Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1883-10-09

shall see.
TN ADJUsTnfST OF FIRE LOSSES
The insurance Adjusters have com
pleted their work in this city, and the
sufferers by the fire have agreed to &C.
cept the amounts allowed them. 1t is
therefore too late to demonstrate with
the adjusters, or to advise the sufferers
to refuse to settle with the insurance
companies, where their loss was total,
for'less than tho full smount. Also is
it too late to advise those whose loss
IL partial Is to the way in which to
10 about to have IN appraisement of
loss made. 1t u too late for all this,
now; but there may DO other fires,
either hero or elsewhere; and it is to
give hints for action in such a case
that We write.
In total loss Of The risk, such A.
was the case with H. z. Burkhart &
Co., Robert E. Strahorn, Kingsbury
4 McGowan, and others, the com.
panies are compelled to either pay the
full amount OF the insurance or re-
place the risk just as it stood before
the fire. A settlement for any less is
just 20 much money given to the in.
surance con pany.
In case of partial loss, the in.
sured should, as soon as the fire is out,
take two disinterested persons, obtain
their sworn estimate of the value of
the loss, file it with the company's
agent, and then demand his money.
less onc.half the cost of the appraise-
ment. In this way the insured Sc
cures . fair appraisement, and the
amount Of his loss draws interest
from the date of filing. The time in
which tho company is compelled to
pay loss go days. is also computed,
not from the date Of the fire, as many
suppose, but from the date of filing
proof loss. In case of heavy losses,
it will be readily admitted, it pays
company to stave off paying as long
AZ the insured does not place himself
in position to draw interest on the
amount Of his loss.
The adjustment" made here by
tho insurance men is no adjustment
At all, in tho legal sense of the term.
Messrs. Snyder and Thomas, who rep.
resented the insurance companies,
looked into the losses and then said I
how much they would allow. There $
was no appeal from their decision;
and they were therefore Judge, jury.
and party defendant! Can anything :
moro stupidity ridiculous be imagined?
The proper way for the insured to
do would have been, the morning at.
ler the FIRE, to have put two disinter.
ssted appraisers to work at once--and
without waiting = week or day for :
The adjusters-and making fair est.
nates Of loss. Then to have had IL
'hese sworn to and fled, with the local
agent, together with bill for half the
'ost OF sppraising. When the lad.
usteFs" came and offered less than ~
no amount claimed, they could have
'ecn laughed =. and their occupation D.
would have been gone. ~
Az it was the adjusters found a lot . pr
1 people who did not know ps,
THAT their rights were, and thew y. VIZ
roceeded to do the best they s sss
ould for their companies. These me- ss
'olves found a lot of lambs, and they a.: :n
'rangled them. They had 4 soft ia, s.s'
anne, and they played it for all it wa. IN,
'orth. ma,
but We have learned few things
' this hire that we will not forget 1t
'"et'nss takes two or three fires to
acb community its rights; but with . a::
II Is different. We have ascertained boz Sst'
any OF our rights already, with only s sss,
'e FIRE. by