Two kinds of unfinished business
A move can leave two sorts of unfinished business. One is with the mover: a charge you did not expect, a scratched dresser, a carton that never turned up. The other is at the house you left or the one you moved into: the couch nobody wanted, the cans of paint in the basement, the pile from the clean-out. Each kind has its own steps, and taking them one at a time can keep both from dragging on.
What DOR says about tariffs
The Indiana Department of Revenue says a tariff is a document that outlines all rates and charges of a business, and that per Indiana Code § 8-2.1-22-23 a household goods or passenger carrier with Indiana operating authority may not charge anything that is not included in its tariff; DOR keeps the tariff on file and available to the public upon request.
When a charge does not match
If the final bill carries a line you did not expect, start with the papers you already have. Lay the estimate, the signed agreement and the bill side by side, and circle each charge that is new or larger than you were told. Then ask the mover in writing:
- Does this move call for an Indiana Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, and if so, what is your certificate number?
- If you hold Indiana operating authority, which item in your tariff does each circled charge come from?
- Will you send me a copy of the tariff pages you are relying on?
If you would like to read the tariff yourself, ask DOR how to request it. Keep the replies with the bill, and note any charge you still do not follow.
Damage and missing cartons
Some damage is plain at the door; some only shows once a box is open. As you unpack:
- open any carton that looks crushed or wet with your phone camera running, so the first look is on record;
- hold on to a broken item's box and padding, since the company may ask to inspect them;
- tip chairs and tables on their sides near a window and look for cracks, loose joints and gouges;
- run down your numbered list and mark every carton you cannot find, then compare those numbers with any sheet the crew handed you;
- walk both homes once more and note any nicked trim, scuffed stair or dented wall the move left behind.
Send the company a single email that lists all of it, and ask what form it uses for a claim and how long you have to file one.
Writing the claim
Write the claim so that someone who was not there could follow it. Open with when the move happened, where the goods went from and to, and who you dealt with at the company. Then give each problem its own short entry: the item or charge, what went wrong, and what would put it right, whether a repair, a replacement or money back. Send copies of the photos, receipts and repair quotes that support each entry, and keep the originals in your own hands. Close with the date by which you expect a reply.
A bulky item nobody wanted
The City of South Bend says homeowners within city limits can request one free extra pickup for an appliance or bulky item, such as furniture, per month, taking place on the same day as trash pickup; items should not go to the curb more than 24 hours before the scheduled pickup and must be out by 6:00 am on the day of service.
If the mattress or the old washer ends up staying behind, ask the city how to request that pickup, and write the scheduled date on your calendar.
A dumpster for the clean-out
In South Bend, an Occupancy Permit is required to place a commercial dumpster or roll-off container in the city's public right-of-way (streets, parking lanes, alleys and tree lawns); dumpsters are not permitted on sidewalks, and residents cannot apply directly but must use a dumpster company bonded with the city, which handles the permit.
If you are thinking about a dumpster or roll-off for clearing out the old house, ask the dumpster company where it plans to set the container and what that placement involves.
Hazardous leftovers
The City of South Bend says hazardous materials should be dropped off at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 828 Kerr Street rather than put in the trash, and that the service is free for South Bend residents.
If you have hazardous materials left over after the move and are not taking them with you, ask the city what the facility accepts and when it is open, and plan the drop-off yourself.
NOAA's figures for South Bend/St. Joseph
In an average year at South Bend/St. Joseph, NOAA counts about 294 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 1,110 hours above 67°F. NOAA's engineering weather data for South Bend/St. Joseph lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 90 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 3.0 inches per hour and about 54 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year.
When the company goes quiet
Silence past the date you named can be met with one more message, a few lines long, that points back to your claim. If nothing comes of that either, ask DOR's Motor Carrier Services whether it takes complaints about a household goods carrier, and find out from a consumer protection office whether it can help. It is also worth a call to your homeowners or renters insurer to learn whether your own policy reaches any of the damage.
The folder to keep
Put the certificate answer, the estimate, the agreement, the inventory, the delivery paperwork, the final bill, your photos, every email and every receipt in one folder, paper or digital, in date order. Add the city pickup confirmation and any dumpster paperwork as well. Keep the whole set until every charge and claim is settled.