SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – A Springfield family is still without power after the June 29 severe storms. It’s an electrical issue that they thought would be covered.
The homeowner explains that he wishes he had known more before signing up for an optional home protection plan.
“The circuit breaker box is folded back from the pressure,” said Mike Whitsitt.
You’ll need a flashlight inside Whitsitt’s home.
“None of the wires snapped. It pulled this whole system up through the roof,” he said.
A 34-foot pine tree is to blame. It fell on a power line between a pole and the house. He needs new wiring and a new weather head. He thought his Exterior Electrical Plus plan from HomeServe would cover it.
City Utilities doesn’t repair a customer’s weatherheads. So customers can enroll in the optional home protection plan. Whitsitt paid just a few bucks a month for a repair of up to $5,000. And his contract says it covers falling trees.
“For exactly this kind of thing,” he said.
Utility lines that run from the home to the utility connection are the homeowner’s responsibility. These plans provide coverage for repairs or replacement of exterior water and electric service lines. Money to help with unexpected costs, not always covered by home insurance. During Whitsitt’s first service call, he was told HomeServe would take care of it, but then said they would not.
“That’s when I contacted you, and I go wait — that’s a problem,” said Whitsitt.
A HomeServe representative won’t answer our request for an interview, but did email. He agreed the company did tell the family it would be covered at first. And said they could have been clearer. Following a technician’s inspection, the family was denied.
Because of ‘the discovery of the highly unusual and non-standard installation’.
HomeServe says this recent home addition was made before Whitsitt bought the property. It is not up to code.
“When the house was bought, I went through the VA for it. So it had a VA inspection and passed,” said Whitsitt.
HomeServe went on to say in that email:
This is a non-standard meter location, and it violates the national electrical code. City Utilities requires the meter to be mounted to the exterior wall of the home. Additionally, the technician found that when the tree fell, it pulled the entire meter installation and equipment up into the ceiling in one of these new rooms through the drywall.
Had this been a normal exterior-mounted installation by code, the plan would have covered it.
“So if you’re house isn’t new, where’s the inspection to tell me this is something they’ll insure? Until it’s after the fact?” Asked Whitsitt.
On Whitsitt’s contract, there’s a list of Exclusions, and number nine reads: Any sections or parts of your system that are not installed according to code.
“Make sure to read that contract and look at it for ways out like this one,” he said.
Whitsitt is working with his homeowners’ insurance to maximize the benefits of his plan while he stays at a hotel.
After On Your Side started asking questions, HomeServe informed us that they’re working with a contractor to determine what it would take to bring the electric up to code.
That’s not covered, but that representative told On Your Side, “We will cover a portion of it.”
Whitsitt tells us he’ll take it.
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