it depends on what sort of insurance policy you have. Our policy pays out the sum insured, plus up to 12 mths accommodation, plus up to 10% for demolition, plus 12 mths liability insurance or until rebuilding starts, plus surveyors and any other technical services required ..... so close enough to what you came up with in the breakdown.
The part that caught us out, we insured for double what we paid for house and land including contents, 5 yrs later it isn't enough to just rebuild. Covid changed everything, what rebuilding cost before Covid, double it and add 20% per yr, and no sign any of this will change any time soon.

The battle with NRMA is things like, they wanted to pay half of the value available for demolition, we told them to go ahead if they could get it demolished for that money .... they couldn't, it has ended up costing them more than if they had paid us the proper amount, and now they are trying to worm out of paying for the damage their contractors did while demolishing the remains of the house ..... they tried a heap of wiggling and worming out of demolishing parts of the site and have even refused to demolish the "teenage Retreat" which is really just an insulated kit type garage with a side door, claiming it wasn't damaged in the fire, even though the paint is burnt off one corner.

If NRMA had been like Allianz with the workshop, and just paid out as a total loss, it would have been sorted in 6 weeks, but NRMA are looking for every angle to try and minimise what they have to pay by screwing us over.

They even tried a con on Margaret, that if we arranged for our own temporary fence, the rental on the fence they provided would stop coming out of our payout ..... it was only by luck that we didn't before we had a chance to talk to our friendly ex insurance broker .... turned out NRMA was trying to avoid paying for the demolition, the 12 mths liability insurance and the 12 mths accommodation and a handful of other things that were in the fine print in the PDS .... by putting up our own temporary fence, it would have meant we had undertaken to rebuild ourselves ..... so none of the extras would have been claimable ....... The temporary fence wasn't coming out of our claim and has to be covered for 12 mths after settlement, as does the liability insurance, a full 12 mths after settlement ...... the temporary fence is gone now ..... so they are leaving themselves open for anyone to make an injury claim under the liability insurance .... it really does seem like they are working with the lowest priced claims staff they can get and they are spread all over the country. The ... possibly 4th claims rep we have had since this all started, is in WA and apparently has Covid ...... yet they haven't assigned up another claim rep .... it's not like she will be back in a few days ... apparently she has been off sick for a week already :roll: :twisted:

What the assessors says, and the reality of what actually happens, are worlds apart. I just wish we'd had an insurance broker for the house insurance like we did for the workshop, they know all the insurance company tricks and pull them up on it real quick.

Our friendly ex insurance broker has advised Margaret on what the next steps should be and she has started down that path today .... seems there are a lot of hidden things in the whole insurance game that aren't common knowledge to the poor suckers who are trying to fight for what they paid for, so following the correct chain of steps gets things swung back in our favour .... fingers crossed, this will be all in hand by Friday and we can get away 5 days late ...... not that there wasn't a heap of things that needed doing and are getting done in that 5 days ;) :lol:

T1 Terry
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Re: Our "New to Us" Winnie

Post by jon_d »

The part that caught us out, we insured for double what we paid for house and land including contents, 5 yrs later it isn't enough to just rebuild. Covid changed everything, what rebuilding cost before Covid, double it and add 20% per yr, and no sign any of this will change any time soon.
That's no good to read.

Unfortunately, it's the responsibility of the policy holder to determine.

We all should be checking every time the policy renewal arrives. Sometimes, it's avoided because there is a incremental policy cost increase. There are lots of calculators on the insurance web sites to quickly determine rebuild costs. A 5 minute check is all it takes. And is probably more important than ever given all the climate related claims happening these days.
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T1 Terry
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Re: Our "New to Us" Winnie

Post by T1 Terry »

jon_d wrote: Thu Jun 05, 2025 8:50 am
The part that caught us out, we insured for double what we paid for house and land including contents, 5 yrs later it isn't enough to just rebuild. Covid changed everything, what rebuilding cost before Covid, double it and add 20% per yr, and no sign any of this will change any time soon.
That's no good to read.

Unfortunately, it's the responsibility of the policy holder to determine.

We all should be checking every time the policy renewal arrives. Sometimes, it's avoided because there is a incremental policy cost increase. There are lots of calculators on the insurance web sites to quickly determine rebuild costs. A 5 minute check is all it takes. And is probably more important than ever given all the climate related claims happening these days.
Margaret did mention at the time, the policy was coming up for renewal and she wanted to find another insurer and increase the value we were insured for ...... imagine if she had, then the place burnt to the ground less than 2 yrs after the workshop ..... I reckon we would be under investigation for arson for sure :roll: not that it would have stretched out the time for settlement as it turns out.

The part that catches you out, builders advertising houses built on your land from under $300,000, until you actually get a fix quote to build, then all of a sudden, it's up around $700,000 and climbing, in 12 mths it has gone up around $50,000 to get a 3 bedroom home to replace what we had, so we will have to down size.
The McMansions along the road to the marina don't even list a price these days, but there is this one, on the backwater channel behind the marina https://www.realestate.com.au/property- ... -147620320 for a mere $1,225,000.00 doesn't even have a lawn yet, just dirt around the building site ..... that video makes it look like it fronts onto the Murray river ....

Then there is this place https://www.realestate.com.au/property- ... -147689400 if you stop at the 25 second mark, that is the actual house beside the entry road, beside Mannum Marina and again, not directly on the Murray guide price $3,600,000 ..... this is the Google maps view https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/12 ... FQAw%3D%3D ....

Have a look at this place https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Ro ... FQAw%3D%3D expand it out and head toward the river, take the track that branches off to the right and the house with the solar on the roof at the end of that track .... This is the place we installed the off grid system ..... if you have to ask the price for a place like that, then it's way outside your price range ;) :lol: I think he said he paid something like 1mill for the shanty shack that was there to get the land ...... entry requires a 4 x 4 .... or a Prius you aren't too worried about bottoming out and scrambling back up the hill .... had to get them to cart the batteries and battery trolley there, wasn't game to take a trailer down there .... I'd imagine they paid a premium to get the builders to build there, but it is the same people who we are looking at building our replacement house .....

Imagine trying to get an insurance guide price to rebuild one of those places :shock:

T1 Terry
A person may fail many times, they only become a failure when they blame someone else John Burrows
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Re: Our "New to Us" Winnie

Post by T1 Terry »

The trailer is finished and the new MG4 loaded up, just need to figure the best way to tie it down .... might have to cut up a few more ratchet straps and tie each wheel separately.

The big white carport has been dismantled, took me most of the day while fighting the wind .... no sooner had the top pegged to dry and so I could repair the hole torn in it, than the wind reversed direction and sent the whole lot on trip down to the back fence :roll: No idea how it all came out of the box, but it doesn't seem to want to go back in and the lid still fit .... spent a good 30 mins wrestling with it, got the lid on, only to find I'd missed putting two of the frame joiners in ..... maybe a tomorrow job .....

I was planning on taking the awning in tomorrow, but there is a severe wind warning from about lunch time onwards and rain from about 5 am .... so, maybe not :roll:

T1 Terry
A person may fail many times, they only become a failure when they blame someone else John Burrows
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Re: Our "New to Us" Winnie

Post by Greynomad »

Terry,
Tilta-Trailer sell their tie-downs as a replacement part.
All you need to supply is the ratchet gadget to weld in the appropriate position.
The pix on their website will probably demonstrate how they work… (Been a while since I’ve needed to visit their website.) 🤞
That’s presuming you are NOT psychologically programmed into NOT buying ready-made stuff… 😉😊
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Dot
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Re: Our "New to Us" Winnie

Post by Dot »

Missed last night as this machine kept yelling "you have a virus" and your device has "xyz invaders " couldn't stop them so turned this machine off and took it to the fix it man again this morning. AOK so far. Terry I wondering what are you talking about regarding a white carport? I can't keep up with you :lol:
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T1 Terry
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Re: Our "New to Us" Winnie

Post by T1 Terry »

Greynomad wrote: Fri Jun 06, 2025 10:37 pm Terry,
Tilta-Trailer sell their tie-downs as a replacement part.
All you need to supply is the ratchet gadget to weld in the appropriate position.
The pix on their website will probably demonstrate how they work… (Been a while since I’ve needed to visit their website.) 🤞
That’s presuming you are NOT psychologically programmed into NOT buying ready-made stuff… 😉😊
Not real descriptive on how they are attached .... but the price :shock: Yeah/nah $20 each for the ratchet straps, think I'll just shorten another two. Already have 4 of the strap loop things, just one strap from front to back and wrapped under the side rails to get the pull down affect, seems to make them susceptible to not tightening properly or evenly ... so one for each wheel should do the trick ..... I hope :roll:

T1 Terry
A person may fail many times, they only become a failure when they blame someone else John Burrows
Those who struggle to become a leader, rarely know a clear direction forward for anyone but themselves

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