In November my garage was hit by a hit and run driver. The incident was caught on a neighbors camera, and I saw it myself…but neither the camera nor myself were able to get a license plate.
My insurance paid me a good amount and I was able to find a contractor to get it fixed. I still had to pay a little bit but I was happy with the resolution and I thought we were done.
Last Sunday, however. When we went to leave Sunday morning I could not get my man door to open. I had to use a crowbar to get it open. We were going somewhere , so I tred to adjust the frame so that we could get the door shut, as we had a bunch of supplies and tools for fixing the fence in there and we did not want them stolen.
Anyway, I couldnt get it lined up well and we had to rush off so I just blocked off the man door with a snow blower and we left via the big garage door.
Upon return, after I had more time to look at the situation, I noticed that there was an impact spot on one wall the entire garage has shifted about 8 to 10 inches off the cement slab it it sits on. Considering this, it was a miracle the garage door still worked.
So, we call the police. I told them that the neighbor behind us should have video of the incident. THey took some pictures and asked us some questions, but before they could check the neighbors cam, the neighbor at the far end of the alley came rushing out and admitted that she had hit the garage. She claimed that she had tried knocking on our door the night before to inform us (A claim I seriously doubt now because I know we were awake at the time of the incident and heard no one at the door. Most likely she only admitted her guilt because she was on camera and did not want to get charged with a hit and run).
Continuing the story : The police looked at her cam and told us that she could be seen leaving her car and then it getting away from her , she chased after it to try to stop it.
Her version of this event seems legit : She says she put her car in reverse, saw that a movable basketball hoop was in her way, so she tried to put it in park to move it. She did not get it in park correctly and when she got out, the car took off and she tried unsuccessfully to chase until my garage stopped it.
The police ask me if I wanted to drop the report since I could just work out the insurance with the neighber. I say “no”. I tell them if her insurance is unwilling or unable to pay me for the incident, I will need one to file a claim with my homeowners insurance.
Anyway, police talk to us for awhile. I end up finding out that they wrote her a ticket for no car insurance. They say that the proof of insurance she had had just expired but she claimed it was current and she just hadnt recived the new cards yet.
The police tell me that I should contact my insurance to protect myself just in case.
So, I look up the phone number on the internet. They process my details and tell me a claims adjuster will contact soon. He does and we schedule an appointment for him to look at garage. This goes without incident. The next day I also get a form in the mail to fill out.
2 days later I get a call from the person I got the insurance through. She is bitching and hostile towards me saying that she is my only ally in this and I should have contacted her first. She only heard about it that day. She was really giving it too me. She told me I should have contacted her and then the lady who hit my garages insurance company. She says that my homeowners insurance is going to cancel me because I had 2 claims in less than 2 years. She claims, in addition to the information on the individual I had , I also need to get her policy number.
I go out and catch my neighbor as she is leaving for work. She says she is late for work. So I say, ok fine but I need to get your policy number …my insurance is threatining to cancel me. what time do you get off work? She claims 9pm. I say fine, I will come over shortly after that. I call my provider and tell her what happened and I will call her first thing in the morning. She seemed extremely nervous during this exchange.
After several hours , I get impatient and look up her insurance provider on the internet and try to make a claim myself without the policy number. After some effort and getting her exact address, I am successful at making a claim without her policy number. I am told a claims adjuster for her insurance will contact me within 24 hours.
I go over to my neighbors about 9:30. There is this young kid who apparently lives there with her playing baskettball at their hoop. I ask him if shes home. She claims she wont be home for a long time. I ask him if he can pass along a messsage that I was able to make a claim without her policy number.
The next day, the adjuster does contact me. Thank me for the pictures and estimate I provided from my contractor but says that my neighbor was not covered at the date and time of the incident.
This would seem to explain why she had been dodging me on supplying the rest of her information. Both on the day the police were there and after they left.
I try to call the person I got my policy from to tell her new details. I leave messages but she never calls me back. I contact adjuster for my insurance info and tell him the new info. He asks “Who told you that they were cancelling you?” I told him.
This is the point in the story I currently am at.
SOrry for the long post but I now get to my question:
What exactly did I do wrong here? My garage was hit twice with no wrongdoing by me. I have police reports for both incidents.
What exactly did I do that warrants being bitched at threatened with my insurance being cancelled? I did nothing wrong.
If you have read this far, thank you. I know this is a long post.
