My home burned in the Marshall fire and even though a builder’s agreement was signed in June of 2022, the house is still under construction and is not expected to be finished until July. The policy has ALE coverage of a dollar amount, not a certain number of months. The insurance company just sent me a check for what is left in my ALE, but that only covers 3 more months rent and I need 6 months rent based on the builder’s timeline. Is it appropriate to ask for an extension of the monetary limit?
Valerie Richard asked 3 months ago 1 Answers
Dear Valerie,
By all means, you should make an ALE benefit increase request to your insurer in writing, and give them the reasons why it proved impossible for you to replace your home before using up that category of benefits. If any of the adjusters who’ve been involved in your claim did anything to delay your ability to replace the home, you should document and reference what they did (or didn’t do) – as that is the strongest argument for getting them to pay more than the stated dollar limit. However, keep your expectations low. It’s hard to get an insurer to pay above policy limits in general – and given how many people need ALE extensions, it may be extra hard.
Applying to the Community Foundation’s Housing Support Program may be a better bet – though it’s a modest sum. Also – if you’ve retained a lawyer to sue Xcel, your claim should include all loss recovery expenses your insurer didn’t cover, so that’s another potential source of reimbursement.
Good luck!
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