I’ve never been without insurance, but insurance companies piss me off nevertheless. About a month ago, Hartford Insurance sent me their annual home and auto insurance bills. The auto stayed about the same, but the home increased from $3,600.00 to $7,728.00.

I’ve had Hartford for many years, and the only claim I’ve ever made on the home insurance was for an $800.00 camera that got soaked by a careless person on a boat in Belize. When I called Hartford about the rate increase, they unconvincingly claimed that it was because the value of the house went up. Instead, I suspect they’re trying to make up for their climate-change-related losses in Florida, Texas, and other southern states.

And if Hartford more than doubled their rates in a single year, what would they do in the years that follow?

Fuck ’em!

Consequently, Deb and I worked with a local insurance agent who switched us to a small Montana-based insurance company. That initially cut our annual house insurance down to $2,400.00. Then, just when we were ready to pay, they raised the rate to $3,100.00, mostly because they learned about the camera claim I had made previously with Hartford Insurance.

Apparently, my new insurance company will continue charging extra for five years—and they don’t even cover cameras! So, in theory, I will end up paying a $3,500.00 penalty for an $800.00 insurance claim with my previous insurer.

What does that have to do with this photo? My new insurance company is also requiring the removal of the tree behind the garage as a condition of providing insurance. The bill for that is going to be $1,600.00. I’d cut it myself, but the tree must come down in stages, due to the limited space where it can fall. So, I hired “Chainsaw Cheri,” a professional who is fully insured and an excellent tree-climber.

It’s too late now, but I’ve learned my lesson with insurance companies. At renewal time next year, I’m going to adjust the house insurance to the highest deductible possible. Now that I’ve experienced the penalty for a small claim, why would I ever again submit a claim for anything less than the total destruction of the house?

Boo, home insurance companies! Yay, Chainsaw Cheri!