I hate A*S hats

[Kalstar]

So, last night some theives decided they wanted my stuff more then I did. The pryed open door damaging the frame and then attacked the rear door with their pry bar killing the door and jam. Anything that used air/created air, plugged in the wall or used a battery they took. They also took the wood working stuff like mitter compound saws, nail guns, table saw, circular, skill saw, sawsall, shop radio and all the copper they could cut from the walls and ceilings (they more then likely used my saw to cut down all the copper). I am guessing about 5K in damage and about 7-8K in stolen tools. To add insult to injury (and the reason I am posting here) the jerks went through my 818 parts boxes mixing all the crap in a pile but took the stock cat'ed down pipe with the o2 sensor. Soooooo......if anyone decides to go aftermarket and wants to part with their stock one let me know. Thx. (they also took my two radiators, one that was brand new in the box).

My guess they were not "borrowing" the tools to go put in a days work. Like I said, I HATE as* hats.

[Slatt]

:( .

[SkiRideDrive]

Oh god that is awful.

[alpine227]

So, last night some theives decided they wanted my stuff more then I did. The pryed open door damaging the frame and then attacked the rear door with their pry bar killing the door and jam. Anything that used air/created air, plugged in the wall or used a battery they took. They also took the wood working stuff like mitter compound saws, nail guns, table saw, circular, skill saw, sawsall, shop radio and all the copper they could cut from the walls and ceilings (they more then likely used my saw to cut down all the copper). I am guessing about 5K in damage and about 7-8K in stolen tools. To add insult to injury (and the reason I am posting here) the jerks went through my 818 parts boxes mixing all the crap in a pile but took the stock cat'ed down pipe with the o2 sensor. Soooooo......if anyone decides to go aftermarket and wants to part with their stock one let me know. Thx. (they also took my two radiators, one that was brand new in the box).

My guess they were not "borrowing" the tools to go put in a days work. Like I said, I HATE as* hats.

Check local craigslist. Keep houbdibg the dept that took the complaint to check pawn shops and metal scrap yards at least here in Maine an I'd is required for scraping and pawning. They usually look for a quick turn around so they can get some pills or something to boot in their arm.

[wallace18]

So sorry to hear about the break in. I would look into some sort of alarm if the door is opened again. I am glad you were not hurt. Hopefully the community can help you out. I got rid of my stock stuff. Sorry I can't help you out.

[longislandwrx]

Sorry for the setback. I hope they all get diarrhea.

Hope insurance takes care of you.

[Mechie3]

I live in a nice neighborhood, but the first year we moved in someone stole a dwarf alberta spruce out of a planter and some phlox plants. They were kind enough to even sweep up all the dirt so we wouldn't have a big mess. I installed a couple of cameras after that. Nothing big and fancy, but enough that if you look up, you see them (slight deterrent), you can identify cars and if they pull in the driveway, license plates. If they come to the front door you can see faces too.

[Presto51]

So, last night some theives decided they wanted my stuff more then I did. The pryed open door damaging the frame and then attacked the rear door with their pry bar killing the door and jam. Anything that used air/created air, plugged in the wall or used a battery they took. They also took the wood working stuff like mitter compound saws, nail guns, table saw, circular, skill saw, sawsall, shop radio and all the copper they could cut from the walls and ceilings (they more then likely used my saw to cut down all the copper). I am guessing about 5K in damage and about 7-8K in stolen tools. To add insult to injury (and the reason I am posting here) the jerks went through my 818 parts boxes mixing all the crap in a pile but took the stock cat'ed down pipe with the o2 sensor. Soooooo......if anyone decides to go aftermarket and wants to part with their stock one let me know. Thx. (they also took my two radiators, one that was brand new in the box).

My guess they were not "borrowing" the tools to go put in a days work. Like I said, I HATE as* hats.

Jim you need a better alarm system.

I would suggest what I used to use for my Harley and they work very well, very dependable

20172

[Hayai]

What the hell?? :mad: That really, really sucks dude. I hope the insurance covers everything.

[blueoval_bowtie_guy]

Really sorry to hear that. Hope your insurance company makes it right and you can not only replace what was stolen but make improvements too.

[Kalstar]

Really sorry to hear that. Hope your insurance company makes it right and you can not only replace what was stolen but make improvements too.

I'm not going to hold my breath.

The physical damage is one thing (with a $1000 deductible) but as for the tools, the first thing the insurance company asked was "do you have the receipts for the tools stolen"? They said they only cover what I can prove was taken at time of the break in. By the time I am all done with this, I will be robbed a second time.

[carbon fiber]

that sucks. too bad you couldn't have caught 'em in the act. I've got a fence, pit bull, cameras, and the right to bear lots of arms. (which I exercise heavily) I had a break-in years ago, but now mine is the last house they look at.

[MPTech]

That really sucks! and the the ba$-turds will get pennies on the dollar for what they took.

I knew some guys in the trade that said they had their tools stolen out of their trucks on a job-site, then the A-holes had the nerve to sell their tools back to the guys!

Good luck, hope the insurance can make it right (bothers me that they want receipts for everything, I think I'm going to call my insurance today. what if you took pictures??)

[Mechie3]

IMO, receipts only prove you bought it once at some point. You might have returned it, broken it, sold it. Doesn't prove you had it in your garage at the time or anything. Such a lame way to do things.

[Nuul]

I thought they had to replace everything you listed in the police report. At least, that's what All State did when a guy at work was robbed. It's not reasonable to expect a person to keep receipts for every tool they've bought over the last 20 years.

[BipDBo]

I'm not going to hold my breath.

The physical damage is one thing (with a $1000 deductible) but as for the tools, the first thing the insurance company asked was "do you have the receipts for the tools stolen"? They said they only cover what I can prove was taken at time of the break in. By the time I am all done with this, I will be robbed a second time.

Sucks, man.

An insurance adjuster told me that there is a lot of interpretation when totaling up damages. He was specifically talking about flood and storm damage at the time, but some of what he said should still apply. I'm a Floridian, so I've been though a few storm claims. He told me that people who are very polite and make the adjuster's job easy will get interpretations in their favor. People who make a big stink and aren't patient with the process get a much smaller check.

If they are requiring receipts, I would politely point out the error in this, and possibly ask them to refer to which law allows them to do this. After all, this policy doesn't take into account tools that have been broken returned, bought used, tools that may not have been stolen, but are hiding, etc.

Collect any evidence of any tools that you owned; pictures, owner's manuals, boxes. Possibly even a picture of work that you did with the tool may offer some proof. Also compile all the pictures of vandalism and break-in damage. Have everything organized before you meet.

You can make repairs before the adjuster comes. Just take pictures for evidence, collect receipts for anything you bought to make the repairs. You can even estimate the time it took you, to value your labor. You may want to let your adjuster know over the phone before you do this. This may not be an issue in your case. After a big storm this is a big issue because it can take months before the adjuster comes because of the flood of claims. People don't want to wait to get their homes repaired.

For tools that you don't have receipts for, find an equivalent tool online, and print it out, with the price. Be fair, and don't print out the $300 Makita drill when you lost the $10 Harbor Freight drill. Print out the tool that you would buy as a direct replacement. The adjuster will know if you're trying to cheat him. If he can tell that you're being honest, he may be honest with you. More than likely, this receipt policy is more about helping the adjuster set a replacement cost than proving a tool was stolen.

[Kalstar]

Sucks, man.

An insurance adjuster told me that there is a lot of interpretation when totaling up damages. He was specifically talking about flood and storm damage at the time, but some of what he said should still apply. I'm a Floridian, so I've been though a few storm claims. He told me that people who are very polite and make the adjuster's job easy will get interpretations in their favor. People who make a big stink and aren't patient with the process get a much smaller check.

If they are requiring receipts, I would politely point out the error in this, and possibly ask them to refer to which law allows them to do this. After all, this policy doesn't take into account tools that have been broken returned, bought used, tools that may not have been stolen, but are hiding, etc.

Collect any evidence of any tools that you owned; pictures, owner's manuals, boxes. Possibly even a picture of work that you did with the tool may offer some proof. Also compile all the pictures of vandalism and break-in damage. Have everything organized before you meet.

You can make repairs before the adjuster comes. Just take pictures for evidence, collect receipts for anything you bought to make the repairs. You can even estimate the time it took you, to value your labor. You may want to let your adjuster know over the phone before you do this. This may not be an issue in your case. After a big storm this is a big issue because it can take months before the adjuster comes because of the flood of claims. People don't want to wait to get their homes repaired.

For tools that you don't have receipts for, find an equivalent tool online, and print it out, with the price. Be fair, and don't print out the $300 Makita drill when you lost the $10 Harbor Freight drill. Print out the tool that you would buy as a direct replacement. The adjuster will know if you're trying to cheat him. If he can tell that you're being honest, he may be honest with you. More than likely, this receipt policy is more about helping the adjuster set a replacement cost than proving a tool was stolen.

Very, very good advise, Thanx . Problem is the tools were no cheapies but were well used. I am of the thinking to get quality that lasts and use it'll it dies. Some of the less used air tools were HF but the 3 impacts and air wrenches were Snap-on I bought used. The main stay of my tools are the mid to higher grade sold at Sears. The nail guns and air compressors were Home depot Porta cable and the saws were all Dewalt (as well as the cordless tools) bought at Sears as well as gifts over the years. The hand tools were all craftsman.

[Turboguy]

I would think one thing they look for is consistency in your purchases ie if you claim all your stolen tools were Snap-On and Craftsman, but when they look through what's left in your box all they see is Harbor Freight. Certainly a few items of differing quality levels should not be an issue, but I'm sure they keep an eye out for stuff like this.

[Evan78]

Perhaps you have some electronic evidence such as mentioning specific tools in email or online conversations? It seems that anything with a time/date that you can't too easily forge would potentially help your case.

[Goldwing]

Sorry man, this sucks!

As a thought, as you took pictures of your preparations for your 818 build, were any of your missing tools in the background? If they're digital, it should have time and date stamps to help. Just brainstorming. Sorry for your loss man, a*s hats suck!

[RM1SepEx]

Me too... went to a meeting at a brewpub last night, parked my 1991 BMW E30 convertible by itself, I come out 2.5 hrs later nice 3/8 deep dent in the door under the mirror, no one parked by me.

Did someone come and leave or park dent and move?

UGH

[NicksPapaw]

Me too... went to a meeting at a brewpub last night, parked my 1991 BMW E30 convertible by itself, I come out 2.5 hrs later nice 3/8 deep dent in the door under the mirror, no one parked by me.

Did someone come and leave or park dent and move?

UGH

That must be the same jerk that parked by me at the Kroger last week. Put a crease above the front wheel well on my NEW 2013 Honda Accord. I could tell that they cared though....... the dirt had been wiped off........... I guess to see how much damage they had really done. Some days I just hate people.

[RM1SepEx]

That must be the same jerk that parked by me at the Kroger last week. Put a crease above the front wheel well on my NEW 2013 Honda Accord. I could tell that they cared though....... the dirt had been wiped off........... I guess to see how much damage they had really done. Some days I just hate people.

My E30 is my summer "toy" for cruising, she's not perfect but maybe a 95% car... just rolled over 93,000 after 22+ years... Now I need to find a local Paintless repair guy...

[Mavwreck75]

Kalstar check out www.brickhousesecurity.com they have some excellent DIY surveillance stuff. With any luck those clowns will come back to double dip & you'll be ready.

[riptide motorsport]

that just sucks.........

[timmy318]

Kalstar check out www.brickhousesecurity.com they have some excellent DIY surveillance stuff. With any luck those clowns will come back to double dip & you'll be ready.

Not trying to be funny or anything, but why do they sell a "covert water bottle" with a full HD Camera...... Also, I hope you get most (if not all) the value of the tools!

[Mavwreck75]

Not trying to be funny or anything, but why do they sell a "covert water bottle" with a full HD Camera...... Also, I hope you get most (if not all) the value of the tools!

water bandits?

[Ironhydroxide]

this thread makes me want to double insure my tools.... I already have "renters insurance" which covers my personal property inside the building. But i have more than 10K in tools. and if they were all stolen....... DAMN. i'd hate to be the guy who did it if I learned who and where they were.

[tirod]

Not fun. Not fun at all.

Aside from the insurance, there are some other areas to cover. First, the perps were likely inside the house in the last six weeks. Don't make a big deal of this with your SO, they get freaked out, but likely a friend brought over another "friend" who was just scoping out the turf to see what might be available. The majority of break ins are like that - how else could they know? This doesn't take a "neighbor" or co-worker who's been at the house for a party off the hook, either.

Residential doors and jambs are basically a joke when it comes to security. Jambs especially - they are rarely reinforced to prevent prying them open beyond the latch length, and the doors are usually thin gauge wood filler. The average woman with a crow bar can get in. Exterior doors need to 1)swing out 2) use security pins so the hinges can't be lifted 3) have more security pins keeping the hinge halves together 4) have puncture resistant reinforcement around the door locks 5) use a heavy duty dead bolt 6) have a heavy security strike that is fastened into the wall structure, not the jamb alone. Behind that, the jamb is reinforced into the next stud(s) to prevent it moving. It must be extremely rigid. The door itself must also be rigid, a decorator stamped skin on wood internal framing isn't good enough. If a hollow metal door and frame is chosen for replacement, most of that still applies. It's no help to have a frame than can be sprung away from the door lock.

A camera is nice, you get a record after the fact of what they took. I guess. Having a door that can't be pried open in the first place is a better deterrent to me. In fact, as the door gets some patina of scarring, it sends it's own message - it's tough and don't bother.

Electrically powered devices can be a good security setup - don't forget the UPS to keep them powered up when the grid fails. But in that case, the hardened doors and jambs still keep working, when alarms can't or won't. More folks would be better off with tougher doors and jambs than alarms or long term monthly payments for them, but that's not what those guys will tell you. They aren't going to cut their profits.

After the doors get upgraded, with appropriate internal wall reinforcement, then a quality security cabinet for tool storage might be the next item. If the tools can't be casually seen laying out, then no one is the wiser. This is where to old upright freezers in the garage don't look out of place, if you can secure them without looking like they are. Exterior padlocks and hasps tend to be obvious and just pique curiosity.

Of course, the starting point is who's in the garage under escort being shown exactly where everything is. That's the key thing thieves depend on, our gullibility.

[blueoval_bowtie_guy]

Not fun. Not fun at all.

Aside from the insurance, there are some other areas to cover. First, the perps were likely inside the house in the last six weeks. Don't make a big deal of this with your SO, they get freaked out, but likely a friend brought over another "friend" who was just scoping out the turf to see what might be available. The majority of break ins are like that - how else could they know? This doesn't take a "neighbor" or co-worker who's been at the house for a party off the hook, either.

Residential doors and jambs are basically a joke when it comes to security. Jambs especially - they are rarely reinforced to prevent prying them open beyond the latch length, and the doors are usually thin gauge wood filler. The average woman with a crow bar can get in. Exterior doors need to 1)swing out 2) use security pins so the hinges can't be lifted 3) have more security pins keeping the hinge halves together 4) have puncture resistant reinforcement around the door locks 5) use a heavy duty dead bolt 6) have a heavy security strike that is fastened into the wall structure, not the jamb alone. Behind that, the jamb is reinforced into the next stud(s) to prevent it moving. It must be extremely rigid. The door itself must also be rigid, a decorator stamped skin on wood internal framing isn't good enough. If a hollow metal door and frame is chosen for replacement, most of that still applies. It's no help to have a frame than can be sprung away from the door lock.

A camera is nice, you get a record after the fact of what they took. I guess. Having a door that can't be pried open in the first place is a better deterrent to me. In fact, as the door gets some patina of scarring, it sends it's own message - it's tough and don't bother.

Electrically powered devices can be a good security setup - don't forget the UPS to keep them powered up when the grid fails. But in that case, the hardened doors and jambs still keep working, when alarms can't or won't. More folks would be better off with tougher doors and jambs than alarms or long term monthly payments for them, but that's not what those guys will tell you. They aren't going to cut their profits.

After the doors get upgraded, with appropriate internal wall reinforcement, then a quality security cabinet for tool storage might be the next item. If the tools can't be casually seen laying out, then no one is the wiser. This is where to old upright freezers in the garage don't look out of place, if you can secure them without looking like they are. Exterior padlocks and hasps tend to be obvious and just pique curiosity.

Of course, the starting point is who's in the garage under escort being shown exactly where everything is. That's the key thing thieves depend on, our gullibility.

Excellent note - thank you!

[UpstateCobraGuy]

Same thing happened to me but to my work truck. Scumbags took everything thing that could be pawned easily. Hope there is a special place in hell for ***-hats like them. Hope your insurance comes through for you, IIRC mine only wanted a list of what was stolen but hit me with 25% depreciation.

[Xusia]

Not fun. Not fun at all.

Aside from the insurance, there are some other areas to cover. First, the perps were likely inside the house in the last six weeks. Don't make a big deal of this with your SO, they get freaked out, but likely a friend brought over another "friend" who was just scoping out the turf to see what might be available. The majority of break ins are like that - how else could they know? This doesn't take a "neighbor" or co-worker who's been at the house for a party off the hook, either.

Residential doors and jambs are basically a joke when it comes to security. Jambs especially - they are rarely reinforced to prevent prying them open beyond the latch length, and the doors are usually thin gauge wood filler. The average woman with a crow bar can get in. Exterior doors need to 1)swing out 2) use security pins so the hinges can't be lifted 3) have more security pins keeping the hinge halves together 4) have puncture resistant reinforcement around the door locks 5) use a heavy duty dead bolt 6) have a heavy security strike that is fastened into the wall structure, not the jamb alone. Behind that, the jamb is reinforced into the next stud(s) to prevent it moving. It must be extremely rigid. The door itself must also be rigid, a decorator stamped skin on wood internal framing isn't good enough. If a hollow metal door and frame is chosen for replacement, most of that still applies. It's no help to have a frame than can be sprung away from the door lock.

A camera is nice, you get a record after the fact of what they took. I guess. Having a door that can't be pried open in the first place is a better deterrent to me. In fact, as the door gets some patina of scarring, it sends it's own message - it's tough and don't bother.

Electrically powered devices can be a good security setup - don't forget the UPS to keep them powered up when the grid fails. But in that case, the hardened doors and jambs still keep working, when alarms can't or won't. More folks would be better off with tougher doors and jambs than alarms or long term monthly payments for them, but that's not what those guys will tell you. They aren't going to cut their profits.

After the doors get upgraded, with appropriate internal wall reinforcement, then a quality security cabinet for tool storage might be the next item. If the tools can't be casually seen laying out, then no one is the wiser. This is where to old upright freezers in the garage don't look out of place, if you can secure them without looking like they are. Exterior padlocks and hasps tend to be obvious and just pique curiosity.

Of course, the starting point is who's in the garage under escort being shown exactly where everything is. That's the key thing thieves depend on, our gullibility.

Great info, and I completely agree. Thieves are lazy (that's why they're stealing YOUR stuff instead of working to buy their own stuff!), so anything you can do to:

Make you / your car / your house / etc. more trouble than it's worth
Lessen the perceived payoff

Will help prevent theft. Virtually NOTHING will stop a determined thief, so the best strategies work to lessen that determination.

To that end, as Tirod indicated, making things less visibile is a good strategy. One thing people don't think much about is windows in the garage doors (both the main car doors and side doors). They look good, provide light, etc., but they also give thieves an opportunity to see what's in your garage. If you have windows, I suggest painting them the house color (on the outside - but don't forget to cover them on the inside as well so they can't scrap the paint off and see inside). If you are buying a new garage door, get a door without windows.

[alpine227]

Same thing happened to me but to my work truck. Scumbags took everything thing that could be pawned easily. Hope there is a special place in hell for ***-hats like them. Hope your insurance comes through for you, IIRC mine only wanted a list of what was stolen but hit me with 25% depreciation.
A jail cell while going through opiate withdrawls is a good start for them.

[clintavo]

I have 2 Dobermans that mostly hang out in the garage. Obviously not a fool proof solution, but cheap and very worth it. Nothing like having a friend guard your **** while you're gone, and give you love while you're there.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h264/clintavo/IMG_0370.jpg (http://s66.photobucket.com/user/clintavo/media/IMG_0370.jpg.html)
Here's a rescue near you:
http://www.dru.org/availabledetail.htm

[Kalstar]

Very cute puppies!

I heard from the insurance adjuster. As suspected, I got robbed a second time. They informed me since the shop is a detached structure, the house insurance would not cover the garage without an additional structure/building rider (that I guess I do not have). If the stucture was attached it is a covered loss, if freestanding one needs to have an additional rider added to their policy. For everyone with a detached barn/shop/garage/shed please check your policy. To add insult to injury, the Police department charged me $2.00 for my police report (shouldn't the victim be spared further insult) and they would not give it to me at the station, fax or email....mail only... in 5-7 business days. Oh one more thing, even though property vandalism is covered under my policy, theft from a non occupied structure (unoccupied is defined as vacant for more then 30 days or unfurnished, hidden in small print in my 72 page policy) is not and since the vandalism damage was done in the act of theft, then the loss/damage will not be covered.

[Mechie3]

So you get.....nothing? Zip, zero?

:jaw drop:


What a huge pile of BS. I'll have to look at my policy. I don't have detached structures but I would be surprised to find some stupid gotchas in my policy either.

[longislandwrx]

Holy fark. My AllState agent and I have known each other for years, I wonder if he could look me in the eyes and say that to my face. I will have to call my guy and see if my policy covers my shed. Not that there's a ton of stuff in there but if my snowblower, lawnmover, edger etc were all stolen it would hurt.

I know its no consolation, but at the minimum people will learn from this. I know I have.

[Justen]

Hey man,
I can't believe insurance isn't going to do anything, that is horrible I am going to double check my policy when I get home tonight.
I work for a company who does physical security for data centers I have a few network cameras that will alert you via email if it detects motion and send you the camera images lying around that were sent in for a replacement, but there was nothing wrong with them and we can't resell them. I know it won't replace your tools, but I could send you one if you want it. PM my your shipping address if you want one.

[carbon fiber]

it doesn't surprise me at all, even if you were covered technically in the paperwork they would probably find a way out of it. there is a trend now with insurance companies not wanting to pay. on local new here the other day, there was a story about a water main in front of someones house bursting and doing damage to the foundation of the house. the main was on the side of the city of archdale, and they told the home owners to take it up with the citys insurance providers. the insurance company said they wouldn't pay and to take it up with the city, who in turn said it was up to the insurance company. now the people have a seriously damaged foundation and have to pay for it themselves and then try to sue the city. the city has no amnesty clause, but the lawyer for the homeowners said it would still be difficult to recoup the money. this country is going to crap.

[Goldwing]

I caught a clause in my policy last year when switching to nationwide limiting garage tools to $1000, um ya, maybe for the average Joe, not for 818 builders, lol. I did have a rider put on to increase that amount. I have a bunch of receipts, but I'm thinking a video tour of the garage might be worth having. I'm keeping usaa in mind when the next renewal comes up, I haven't heard of too much BS when it comes to handling claims, and consumer reports raved on them.

I like the write-up on securing doors above, but my vinyl windows would simply become the point of entry as the weak point. I have a lot to do to make things 'secure.' For now, I keep upstairs lights on timers to put that difficult to check-out element of doubt into the equation. Theives hate dogs. Having one definitely ups your home security level, but that doesnt necessarily extend to unattached structures. That said, dog lover signs and trinkets strewn about the front of your house is more effective than a security system, I've heard. If someone wants your stuff, they'll pretty much get it, trying to convince them it isn't worth the effort is, well, worth the effort.

Again sorry for your loss, again. :(

[tirod]

Insurance companies have been weaseling out for decades. It's not new at all. A 72 page policy is the evidence, they've figured a lot of the angles and know how to print it up.

Dobies are nice dogs, one militaria collector in the area depended on them in his yard. Nonetheless, the perps walked into his back door while he was butterfly hunting in Central America for two weeks. They basically shopped the house, discarding lower priced items in favor of others at they went from room to room stealing. They took a truck load of items and his grandfathers Civil War saber, to boot.

It was determined he just fed the dogs every other night. Obviously, he knew the victim's work schedule, and the dogs knew him. Having known the collector and the details of the story, it came in handy selling doors and frames later at a commercial hardware supplier.

Can thieves be stupid, yes, but sometimes the public enables them. One retailer had a back door beat in at his place of business, the homeowner directly behind claimed they never heard a thing. The amusing part is the building was metal sided, it would have been ten times easier and quieter to simply unscrew the sheet metal and ... Well, never mind.

Visiting Nuevo Laredo a few years before the Cartel took over, I noticed that most of the new homes had a ten foot wall around the compound, with obviously sharp objects lining the top of the walls and a serious drive in security gate. It seems they knew better and were practicing some common sense early on. I've heard it's the same in the Phillipines, a compound wall and broken glass are the minimum. Then we see UBL and the assault on the "townhouse," yep, compound wall and physical deterrents. Same in NYC, plenty of cop shows, nobody much runs down the alleys and thru backyards. Here in the Midwest, you could drive down the alley and exit between houses, it's that uncluttered.

It's how you can tell when shopping for a neighborhood. No fences or walls, people aren't reacting to much in the way of theft. Doesn't mean it won't finally start picking up, but doorways are the final line of defense. I spent 22 years learning how to destructively enter them in the Army, and in the civilian job, what was needed to slow down the light duty thieves we live with.

Check with your neighbors and the cops, if B&E is on the rise, time to move. Neighborhoods go thru a life cycle, and when theft starts going up, property values flat line.

[Evan78]

Very cute puppies!

I heard from the insurance adjuster. As suspected, I got robbed a second time. They informed me since the shop is a detached structure, the house insurance would not cover the garage without an additional structure/building rider (that I guess I do not have). If the stucture was attached it is a covered loss, if freestanding one needs to have an additional rider added to their policy. For everyone with a detached barn/shop/garage/shed please check your policy. To add insult to injury, the Police department charged me $2.00 for my police report (shouldn't the victim be spared further insult) and they would not give it to me at the station, fax or email....mail only... in 5-7 business days. Oh one more thing, even though property vandalism is covered under my policy, theft from a non occupied structure (unoccupied is defined as vacant for more then 30 days or unfurnished, hidden in small print in my 72 page policy) is not and since the vandalism damage was done in the act of theft, then the loss/damage will not be covered.The odds are probably pretty good that they know what they're talking about and are correct about your coverage, but you should take a look at your policy to make sure you interpret it the same way they do. There is a chance they've made a mistake or are dishonest. Either way, don't take their word for it, check the contract.

[blueoval_bowtie_guy]

IIRC, there is a way to claim the loss on your tax return.

[first time builder]

If your agent has been to your home or was aware of your detached garage, you might be able to file a claim against the agent, he should have advised you of the policy limits and exclusions. Agents in most states carry error and omisions policies. Do you have a friend that is a lawyer that can inquire for you? Most states also have a State Insurance Department that can advise you of your rights.

I worked for an insurance co for 35 years and hate to see people get ripped off by the old "hidden clause". When I was a homeowner claim adjuster I would accept proof of ownership , such as photos, warranty cards, instruction manuals even the box that now is full of nuts and bolt. I one time went to a claim for items stolen from a detached garage( and yes it was a covered loss) and one of the items stolen was an Oxy/act torch set up. I could see the chain still attached to the wall and the tank dirt rings on the floor and allowed for the set up.
Also depending on the actual terms of your coverage, deprection does apply to content items, unless you have full replacemet cost coverage. Even with full cost they will depreciate the items untill you actually replace them.
Good luck

Kenny

[Flamshackle]

oh man so sorry to hear this! Hope you can push for a better solution than what you are currently facing.

[RM1SepEx]

That coverage is just wrong...

I have 10% of house value on garage and contents. I also have replacement cost rider too and surface water... (flood) it's cheap to cover all your bases!