Will renters insurance (for a house) collectively cover damages from a back up sewer drain?
Apparantly tree roots grew into the pipes and caused it to back up and spill into the underground room. We have over 50 boxes with sea and "more" type damage. Farmers insurance won't tell me what my policy covers short me first filing a claim. However, if I file a claim, and find out it is not covered, it will stay on my history and be a negative when we buy a house and could keep us from getting a clad ins. rate. Thanks
Answers:
My husband is a Farmers property adjuster and he deals with this day after day and if you called 8OO-Help Point.....unfortunately they are not much serve (the Help Point people, not the property adjusters) and besides, you should have a copy of your policy to refer to so YOU know what coverage you own.
I think it works like this: the renters insurance covers reduce to rubble to the renters contents...for any reason. It won't however, cover for damage to the structure--this is the responsibility of the owner of the house. But as for the renters contents, they should be covered smaller quantity the deductible and depreciation (but you may be able to recover this support 1) depending on your renters policy and 2) if you repurchase the items.)
If you file a claim and it's a covered loss you can withdraw your claim at any time. If your claim is NOT a covered loss it will be denied. You do own a duty to mitigate your damage as well, so be sure you do so.
depends on the policy Source(s): http://www.insurance-assurance.com/
Sounds like a nasty situation! And your insurer have put you in a nasty predicament by not one willing to tell you whether they'd cover the claim or not.
In reality, some policies will not cover the types of water damage cause by a sewer drain. If I were you, I'd first read the fine print on my policy very closely. What you are looking for is an exclusion of dampen damage from sewers or "external connections" or language of that type. In certainty, check very closely for what it says in connection with the coverage of any kind of water relatein seventh heavenge.
I'm hoping you'll find that city water and sewage pipe breakage that results in break to your contents will be covered. After all, you bought renters insurance to insure your stuff from exactly this kind of problem. However, don't be surprised if it doesn't cover this...
While you are doing this work, appointment your municipality's offices and tell them roughly the damage, and inquire if THEIR insurance policy will cover it. They may indicate no, but it's worth a try.
In the end, I've hear of cases of sewer damage to people's homes where they have to sue the city / municipality in order to acquire some compensation. Here's hoping that's not your case. Source(s): Financial writer for InsuranceGuide101.com
I assume you are the renter. Ask the landlord to see the policy or at least report to you the policy form number.
Farmer's uses ISO policy forms, so if you get the form number you should be able to look up a copy of the form and determine what the policy covers.
This is not really the type of calamity or event a renter's policy would cover, so you shouldn't get your hopes up. Source(s): http://www.credit-yourself.com/homewoner…
The people you are speaking to cannot give an account you if it is covered or not because that is not their area of expertise. They do not enjoy the authority to approve or deny coverage or to interpret policy coverage’s. When you call the Helppoint you are speaking to a call center member of staff. Their job is to enter in the claim. The don't know if it covered as it would be physically impossible for a personage to know the details of coverage on every policy and type of insurance for all the states they sell surrounded by.
Farmers takes the matter of coverage thoroughly seriously. The claim would have to be turned in so the claim could be assigned to a property adj. specifically trained in homeowner’s policies for your state. They would investigate to see if the claim is covered. If this is a loss that is not covered the adj have to review policy and write up a policy coverage review for his supervisor and his supervisor's supervisor to review and approve. The adj does not have authority to deny coverage. They are not purposefully being coy they purely have to investigate coverage and don’t want to misspeak. If you are not sure get a copy of the policy and read it yourself. Your agent should be capable of provide.
Bunk. Your Farmers AGENT should be able to relate you if your policy has the "Backup of Sewers and Drains" endorsement on it. You can verbs a copy of your renewal declarations yourself, and see if this endorsement is timetabled. They usually charge about $25 for it, so it WOULD show on the renewal declarations, near the premium.
I'm assuming you're only looking for coverage for the boxes of contents you have stored contained by the basement.
Just call the agent, and ask, "Do I own the Backup of Sewers & Drains endorsement on my policy?" It's not a hypothetical coverage, and it's not a hypothetical claim question - it's a pretty straight yes or no answer.
If you enjoy the endorsement, it will be covered, up to the limit - usually $5,000 or $10,000, subject to your deductible. If the consent is not on your policy, it's not covered. Source(s): agent, 20+ years
I understand your frustration. Heres why the insurance company hesitate to tell you if its covered or not over the phone:
Without sending an adjuster out to the property to look at the damage and the pipe they can't determine the true create of the backup. Most policies exclude backups or offer a rider that can provide coverage up to a positive amount. But if a pipe bursts that is usually covered. Surface water or a flood surrounded by most cases is not covered. I would take inventory of what was contained by the boxes. Try to come up with a total dollar amount before you resolve whether or not to put the claim in. Source(s): http://www.findlocalinsurance.com/librar…
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Answers:
My husband is a Farmers property adjuster and he deals with this day after day and if you called 8OO-Help Point.....unfortunately they are not much serve (the Help Point people, not the property adjusters) and besides, you should have a copy of your policy to refer to so YOU know what coverage you own.
I think it works like this: the renters insurance covers reduce to rubble to the renters contents...for any reason. It won't however, cover for damage to the structure--this is the responsibility of the owner of the house. But as for the renters contents, they should be covered smaller quantity the deductible and depreciation (but you may be able to recover this support 1) depending on your renters policy and 2) if you repurchase the items.)
If you file a claim and it's a covered loss you can withdraw your claim at any time. If your claim is NOT a covered loss it will be denied. You do own a duty to mitigate your damage as well, so be sure you do so.
depends on the policy Source(s): http://www.insurance-assurance.com/
Sounds like a nasty situation! And your insurer have put you in a nasty predicament by not one willing to tell you whether they'd cover the claim or not.
In reality, some policies will not cover the types of water damage cause by a sewer drain. If I were you, I'd first read the fine print on my policy very closely. What you are looking for is an exclusion of dampen damage from sewers or "external connections" or language of that type. In certainty, check very closely for what it says in connection with the coverage of any kind of water relatein seventh heavenge.
I'm hoping you'll find that city water and sewage pipe breakage that results in break to your contents will be covered. After all, you bought renters insurance to insure your stuff from exactly this kind of problem. However, don't be surprised if it doesn't cover this...
While you are doing this work, appointment your municipality's offices and tell them roughly the damage, and inquire if THEIR insurance policy will cover it. They may indicate no, but it's worth a try.
In the end, I've hear of cases of sewer damage to people's homes where they have to sue the city / municipality in order to acquire some compensation. Here's hoping that's not your case. Source(s): Financial writer for InsuranceGuide101.com
I assume you are the renter. Ask the landlord to see the policy or at least report to you the policy form number.
Farmer's uses ISO policy forms, so if you get the form number you should be able to look up a copy of the form and determine what the policy covers.
This is not really the type of calamity or event a renter's policy would cover, so you shouldn't get your hopes up. Source(s): http://www.credit-yourself.com/homewoner…
The people you are speaking to cannot give an account you if it is covered or not because that is not their area of expertise. They do not enjoy the authority to approve or deny coverage or to interpret policy coverage’s. When you call the Helppoint you are speaking to a call center member of staff. Their job is to enter in the claim. The don't know if it covered as it would be physically impossible for a personage to know the details of coverage on every policy and type of insurance for all the states they sell surrounded by.
Farmers takes the matter of coverage thoroughly seriously. The claim would have to be turned in so the claim could be assigned to a property adj. specifically trained in homeowner’s policies for your state. They would investigate to see if the claim is covered. If this is a loss that is not covered the adj have to review policy and write up a policy coverage review for his supervisor and his supervisor's supervisor to review and approve. The adj does not have authority to deny coverage. They are not purposefully being coy they purely have to investigate coverage and don’t want to misspeak. If you are not sure get a copy of the policy and read it yourself. Your agent should be capable of provide.
Bunk. Your Farmers AGENT should be able to relate you if your policy has the "Backup of Sewers and Drains" endorsement on it. You can verbs a copy of your renewal declarations yourself, and see if this endorsement is timetabled. They usually charge about $25 for it, so it WOULD show on the renewal declarations, near the premium.
I'm assuming you're only looking for coverage for the boxes of contents you have stored contained by the basement.
Just call the agent, and ask, "Do I own the Backup of Sewers & Drains endorsement on my policy?" It's not a hypothetical coverage, and it's not a hypothetical claim question - it's a pretty straight yes or no answer.
If you enjoy the endorsement, it will be covered, up to the limit - usually $5,000 or $10,000, subject to your deductible. If the consent is not on your policy, it's not covered. Source(s): agent, 20+ years
I understand your frustration. Heres why the insurance company hesitate to tell you if its covered or not over the phone:
Without sending an adjuster out to the property to look at the damage and the pipe they can't determine the true create of the backup. Most policies exclude backups or offer a rider that can provide coverage up to a positive amount. But if a pipe bursts that is usually covered. Surface water or a flood surrounded by most cases is not covered. I would take inventory of what was contained by the boxes. Try to come up with a total dollar amount before you resolve whether or not to put the claim in. Source(s): http://www.findlocalinsurance.com/librar…
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