I went down to the insurance company office in Saint-Aignan yesterday to pay our annual premium (339 € now, up by a third over the past 10 years, but still considerably less than we paid in California) and talk to the woman who handles our policy. I told her about the leaky roof and the ceiling damage in the kitchen.
What I learned is that the homeowner's insurance we have will not pay for fixing the leaky roof. I think it would pay for the repair if we had had wind damage, but it doesn't pay in this case, where the cause of the leak is not clear.
What the insurance does pay is the repair of the kitchen ceiling, with no deductible. If we do the ceiling repair ourselves, the insurance company will pay for all the necessary materials. I filed a declaration detailing the damage so that we can have the ceiling repaired after we are sure that the roof no longer leaks. Now I'd be happy if the roofer who came over to inspect the damage and determine the cause would just send us an estimate so that we can schedule the work.
I also went to the pharmacy yesterday, and I notice that the roofer in question has a business card posted there. The card says he does « aménagements intérieurs » — I think that was the expression — in addition to actual roofing work. I didn't know that because I found him in the pages jaunes, where there wasn't much information. Now I need to send him an e-mail to ask him if he will be willing to repair and repaint our the kitchen ceiling as well as fix the leak.
Meanwhile, did I mention that our primary-care physician is going out on leave? Walt went to see him for a routine appointment a few weeks ago and the doctor informed him that he would be leaving very soon for some undetermined period of time. Walt asked him if he was retiring, and he said no.
Yesterday the pharmacist I talked to asked me if I was aware of the doctor's plans. I told her I was. She said that he would be out for at least six months, and that it wasn't clear that he would eventually return to his practice . He had told Walt that we will need to call well in advance to schedule our next appointments, because the two remaining doctors in the practice will be exceptionally busy for the next few months.
It's all very mysterious. I hope the man's health is okay.
Maybe he's visiting relatives in far flung places.
ReplyDeleteI bet it won't be long before the truth is out.
And the insurance thing makes sense - the roof problem is probably "wear and tear", whereas the ceiling damage is accidental.
I forgot to mention that he flower pictures are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jean. I agree about the logic of the insurance coverage. Now they are announcing heavy rains for next week, as Tim has pointed out. I just sent the roofer another message to ask him if he can come over the put a tarp over the leaky spot on our roof. I don't have high hopes...
ReplyDeleteFor Paris, Accuweathwer shows rain everyday until Tuesday, whereas The Weather Channel shows either zero or 10% precipitations for the same period. I’d rather go with the latter than the former.
ReplyDeleteCan you re-apply to the insurance company if you can prove it wasn't caused by wind damage?
ReplyDeleteLove the header picture... at least we can imagine some blue sky with those Camper-noolaz.
ReplyDeleteThe first picture in the post Ken... id that some kind of Clary? It looks rather lovely.
Good luck with the leaky roofer.... if he knows that the inside repair is an insurance job [ie: he can charge more! Oops...] he may well be more responsive.
Here's hpoing you don't get too many heavy showers. We've just had 2 :-(
ReplyDeleteThe flower photos are gorgeous.
So far, it hasn't rained hard enough to cause any leaking today. It takes a real frog-strangler of a downpour for the roof to leak.
ReplyDeleteTim, the first picture is a flower on some kind of Salvia plant. A friend of CHM's gave me the plant a few years ago. I've finally found a place for it where it will thrive, after transplanting it a couple of times. It is beautiful and I hope it will re-seed itself and spread.
Starman, not sure about your question. We know that the leak did not result from wind damage.
Oh, Antoinette, I hope your recovery is going well and that you and Niall are doing fine, despite the gloomy day.
ReplyDeleteWhat can we say - C'est la Vie
ReplyDeleteLovely floral shots Ken...thank you for cheering up my day. It's raining here.
ReplyDeleteNice pictures of the flowers.
ReplyDeleteAt least you know that the repairs for the ceiling would be reimbursed . It is a nice and helpful piece of info for your bank account.
Me thinks that your doctor's health may be the cause of his absence. If he was going on a trip, he would have mentioned it but if it pertains to his health , I guess discretion is de rigueur.
Gracious. I hope your doctor is okay.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos and new header :)
What happened with the roofer that lives near you, the one Walt and Callie chatted with?
Judy, that guy Walt chatted with came and looked the situation over. He said he'd call us with an estmate. He never did. No news since.
ReplyDeleteJust came back from Whole Foods (CHM's favorite store... not). $ 7.99 for around 15 leaves of organic bay laurel, $ 6.99 if not organic.
ReplyDeleteHope the doctor will be fine, particularly if he is a good doctor. They are really hard to find in the US.
Gorgeous new header and lovely photos. I also enjoyed the food photos of the past few posts. I don't always leave messages but I am checking both of your blogs everyday.
Hello Nadege, I wish I could send you some bay leaves.
ReplyDeleteSuperbes, les photos de fleurs !
ReplyDelete