A lot of places use aerial photography to make these kinds of checks, though some of the items seem small enough to have been inspected by someone who on the ground. I've heard of people being busted by the county for building decks without permits.

Anyway, it's surprising. I'll have to re-examine my policy to see if it creates an easement for them to stop by or if they would be trespassing.

CypherGhost wrote:
A lot of places use aerial photography to make these kinds of checks, though some of the items seem small enough to have been inspected by someone who on the ground. I've heard of people being busted by the county for building decks without permits.

Anyway, it's surprising. I'll have to re-examine my policy to see if it creates an easement for them to stop by or if they would be trespassing.

Our house is totally camoflauged from Google earth. Our house is green with a brown roof and we have a good many trees behind us. We just blend in!

No, they HAD to have been IN MY YARD, behind my fence, and even pickin up my pool cover. That ladder they complained about goes only from the side of the pool to the bottom - it is totally INSIDE the pool from the bottom, and attaches to the bottom of the deck. It strikes me as strange they don't want this particular ladder. It seems like if someone was in the pool, that's what they'd use to get out. lol

skullaria wrote:

CypherGhost wrote:
A lot of places use aerial photography to make these kinds of checks, though some of the items seem small enough to have been inspected by someone who on the ground. I've heard of people being busted by the county for building decks without permits.

Anyway, it's surprising. I'll have to re-examine my policy to see if it creates an easement for them to stop by or if they would be trespassing.

Our house is totally camoflauged from Google earth. Our house is green with a brown roof and we have a good many trees behind us. We just blend in!

No, they HAD to have been IN MY YARD, behind my fence, and even pickin up my pool cover. That ladder they complained about goes only from the side of the pool to the bottom - it is totally INSIDE the pool from the bottom, and attaches to the bottom of the deck. It strikes me as strange they don't want this particular ladder. It seems like if someone was in the pool, that's what they'd use to get out. lol

Hmm. Interesting. Well, I'd check and see if the policy allows for an access easement. If not, it sounds like you have right to file a criminal complaint.

Regarding the ladder, I thought they were required by law (or at least building code) for that very reason. Not something I've studied, but I agree that it makes safety sense.

Wow...I was wondering if you had actually contacted your State Farm agent to talk about this or whether you have just been receiving these letters? This seems extreme to me - no personal property allowed on your yard or porch? Is that because they are afraid that it will get stolen or because they are afraid someone will trip on it and sue?

skullaria wrote:
A few weeks ago we got a letter from State Farm that they were going to be driving by our home and taking pictures, not to worry, it was just a standard check.

So we didn't worry. Well, I suppose we should have worried, because there is no way their drive-by could have been JUST a drive by. See, we live up on a hill, and most of our yard is fenced in.

Today, we got a letter that they were dropping our coverage if we did not do certain things. One was that we are to remove all personal property from our yard and porches. The second, was that we are going to have to remove the ladder from our pool.

Our pool is behind the fence, and has been covered for 2 months now. The offensive ladder goes from the deck down into the pool and cannot be seen unless you get behind our fence, go to our pool, remove our pool cover, and look.

I was upset. I complained to a friend. She said that her son had got a similiar letter because he had a single loose piece of fleishing(sp?) on his roof, and that she knew someone that just had their policy terminated and got a refund of their premium because they found a trampoline in their yard.

I've never heard of such. We've had this home for 16 years now and have, in all that time, never filed a single auto or home insurance claim. Never. We are so private that I doubt we ever WOULD unless we had very serious property destruction.

So just...thought I'd warn folks that a 'drive-by' letter obviously means they are coming to snoop around and get in your stuff.

Nanochick wrote:
Wow...I was wondering if you had actually contacted your State Farm agent to talk about this or whether you have just been receiving these letters? This seems extreme to me - no personal property allowed on your yard or porch? Is that because they are afraid that it will get stolen or because they are afraid someone will trip on it and sue?

It does seem extreme. Especially since we just have normal 'stuff' outside. Grill, picnic table, outside furniture. Our trucks. lol

We got the letter about the drive by not long ago. We didn't think much of it, because they said they would just be driving by to check the property. My dad said they want to make sure it hasn't been left vacant. So we thought, we'll let them drive by!

Then we get the letter. Now, MOST of our yard is obscured by a privacy fence. You cannot even SEE our above ground pool from the road, or even if you pull up to the drive, and the sides and back of the house is obscured totally by woods.

My husband is going to go talk to them. He's pretty hot. Someone told him that State Farm is looking to drop as many houses as they can in coastal and tornado prone areas. He thinks that is what this is all about.

I just thought I'd put the warning out to others, because when I talked with friends about it, a couple had had similiar experiences.

IF they drop us, they are fools. We are such private hermits that we NEVER have visitors other than my dad...and no one here has ever even filed a car claim, much less a house claim.