Underwriting and Liability Considerations for Multi-Dwelling Properties
An elderly couple built a one-story dwelling on their property for themselves and sold the property’s primary dwelling to their child.
Strategies
Negligence vs. Faulty Workmanship: Subcontractor Cut Electrical Line
Is the accidental damaging of the electrical line faulty workmanship or ordinary negligence? Who is liable?
One Loss, Two Deductibles: Equipment Breakdown or Homeowners Loss?
A homeowner had a loss where the HVAC system’s condensate pump failed due to a mechanical breakdown. The HO3 policy with an equipment breakdown endorsement—form 16016—with a separate $500 deductible appears to indicate the condensate pump and the resulting water damage should be covered under the equipment breakdown endorsement. The insurance carrier says otherwise.
Is Personal Property Stolen From a Storage Facility Subject to a 10% Limit?
An insured wants to downsize. They sell their house, move in with in-laws and buy a tenant homeowners policy with a Coverage C limit of $105,400. However, thieves break into the storage facility and steal everything.
Combine Damage: Is a Claim Reported If Only the Agent Is Notified?
An insured had a foreign object go through his combine when harvesting. He called and reported the damage to the agent but didn’t know whether the damage would be over his $5,000 deductible. The agency submitted the claim around 50 days after the original date of loss. The company says they are only paying $2,500…
Comprehensive vs. Collision: Shopping Cart Blown by Wind into Car
After a shopping cart was blown 30 yards across a parking lot into a client’s car, the agent believes the windstorm damage is a comprehensive loss. The adjustor says the object is a collision loss because the object must be falling to be caused by a windstorm.
COI and Blanket Additional Insured: Should an Agency Provide Notice of Cancellation?
If a certificate of insurance (COI) holder is shown as an automatic additional insured when required by contract through a blanket additional insured endorsement and the coverage is cancelled, does the agent need to notify the certificate holder of the cancellation?
Reporting Requirements When PAP and PUP Are Written by Different Carriers
What are the reporting requirements of a liability claim to the carrier that doesn’t write the underlying coverage?
Including an HOA as Additional Insured on Contractors’ CGL
An agency insures several contractors that do work for unit owners within a homeowners association (HOA). The HOA asked to be an additional insured on these contractors’ policies. Without incurring a large expense by scheduling the HOA as each job arises, what is the best way to endorse the contractors’ policies to include the HOA…
What Happens When Homeowners Prospect Lies About Owning Pit Bulls?
In the event of a claim—dog-related or otherwise—would the carrier be able to declare the policy void back to inception due to fraud or material misrepresentation by the applicant?
