Question 1

What is the Ram Jack® Dealers National Limited Warranty Trust and How Does it Benefit Me?

Accepted Answer

The Limited Warranty Trust, referred to as the "Trust" or "Warranty Trust," provides a limited warranty option for individuals who own a Ram Jack Dealer's expired Limited Warranty.

Your Dealer's Limited Warranty expires when the Installing Ram Jack Dealer ceases operations and is unable to assign warranty coverage to another Ram Jack Dealer.

By registering promptly and gaining acceptance into the Warranty Trust, you may benefit from the Trust Limited Warranty when your installed piles do not perform as intended by your Installing Ram Jack Dealer. The specific terms, however, may differ from your Dealer's Limited Warranty.

Question 2

Which Ram Jack Products/Services are Covered?

Accepted Answer

The Trust covers Ram Jack® driven and helical steel piles, their associated brackets, and tieback anchors, but only when a Ram Jack Dealer has installed such products in single-family, multifamily homes with a Homeowners Association ("HOA"), and a duplex or fourplex where all Owners have agreed to the entire contract for Work and One Owner is appointed to represent all owners to the Installing Dealer. The Trust does not extend coverage to Pre-Construction Piles or  Piles with Brackets encased in or covered in concrete.

Question 3

Is the Trust Limited Warranty Similar to My Original Dealer’s Limited Warranty?

Accepted Answer

The Trust Warranty is similar to your Ram Jack Dealer's Limited Warranty for Steel Driven and Helical Piles, providing protection against their downward movement, and with tieback anchors, safeguarding against lateral displacement. However, the Trust Warranty differs in terms of the extent of coverage.

A summary of Trust Coverage is as follows:
 •  The Trust warrants that a Ram Jack vertical pile will not move downwards (settle), and a Ram Jack tieback anchor will not move laterally for the life of the structure (if the Dealer’s warranty offered lifetime coverage) or the period of years of the Dealer’s limited warranty.

• The Limited Warranty does not cover failure from catastrophic events, caused by man or nature, or a combination of both factors. Such catastrophes may take the form of tornadoes, earthquakes, excessive wind (including hurricanes) fire, explosions, floods, storm surge, tidal waves, rain causing slope failure, failure from natural soil creep, soil collapse, slope failure, heaving, sinkholes, subsidence, or similar events. While piles and anchors may not necessarily fail, unforeseen catastrophes can still result in the foundation or structural movements, including the uplifting of piles and anchors. The Warranty Trust does not cover such movement.

• The Warranty Trust explicitly excludes coverage and responsibility for the following issues: (a) Any downward movement (“settlement”) of the foundation and floor beyond the specific area directly above each vertical pile; (b) Any vertical movement of a tieback anchor; (c) any cosmetic or other repairs; (d) lateral (sideways) and/or upward movement (heaving) of the foundation and floor of the structure that a vertical pile supports; and (e) damages (direct, consequential, etc.) from any movement or warranty-related repairs.

Moreover, the Warranty does not extend its coverage to address failures or defects, whether they are present at the 
  moment or arise in the future, affecting the overall structure, including the foundation and related flooring, as well as 
  all substructure components such as existing piles, support joists, beams, and any wood components.

• The Warranty Trust does not cover any damages (direct, consequential, etc.) resulting from: (1) downward movement of a Ram Jack driven or helical pile, (2) the lateral movement of a Ram Jack helical anchor, or (3) conducting the inspection, adjustment or replacement of a pile/related bracket. Damages include, but are not limited to, damage or repairs to concrete, brick, mortar, sheetrock, wood, wallpaper, paint, fixtures, rigid materials, furnishings, personal property, all components of a structure, and real property, including landscaping. The Warranty Trust also does not cover any cosmetic repairs.

• The Warranty Trust does not cover the failure of a foundation or components of a wood engineered flooring system. Concrete and wood are affected by the quality of their design, construction, components, and maintenance. Other than a Ram Jack driven or helical pile providing support to a limited area of a structural beam directly above it, or a helical anchor supporting a limited area of a wall, the Warranty Trust has no control over factors that affect the life of your foundation, walls, wood flooring system, and all other building and structural components, which factors include Acts of God or Nature, weather, drainage, moisture, wood destroying organisms, lack of maintenance, and similar deterioration factors.
 • The Warranty Trust does not cover any costs the Owner incurs for repairs at the property. By way of example and not limitation, an Owner’s repairs to the foundation, structure, components, walls, sheetrock, engineered flooring system, plumbing, sprinkler system, flooring, cosmetic, and all other repairs related to the Work at the property address are not covered.

• In sum, the Scope of the Limited Warranty is limited to addressing the downward movement of a driven or helical pile and the lateral movement of a helical anchor (referred to as a "tieback") that supports a specific area of a wall. 
  The Trust excludes coverage for damages stemming from any movement of the foundation, floor, wall, structure, its 
  components (both interior and exterior), and the related real property, and any damage incurred while conducting the 
  inspection, or adjusting and replacing a pile/bracket, anchor, or related components.

For example, if the Trust must remove concrete, impediments, or obstacles to access a pile, you are responsible for 
  such costs. If landscaping is excavated or dies, or If cracks or other cosmetic damages occur, the Trust is not 
  responsible for such damages. If the work of the Installing Dealer settled or moved, causing damage, the Trust is not 
  responsible. If the Trust must backfill with concrete instead of soil, the Trust will pay the repairing Ram Jack dealer for 
  such backfill costs.

With the Warranty Trust, You will pay the current deductible amount at the time of a claim.

Question 4

What Occurs After I File a Claim?

Accepted Answer

• The Trust reviews its records to ensure you are registered and qualified.

• If qualified, a Foundation Project Manager (“Representative”) will call you and ask questions about evidence of movement. You should have a Service Plan (diagram) indicating where the Dealer installed piles. Look for cracks in the areas above each pile. You could also have new movement outside of the Service Plan. New movement is not covered under the Trust Warranty. The Representative may direct you to specific locations for photos of the structure and ask you to send them. The Representative will schedule an appointment with you.

• You pay the current deductible at the time of your claim.

• At the appointment, the Representative will inspect the property and structure, and using their sole professional discretion, may recommend adjustment or replacement of a Ram Jack® driven or  helical pile that shows evidence of downward movement with its related bracket, or an adjustment or replacement of a helical anchor that has moved laterally.

• The Representative will file a report of the inspection and recommendations with the Trust. The Trustees will either request additional information, deny the claim with written support for their decision, or approve Work.

• If Work is approved, the Representative will schedule a crew to conduct the work.

Question 5

May I and My Buyer/Transferee Transfer the Trust Warranty to a New Owner of the Property?

Accepted Answer

Yes, by following all conditions below:
1. First, you must transfer the original Installing Dealer’s warranty to your buyer/transferee of the property by following this process:

• Call the Installing Dealer for the documents they require for transferring the dealer’s limited warranty.
 •  Complete your share of the paperwork and have your transferee complete their share of paperwork. You will need a Notary.
 • Give your completed documents to your buyer/transferee. 
 • Your buyer transferee must send all required completed documents to the Installing Dealer and any fees within the dealer’s allotted timeframe.
 • The Installing Dealer should send the buyer/transferee recognition of the transfer.

2.    Now that your buyer has transferred the Dealer’s Limited Warranty into their name, your buyer/transferee must 
              register your former property into the Warranty Trust as follows:

• Your buyer/transferee must complete the Warranty Transfer Application, available at 
	         ( https://www.ramjackdealersassoc.com );
 •  Within ninety (90) days of the Installing Dealer accepting the transfer of your limited warranty;
 •  The new owner must pay the existing warranty transfer fee to the Trust; and
 •  Download all required paperwork that the Trust requests.

Question 6

What Documents Must I or a Transferee Download to Register My Property into the Trust and Apply for Coverage?

Accepted Answer

1. Installing Dealer Contract or Agreement for Work
2. Service Plan that includes Pile Placement and Elevations Taken After the Work
3. Any Engineering Pile Placement Plan at the time of the Original Installation
4. Dealer Limited Warranty

Question 7

What Events Cause Foundation Failure and What Can I Do to Help Prevent or Lessen It?

Accepted Answer

We have included general information below related to foundation failure and maintenance. Please read and act as needed. Call your local Ram Jack dealer if you think you may require additional work.

Miscellaneous Questions

a.	I believe my piles are moving. What may be occurring?

If you have Ram Jack piles installed in one or more areas of the perimeter but the interior has no supporting piles, it may seem that a perimeter pile is moving when that may not be the case.

A foundation built on expansive clay soils may move off the pile (move upwards) as expansive clay soil swells and expands (heaving is not covered under any warranty). In the same manner, expansive clay may dry and shrink causing settlement where piles are not located. Your vertical piles will prevent downward movement of a limited area directly above the pile. To help prevent settlement (downward movement) in such expansive soils, you must maintain consistent moisture and proper drainage with gutters draining away from the house and/or a drainage system. In some cases, you may need a sump pump if water drains from other areas onto your foundation.

b.	Why doesn’t the Trust cover damages?

The Trust does not cover any damages to your foundation because a foundation can fracture due to weather, water, plumbing leaks, seismic activity, lack of maintenance, previous repairs, and other factors, including Acts of God or Nature, for which we are not responsible.

c. 	I want to save money, care for my foundation, and attempt to lessen soil movement causing settlement, lateral 		            				        
           movement, heaving, and rot. Can you help me?

Yes, Please Continue Reading.

Causes of Foundation Failure/General Maintenance

Your foundation may move due to moisture, weather, shifting soil, location on a slope, improper placement of landscaping, poor drainage, inadequate ground preparation, and faulty construction.

Conditions Causing Foundation Failure. The following conditions may cause failure in an area(s) or the entire foundation. The list below is not exhaustive, and some conditions occur more frequently than others. Your soil type may cause additional issues.
 • High temperatures and hot, dry winds cause moisture in the soil to evaporate more rapidly, causing expansive clay soil to shrink beneath a foundation resulting in settlement.
 • Trees and large shrubbery near the structure may cause the foundation to settle as roots seek moisture. Perimeter piles will not prevent interior settlement when soil shrinks due to lack of moisture. Ask us about the soil in your area.
 • Expansive clay soils will shrink when dry and may cause the foundation to settle where it lacks support. When these soils accumulate excessive moisture, they can swell and cause the foundation to heave upwards.
 • Underground springs and fluctuating water tables may interact with expansive soil, resulting in heaving. A total collapse of the ground may also occur, whether or not clay, resulting in a sinkhole.
 • Moisture content such as saturation from rains and floods, combined with loose/compressible soil and/or seismic activity, may result in settlement.
 • Organic materials such as peat, wood, or other fill materials will decompose over time, causing foundation settlement.
 • Plumbing leaks may cause the foundation to heave, creating problems for the foundation and plumbing lines.
 • The amount of steel reinforcement or rebar in a foundation affects structural strength. Poor quality concrete weakens a foundation, making it more susceptible to soil movement, causing cracks and concrete failure. 
 • With crawlspace foundations, look for rotting and moldy wood in the joists, beams, and other components. Eliminate as much moisture in a crawlspace with methods such as encapsulation, dehumidifiers, and sump pumps. Call us if you have questions.
 • Soft compressible soils cause foundation failure. Adequately prepared and compacted soil reduces potential foundation problems.
 • Water is a significant factor in foundation issues. You are responsible for maintaining your property. The lack of drainage or keeping consistent moisture in the soil can cause substantial problems even after our work, for which you are responsible.

Your Responsibility is to Maintain and Repair Your Property. As part of your responsibilities, you may want to do the following:

• Eliminate standing water near the foundation and provide positive surface drainage away from the foundation, even flowerbeds.
 • Inspect and replace damaged wood, prevent water intrusion, remediate mold/fungus and reduce moisture and humidity in crawlspace areas.
 • Look for and correct plumbing leaks when discovered and call a plumber for repairs. Inspect your property for drainage issues.
 • Install guttering and downspouts that lead water away from the foundation or sub-surface drainage systems as needed and replace any soil that has suffered erosion. Erosion may cause voids, or empty spaces, between the foundation and the ground.
 • Consistently maintain moist soil around the foundation but especially during dry periods, and especially where expansive clay soils exist.
 • Remove large trees and shrubs from areas close to the foundation if trees and shrubs remove moisture underneath the structure.

Heaving. Foundations supported on clay soils may heave (lift) from too much moisture, whether or not supported by Ram Jack® piles. For example, plumbing leaks, flooding, over-watering, and ponding, etc., cause heaving. Improvements that stop leaks and drain water away from the foundation lessen the probability of heaving.

Piles Support a Limited Area. Look for foundation movement in all areas. For example, piles installed at the perimeter of a structure will not support the related interior without piles. Ram Jack steel vertical piles are designed to prevent downward movement of a load bearing structural beam in a limited area above each pile. Any area, including those with vertical piles, can move upwards and/or laterally depending on your soil type, slope, and sites near water. Any area without piles may also move downwards. If you suspect heaving, lateral, or downward movement, call us. Ram Jack installs helical anchors designed to prevent lateral movement of a wall. If your home is located on a slope, near a ravine, cliff, or water, you may experience lateral movement. Call us if you suspect or observe such movement.

Monitor Your Foundation. It is your responsibility to inspect for changes and movement along the perimeter and interior of the foundation. Drainage issues may cause voids at the exterior and interior of the foundation to develop as soil runs off. Separations between bricks, cracking or separation of wood and walls, uneven flooring, cracked tiles and decks, and stuck doors and windows, etc., are evidence of movement.

You May Want Additional Work. You may have declined work based on evidence of insufficient/no movement or other reasons. A structure tends to move over time, and you may want additional work. We recommend you observe the structure for signs of foundation movement quarterly and after severe storms. Maintaining and repairing your property may help lessen but not eliminate foundation failure. If you notice evidence of foundation movement, call us to prevent more extensive (and expensive) damage to your structure. We will inspect and discuss our observations with you.

Do you have more questions?

We want to thank you for your interest in the Warranty Trust. If you have questions, please contact the Trust Administrator at 580-436-9020

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