My father-in-law ran into his garage and did a real number on it.
The adjuster says its a $3500 job.
$1200 in masonry work which I don’t do.
He has a $1000 deductible.
Any insurance job I have done before I just charged the customer and didn’t worry about who paid what.
The FIL is a decent guy I want to spot him the deductible. Do I bill the ins. co. $2300 and then they pay him $1300 to pay me?
Any ideas on how to handle this?
Replies
For such a small job, will the ins. co just write him a check and call it done?
Then he can hire whomever he pleases at whatever the charge and the ins. has nothing to say about it.
If instead they want to see an invoice, it gets a little, shall we say, tricky, and I wouldn't go there. Not worth it for a grand. OTOH, get him a nice gift for his next b'day would probly be OK.
"Let's get crack-a-lackin" --- Adam Carolla
Good idea! The FIL is going to mail me the adjusters estimate and I'll look it over and see if it is inline with costs in his area and maybe they will just cut a check.I don't want to imply that I am going to charge more than is reasonable or do something fradulent. I just know insurance companies have strange ways and want to jump through the right hoops.
I don't want to imply that I am going to charge more than is reasonable or do something fradulent.
Absolutely. My read is you want to do your FIL a favor, plain and simple. Ins. co. already put a number on the job. So whatever you actually do it for should be your business.
Trouble is, ins. co. might not see it that way depending on how they pay. So, if they just cut a check based on their own estimate, there can be no questions from them about anything.
"Let's get crack-a-lackin" --- Adam Carolla
Thanks much. I'll run it by the FIL and see what he says.
insurance companies have strange ways
That's one way to put it, politely.
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Live the Good Life in the Permian Basin.
OKThe insurance company's job is to pay as little as possible on this job to get it done. Your job is to do it well for a fair price and show the insurance company that is what it really costs and then they will pay it. It is a negotiation. Estimate high on all your numbers so you have some wiggle room and coverage for things you overlook.Don't do the work until you get the agreement on price from the insurance company. Typically they offer about 1/2 what it should cost. You must be able to support whatever charges you are going to profer. So I would charge 300-500 to make up a detailed estimate and give it to you FIL and then have him get the money from the Ins Co. The insurance company will pay you if it is close to fair, but may want to offer you an "agreed upon repair price" which means a fixed bid.Once the FIL has the money in hand, you can try to find some value engineering to get it all done. They typcally will hold back some depreciation until you show them the receipts for all the work done.DO NOT try to rip off the ins company. They will come after you, but don't let them steal from your FIL. He bought and paid for the coverage, he is entitled, based on the terms of the policy, for enough money to really get it done.Kirk
Craig, one of the easiest ways to help out your FIL is to submit a bill to him for services rendered. You could invoice him for say, $3500. Then, you could pay him as an independent contractor to do things...like provide security service for the supplies that need to be stored on site and unlocked. You could pay his wife for clean up. If the check is made out directly to them, you could tell them to only pay you 2000 and they would owe the rest.
You won't die broke. you'll always have that receiveable until you write it off as uncollectable.
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Thanks to all for your help!