Farmers Insurance Group

[jwdeeming]

Well, looks like we're headed for a loosing battle with the insurance company.



We had an enormous wind blow our steel calving barn over - literally on it's roof, and did pretty heavy damage to it and several fence panels that were attached.



Farmers sent an adjuster out today who asked my wife several interesting questions like,

What kind of animals do we have on the place? (horses and cows)

Which ones in particular use the barn? (both)

Have we ever sold any cows? (yes, as a hobby or to friends for butchering)

Are we having credit problems? (I'm not kidding)



Result? Adjuster estimates $15k to clean up, remove, and replace the barn.



BUT Farmers will not be covering us because he believes it is a business and therefore not covered on our policy.



Our agent is as stunned as we are, but she's also very new and inexperienced. She's trying to find out what she can. But I'm afraid I already know the answer.



I just did a Google search using the keywords "Farmers Insurance Sucks". After about an hour of reading, I believe we are screwed.



Anybody else?

 

[QRTRHRS]

I would think if your not taking any tax writeoffs on the farm other than say a state "clean & green" type of thing then you could prove that in court. Sounds like your going to need a lawyer unfortunately.

 

[jwdeeming]

Not sure what you mean by "clean and green", but no, on the property where the damage happened, it is zoned and taxed as a rural residence. And, we've never depreciated the barn or any other livestock equipment as an expense either, which we would have if we'd been operating it as a business.



I'm pretty facinated by the excuse that if we sold an animal that used the barn, it's a business item. I once sold a car I parked in the garage of my house. Using their logic, that makes me a used car salesman, I hope my doggone house doesn't burn down...



Yeah, I'll at least contact a lawyer on Monday. But I can tell you after reading a lot of other testimonials tonight, Farmers must have bigger lawyers than most of us can afford... .