Nearly every time there is a big hailstorm that blows through a town, some amount of damage is done, and the issue of matching repairs comes up when insurance claims are made. Some insurance companies will only pay to repair the damaged areas, but if that material is no longer available, they may substitute something that is a close match. That was the standard for many years, but a recent court case in Minnesota has changed that. When examining a clause in the policy involved, the district court judge ruled against American Family Mutual Insurance Company and ordered it to pay claims where there were matching disputes after a hailstorm. (According to Min. Stat. {72A.201, Subd. 5(8) (1998)}).
For example, assume that only two sides of your home suffered siding damage and you need to replace your 12″ white aluminum siding with a textured finish. However, the manufacturer has discontinued this product and now only makes 8″ aluminum siding without texture. Clearly, it won’t match. However, the adjuster estimates the repair for the two damaged sides only at $10,000; replacing all four sides of siding would cost $20,000. A real estate appraiser will tell you the replaced siding has resulted in a loss of $5,000 to the value of your home. To be fair to the insured, the insurance company should pay the $20,000 to replace all four sides of the home so that they will match. In fact, in Minnesota they are now required by law to do so.
Don’t let an insurance adjuster talk you into settling for a partial repair if it won’t result in a good match. As a policyholder you have the law on your side. Find a competent roofing contractor who is experienced in dealing with insurance claim repairs and get you all that you are entitled to where your storm damage repairs are concerned. 952-442-1762
