Subject: Re: Water damage/Insurance claims

[Farrell]

> the immediate problem, you cant fix it with old parts.

> #2) REPAIR COST How much will it cost to repair the damage, to put the
piano
> back to the condition it was in before? Not the cost to rebuild but the
cost
> to repair.  An estimate showing hourly rates and material costs would be
> helpful. If it's your professional opinion that the strings needs to be
> replaced because of exposure to moisture then write to replace the strings
> but all the repairs you are recommending should be new damage and not old
> damage or wear and tear.

When the insurance adjuster writes of "put the piano back to the condition
it was in before? Not the cost to rebuild but the cost to repair", this is
just like an automobile accident claim. When you bash in your 1998 Taurus
and your headlight, fender, window, radiator, etc. are smashed, the
insurance company will pay for a NEW fender, window, radiator, etc. to be
installed (I know you can put a used windshield or whatever in a car, but
then again you could replace a damaged plate with a used plate - most little
wooden thingees and strings in a piano are like lights, belts, hoses and
wires in cars - they woud. They won't pay for your bad tie-rod ends that
were worn out before the accident, nor your warped brake rotors, which are
worn out and warped as a function of wear, not the accident. In the same
way, I don't think any insurance company wants to install a used soundboard
or strings in anyone's piano as a repair - they simply don't want to pay for
old damage or wear.

I believe that in the case of flood or fire, all parts that are
demonstratibly damaged due to the fire or flood would be covered by the
insurance and replaced with new parts. Their point is simply that if the
action frame or the keys were not damaged from the flood or fire, the
insurance would not pay for their replacement - even though they needed
replacement because of termite damage or expanding key leads - that would
have been old damage not due to the fire or flood.

Take the old upright that was submerged for a day in one foot of water for a
day or two. If the owner had replacement cost insurance, I think you would
see the insurance pay for a new soundboard, two new bridges (or at least the
tenor portion of the long bridge if one could scarf in the new portion),
repair/reglueing of the back frame, new exterior veneers for the lower
portion of the piano, refinishing of the piano sides, kickboard, and legs
(any part that was damaged, the whole part - but no reason for them to do
the fallboard, lid, etc.), new bass strings, and new tenor strings - but not
any keyboard/action/treble wires/pinblock/etc. repairs. Or, if the owner did
not have replacement value insurance, but rather just insurance to cover
actual value, they would likely declare the piano a total loss and offer the
owner a whopping $200 settlement - even though it was grandma's piano and
they and their mom learned to play on it......and of course, like all old
pianos from the early 20th Century, it was in excellent condition.

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Doremus" <algiers_piano@bellsouth.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2001 10:41 PM
Subject: Re: Subject: Re: Water damage/Insurance claims


> At 11:55 AM +0000 6/27/01, Dan Noonan wrote:
> >My "real job" during the week is as an insurance claim adjuster but
> >I've been getting up to speed on piano technology and this list has
> >helped a lot.  I'd like to help the list by sharing what would make
> >a piano claim easier to settle to everyone's satisfaction from a
> >claim adjuster's point of view.
> >
>
>
> Hi Dan, thanks for your elucidation. I have run into all of this
> several times and even twice in lawsuits where the piano was in 1) a
> dealers hands and 2) a moving truck that caught fire. Willem raises
> the immediate problem, you cant fix it with old parts. You cant
> replace strings with old but rust free wire, you cant get 1920's
> Steinway hammers (wish I could!). In the case of a rare or antique
> instrument that can be disastrous. But, more to the recent point (ie
> Allison), usually when people flood the only coverage they have is
> home and contents FEMA flood insurance and that hits a fixed total
> and stops. Unless you're lucky or prescient enough to have a rider
> for the piano that covers storm and flood damage you'll be out of
> luck and all you can do is submit a piano repair estimate in along
> with the drywall and carpet and carpentry and furniture refinishing
> and hope you get enough to cover 80 % of it and get your life back to
> normal.
> --
> Dave
>
>
> -----------------------------
> Dave Doremus RPT
> New Orleans
> algiers_piano@bellsouth.net
> ------------------------------
>