What are the insurance companies responsibilities with damaged siding?
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What are the insurance companies responsibilities with damaged siding?
When our siding was damaged by wind, we were asked to send a sample to ICOR to find a match. The report came back that the siding is no longer available. there recommended replacement is conciderably darker than the remainder of the house. Do they need to replace all the siding, due to the mismatch or do they only have to replace the damaged part?
Asked on May 28, 2019 under Insurance Law, Indiana
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 4 years ago | Contributor
After making all "reasonable efforts" to find an exact match, in the instance of siding replacement an insurance company can use a substitute that is the closet to the original. They are not legally obligated to completely replace all of the siding in order to obtain a perfect match. Perhaps you could py the cost of completlely re-siding your house with a different siding and use the amount that the insurance would have paid for the substitute towards the new siding.
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 4 years ago | Contributor
They are only required to make "reasonable efforts" to match the siding. If an exact match is no longer made, they can use the closest substitute. The law does not require them to undertake a much larger expense by replacing undamaged siding simply because it is not a perfect match. It is possible that you could get them to give you the amount of money they'd pay for the replacement siding, then supplement it with your own money to have the whole house re-sided, if you want.
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