Magdaddy

that's probably a standard amount. Your policy automatically includes limited coverage for computers, jewelery, furs, maybe a couple other things. Usually that limited amount is similar to yours...I wanted to get additional coverage for the bicycles and guns I have. You cannot re-direct the standard coverage...we don't have furs for example. The additional coverage was so much per additional $100 of value...it was ridiculously expensive.

Sorry about your loss. Did you forget to tell them they stole your expensive leather jacket, and Ping golfclubs also?

PNogC2S

Sorry to hear about the theft.

I'm not surprised the insurance doesn't cover it. Anyone who hasn't specifically purchased a jewelry rider on their homeowner's policy is probably at risk for the same let down from their insurance company.

Most homeowners policies cover only a small $ amount of jewelry. Anyone who has more (and one piece of nice women's jewelry or a nice watch, pretty much pushes you into the "more" category) really needs to have a rider on their H.O. policy with the specific pieces itemized and appraised. It adds to your overall insurance cost, but provides the needed coverage.

Slow Guy

My firearms are in total worth about $8k, wife's jewelry is worth over $75k. We had to get appraisals for all jewelry not purchased in the last 2 yrs. Unfortunately the premium (for the Personal Articles Policy) is about $900 per yr., about as much as the Homeowner's policy is. Fortunately if a piece of jewelry is lost or stolen while she's wearing it it's covered under the policy, it's not just for items stolen from the house. It's only covers the items we list with them (they have the inventory).

Yes, it's expensive but.....

All my I've been with State Farm for over 25 yrs. but my only claim has been a minor vandalism of the M3 about 3 yrs ago.

IXLR8

I know...what is it with that crap? Your home contents may have a limit of say $150K in total....what effing difference does it make if I decide to have $150K in tools and shop equipment and no furniture.

The way to win this is to charge them for every item, even paperclips.

I got no use for that industry...and a few others.

As far as thieves are concerned...I believe in a piece of lead...cripes, did I say that...I'm Canadian. Same for car thieves; use a bait car and a sniper.

AOW162435

Roger,
Sorry to read this - very numbing. I can only wish you good luck in somehow being made whole again.


Andreas

Cemoto

I'm sorry for your loss.

But while on this subject I would like to share a couple of things with you all which might enlighten some.

First, most thieves grab just what is quickly available to them. The reason being is what is called the 12 minute smash and grab. It takes roughly 12 minutes for the police to respond to an alarm call. 5 minutes for the alarm company to report it and 5-7 minutes for the cops to get there. So thieves know this and just hit and run and stay within that window before the cops have a chance to show up.

Second, for the house breaks that will take their time to clean you out. Make sure you have any cutting tools ( angle grinders, sawzall, cutting torches,etc) locked in a cabinet. Thieves will use your own tools to get into your safe.

deadhead1960

As mentioned in a previous thread, my home was broken into last year as well. Good points already noted about a large, secured safe; if it's a small closet safe the thieves will simply take it with them. In the vast majority of break ins, the thugs make a beeline for the master bedroom and any adjoining closets. It's jewelry they are after; they will not waste their time on computers, tv's etc. Alarms are a deterrent but as already mentioned, the thieves are in and out so quickly they rarely get caught as a result of an alarm. In my town, the siren to the alarm is on the inside of the house, not the outside. It is meant to make the intruders uncomfortable due to the decibel level, not to alert neighbors. What makes the OP's situation alarming (no pun intended) is the combination of the presence of a dog and person in the home during the break in. I'm thinking the thieves were not aware of anyone in the house; that could potentially take this crime to a whole new level.

1pcarnut

Thanks Andreas.

Good info, will take this to heart.

We can't figure out what happened with the dog. She is a Great Dane and not friendly with strangers so we are totally puzzled why she didn't defend the house. It could have been a lot worse, that's for sure. We are still numb. Thanks everyone for the input and support.

Slow Guy

I know you say the dog is not friendly with strangers but do you have people house sit the dog when you're gone? Do you have people come by to let the dog out? The reason I don't have people take care of the dogs when I'm gone is I don't want the dog desensitized to strangers in the house. I would rather board the dogs at the kennel than get them used to people coming into the house when I'm not there.

Just something to think about.

Leander

Parents away. Daughter at home. Jewelry missing. No signs of break in. Not a sound from unfriendly dog. Sounds like an old episode of Columbo ...

Dr. No

Very sorry to hear that. It is really a violation. As you said, it's not the money, it's the sentiment.

2Many Cars

+1 That's how P&C insurance works folks. Jewelry is a high risk item to insurance companies and in order to keep policy premiums down they don't cover more than a token amount unless you specifically list each item and pay for the extra coverage. IMHO this is actually pretty fair because not everyone has expensive jewelry so only those who need the coverage have to pay for it. Also make sure you have appraisals on everything that's covered as it will really help if something gets lost or stolen.

Roger, sorry about the loss but maybe others will benefit and it's things like this that make us appreciate what's really important - like the safety of our family.

1pcarnut

Glass in front door was smashed in, but yeah, could use Peter Falk right now.

mongrelcat

Oh man, that's terrible news.

Mike J

Oh man I feel for you. We have also lost personal items, and even some really stupid items, like three years of video tapes of my infant daughters! That cannot be replaced...what morons!

As a guy who has had FIVE break ins in the house, and TWO in the shop over that last 20 years, i understand completely. I now have THREE separate protection layers to get to my tools, everything is locked up at night and when I am not at home, we have a fully sealed bolted protected safe at home, alarm systems with full motion and every single entrance wired, and I am now considering cameras. We keep minimum valuables on the premises.

They have NEVER actually caught any of the people doing this. I would hate to be in the house when they attempt to, I would likely be thrown in jail for the personal injury when I take all my frustrations out on the little fu**ers that break in my place.

The average breakin time on the last few has been 6 minutes. One time they actually crawled on the roof and cut the lines to the sirens after breaking in, the internal siren still was running, tore that off the wall. did not get much though, it was all locked away, i think they got $20. Caused a few hundred bucks of damage.

The police told me a monitored alarm system was useless - just because its monitored does nothing to catch the guys, since they are in/out in a short time. I have my system phone me and others - and my neighbors all stand watch for each other, and we all have baseball bats. And this is in a quiet Canadian residential neighborhood.

is there any construction or renters around your house? I find our incident level in the area goes up when a house is being built.

Anyways, misery loves company, so I fully sympathize - but at least everyone is safe, and you are not facing a jail sentence for the massive beating you would have doled out to the thief's.

Cheers,

Mike