Billy Dean’s Insurance Company to Drop Him Following Barn Fire Claim
After dealing with the heartbreaking loss of his barn due to a fire, things continue to get worse for country singer Billy Dean.
Not only did he lose his barn, tractor, fishing boat, cherished mementos and master recordings that were kept inside the barn, but now the singer is losing his longtime insurance company. The barn fire was Dean's third claim through Farm Bureau Insurance, and the company now plans on dropping the Deans from making any future claims.
"It’s a three strikes you’re out kind of a deal," Dean tells Taste of Country. "They were great on the other couple of claims, and we’ve been paying them for 18 years or something, so I just kind of look at it like it’s my money that I put in the bank for an emergency. We’re hoping they’re going to make it right. We just want to be fair."
"It makes it really difficult to get anybody else to insure you after that," Dean continues, adding that the other two claims were from bursting pipes and an air conditioner leak -- both which flooded his property. "I wasn’t aware of the three strikes you’re out issue, but I guess that’s just business. The risk they’re taking and the risk we’re taking that nothing’s going to happen. But it happened, so we’ll see. Hopefully they’ll make it right and we can rebuild."
While Dean and his insurance company attempt to reach an agreement about their future together, the 'Somewhere in My Broken Heart' singer says his concerts on the Dean Acres property will continue as planned. The next series of shows will take place March 30, 31 and April 1 and will celebrate Dean's 50th birthday. "We’ve just got a massive cleanup job on our hands, but I think we’ll get it done in time," Dean assures.
But not even the fire, which has been ruled an accident, can keep Dean's spirits down for too long, as he still has so much to be grateful for in his life and his career. "We can’t help but feel lucky, just because there’s an apartment above that barn, and we had a guest staying there," Dean notes. "They left about 30 minutes before the fire department was called, so we just feel really lucky because we didn’t have any way for anyone in that apartment to get out if a fire did occur at the bottom. I’m optimistic and I’m going to think Farm Bureau will make it right because I’ve liked them for a lot of years. I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt that they’ll make it right."