A wind and hail storm crossed El Paso in the summer of 2013 and left damage on a homeowner’s roof. He reported the claim and waited for someone to climb up and look.
An adjuster for State Farm Lloyds inspected the house on June 12, nine days after the claim came in, according to the Texas Supreme Court’s later opinion. The adjuster valued the damage at $755.02. On June 20, the company told the homeowner what that number meant: the loss was worth less than his policy deductible, so the company owed him nothing.
He asked for a second inspection. This time the adjuster found more damage. On August 7, the company sent a letter agreeing there was “covered damage” of $3,859.22, and enclosed a check for $1,995.11.
Why the check was smaller than the damage
That gap between the two numbers in one letter is where most Texas hail fights actually live. The $3,859.22 was the company’s view of the loss. The $1,995.11 was what was left after the deductible and depreciation came off — the age and wear already on the roof before the storm…