We love our barn swallows too. Not a mosquito to be found, and we have marsh with standing water less than 300 yards from the house.
Barn removal
- Thread starter browndog
- Start date
dogghr
5 year old buck +
No doubt someone would take that lumber for repurposing. Young crowd especially pay good money for that kind of stuff. Personally, I'd find another ins co. If they required every 100+ yo barn in poor shape in my county to be torn down, every farm would be having to do so. Can't imagine that requirement. I've never even had an agent on my place and am sure one of my barns is worse shape than that one. Good luck.My biggest issue with my barn is that the west wall is pushing out. It also needs a new roof and boards replaced. Insurance company did a property check last month and sent me a letter yesterday saying I had one year to demolish it. This wall has been like this for as long as I have been alive. Pic of inside also.
Sucks to see these old barns come down.
browndog
5 year old buck +
I talked to my insurance agent yesterday and said that I would probably be pushing daisies before the barn would collapse on its own. I also talked to her about switching me to a different insurance company, she didn't think any company would be thrilled about the barn. Sounds like I was involved in a random property inspection...whatever!
Below is the email I received last week. They also sent paperwork in the mail.
The house is well-maintained, roof is good. The large barn though is collapsing, with the foundation walls bowing out and ready to fall over, and the wood framing/siding is ready to collapse. The old silo is missing most of the top and it's also deteriorating. both the barn and silo present a liability hazard (the physical coverage is already excluded on both the barn and silo).
We are willing to give the insured a year to have the barn and silo demolished. I'll need updated photos by 05/15/18 next year showing the barn and silo are gone. Due to their condition and the liability hazard they present if they aren't removed we won't be able to renew the policy in 2018. Please inform the insured
Below is the email I received last week. They also sent paperwork in the mail.
The house is well-maintained, roof is good. The large barn though is collapsing, with the foundation walls bowing out and ready to fall over, and the wood framing/siding is ready to collapse. The old silo is missing most of the top and it's also deteriorating. both the barn and silo present a liability hazard (the physical coverage is already excluded on both the barn and silo).
We are willing to give the insured a year to have the barn and silo demolished. I'll need updated photos by 05/15/18 next year showing the barn and silo are gone. Due to their condition and the liability hazard they present if they aren't removed we won't be able to renew the policy in 2018. Please inform the insured
browndog
5 year old buck +
Or I was thinking we could have a habitat-talk barn demo week this winter.
bigbendmarine
5 year old buck +
If you don't have neighbors too close (or ones that like to complain), have a plastic tote, and a front end loader to pile up the wood for burning afterwards here's a really quick solution... ;-)
Mainedrifter
5 year old buck +
Our resident Marine recommends to blow the barn up ? Who would have thought ! Ha ha ( nothing but respect Bigbend )
bigbendmarine
5 year old buck +
Marine, and a M1A1 Abrams crewman at that... definitely like blowing things up. 
Truth be told, though, whole tannerite thing came around after my teen years when it would have likely gotten me in trouble. Never used it. Also have to admit, I'm cheap enough I likely would be dismantling the barn by hand, have wood stacked all over my place, and have an angry wife nagging at me non-stop to clean it up. :emoji_joy:
Truth be told, though, whole tannerite thing came around after my teen years when it would have likely gotten me in trouble. Never used it. Also have to admit, I'm cheap enough I likely would be dismantling the barn by hand, have wood stacked all over my place, and have an angry wife nagging at me non-stop to clean it up. :emoji_joy:
Mortenson
5 year old buck +
We had a barn taken down a couple years ago, covered in asbestos, roof caved in. Only cost us 17,500. Inside a city limits. Environmental guys were there in their space walking suits making sure not a single fleck of asbestos wasn't in the right truck. All went to the same dump, but the asbestos loads cost a lot more.
John-W-WI
Administrator
A few years ago when I consolidated everything I owned onto one insurance policy (saved money and time) the new insurance company did an inspection at my farm. I had a scrap metal pile at the end of my crappy garage. They wouldn't cover the property until the scrap metal was removed. I ignored the 1st letter. I cleaned up the scrap metal pile after the 2nd letter
-John
-John
browndog
5 year old buck +
My wife has wanted the barn down for years. I sent the email to her when I received it. I am sure she was doing cartwheels after she read it. I'm not thrilled about taking it down because I've been around it my whole life. This was my grandpa and grandmas place and we lived next door, so I grew up around/in this barn.
I have multiple people coming to look at it in the next few weeks.
Turkey Creek
5 year old buck +
Wow insurance must vary a lot across the country. There is not a single farm around here that doesnt have at least one old building in poor condition, a scrap iron pile, etc.. I dont know of anybody who couldnt get insurance on their property.
browndog
5 year old buck +
They are also worried about the old chicken coop that is not even attached to the barn because of "peeling" paint.....I call it weathered and rustic.
Diesel5610
5 year old buck +
Hate to see old barns go but they aren't cheap to refurbish as been mentioned. I am also a big fan of barn swallows. Always remind me of my youth running around the barn. I wasn't aware of the Amish paying for them. We do have a fair number of people in our area who pay for the wood and will dismantle a barn for it. They use it for reclaimed barn wood furniture building. Some of them make some cool stuff for sure.
alldaysit
5 year old buck +
I don't understand this. These insurance companies are making a fortune. I would ask them if they would pay for it to be removed.
They are simply reducing all the risks, and your paying them to finance the risk. It's crap.
I've got a masters degree in risk control and can't stand insurance companies or regulators. But the damn insurance companies are the ones making a fortune, and not doing jack. Sorry, I'm off my soap box.
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They are simply reducing all the risks, and your paying them to finance the risk. It's crap.
I've got a masters degree in risk control and can't stand insurance companies or regulators. But the damn insurance companies are the ones making a fortune, and not doing jack. Sorry, I'm off my soap box.
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John-W-WI
Administrator
The good news for me is I got almost $400 for the scrap metal :emoji_upside_down:
Little did I know there was some value there. I would have been happy to let them have it for free!
browndog
5 year old buck +
^^We have a winner!!! They are telling me to take it down AND my premium will stay the same, total BS!
browndog
5 year old buck +
Tried it yesterday, shot down big time by new insurance agent. All I heard was, what if, what if, what if, it's all about the liability issue. Told mama browndog that I was exploring all options with insurance companies, holy cow I got the evil eye:emoji_kissing_smiling_eyes:. Looks like I will lose this battle...
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browndog
5 year old buck +
We kind of have something tenatively setup with an amish crew to take the barn down sometime after September.
The first hatch of barn swallows are getting ready to take flight. Seriously considering some sort of structure for these guys next year. I am open for ideas and suggestions.
Here are a couple of nests with the youngsters.
The first hatch of barn swallows are getting ready to take flight. Seriously considering some sort of structure for these guys next year. I am open for ideas and suggestions.
Here are a couple of nests with the youngsters.
I watched the Amish take down the neighbors barn last weekend. Cut beams with chainsaw and little push with high lift and it tumbled. Amish gave them $7grand.We kind of have something tenatively setup with an amish crew to take the barn down sometime after September.
The first hatch of barn swallows are getting ready to take flight. Seriously considering some sort of structure for these guys next year. I am open for ideas and suggestions.
Here are a couple of nests with the youngsters.
