How Insurance Helps Recover Damages From a Fallen Tree and Storm

Though the date on our calendars does not seem to coincide with all the wintery weather the eastern part of the country has been experiencing of late, take note, folks: the official timing of springs arrival is set to occur on March 20th.

While the promise of spring may have us dreaming of blooming flowers and fresh greenery, homeowners, as well as vehicle owners have yet to get over the exposure to recent storm exposure to tree falls and related damages.

The insurance professionals bring some of the most frequently asked questions in regard to this - along with the sensible answers.

The What, Why and How of Home and Vehicle Fallen Tree Damage

Question: Does my auto insurance policy cover any vehicular damages related to wind or tree damage?

Answer: Of all the related types of auto insurance coverage - liability, collision and comprehensive - it is exclusively the optional comprehensive type of coverage that will cover damages occurring as a result of a tree or tree limbs falling on top of a vehicle.

Question: Will my homeowners insurance cover the damages suffered on my house that are caused by a tree fall?

Answer: In general, a standard home insurance plan will pay for resulting home damage AND costs to remove the fallen tree.

Question: Take the example of my tree falling onto my neighbor's home or property. Will my homeowners insurance take care of the reimbursements for related damages?

Answer: This answer may surprise you. Thought it is your tree that caused the damage, it is your neighbor's homeowners insurance that will cover the damages.

Question: What if the downed tree was not in the best condition before it was knocked over in a wind or other type of storm?

Answer: In the event, you did not take care of a rotting or otherwise damaged tree and it fell over, the insurance companies will not cover resulting damages from a fall. The responsibility lies with you entirely.

Question: Does my standard homeowners insurance cover the cost of tree removal in the case where my tree falls on my property but does no damage?

Answer: In a typical case like this, your home insurance would not pay for the tree's removal.

Question: And if I have a roof collapse as a result of a tree fall?

Answer: Then your homeowners insurance will cover it.

Question: What is the insurance protocol in relation to wind storm damage?

Answer: In general, your standard home policy will cover the damage incurred by winds. For example, if your roof, your belongings inside of your premises, and any other structure on your property incurs wind damages, the repairs and replacement costs are the insurance company's responsibility.

PRIME Insurance is a three-generation family-run independent agency. We're proud partners with many of the leading companies in the industry - big names such as ACE, ASI, ASSURANT, CHUBB, FOREMOST, Liberty Mutual, MetLife, PROGRESSIVE, Safeco, StillWater, Travelers, USLI, ZURICH and more. We can provide all forms of NJ, NY, PA, MD and other state coverage, including travelers, cheap auto, low quote commercial umbrella, flood, renters, property, homeowners, bonds, workers comp, life insurance and more. We invite you to experience the PRIME difference and HAVE A PRIME DAY™!

Nine Ways to Keep You Safely Covered From Lightning Risks

Well, what do you know?! The northeastern states of the US just experienced a thunder and snow storm that brought on lightning.

The combo of natural forces is a very rare occurrence that can have serious consequences on homeowners and commercial property owners in terms of damages. Moreover, any time of the year when lightning flashes its electric streaks from heaven to earth it can bring danger to humans and wildlife.

According to scientific definitions, lightning is Mother Nature's flare of electricity that occurs between a cloud or clouds and the earth in midst of a thunderstorm. Lightning is not to be taken lightly. It is a potent killer, striking down about sixty people across the United States annually. Moreover, lightning can reach fifty thousand degrees Fahrenheit, empowering it to spark home and commercial property fires if it strikes an appropriately flammable target.

Thankfully for the homeowner, the majority of standard home insurance policies do cover the damages that occur from a lightning strike. Auto damage is another story though. As for any vehicular damages occurring as a result of a lightning strike, both liability and collision insurance will not cover the losses. It is only a comprehensive auto policy that will reimburse you for the lightning damages.

10 Ways to Keep Away from a Lightning Strike's Danger

Should you be caught in a thunderstorm while you are outdoors, do the following as soon as possible:

• Get inside a building that is safe for occupancy. 

• Get inside a vehicle. 

• If you are not able to get into a safe shelter, minimize your risks by staying out of an open field, getting away from the top of a hill, staying clear of tall trees standing alone and not touching water or wet things, particularly roping and metal objects.

If you are inside a home or building during the storm:

• Do not touch phones that are connected to a cord. 

• Do not touch electrical devices like computers or TVs or cords. 

• Do not use your water taps for anything like handwashing, dish washing. 

• Do not shower or bathe. 

• Stay clear of all windows, doors, porches and metal pipes. 

• Do not touch of concrete floors, walls and surfaces. 

• Wait at least thirty minutes prior to leaving the building following the storm.

If you happen to be inside a car during the storm, pull over to the side and stop, switch on your hazard lights, turn off the car, don't touch anything metal inside the vehicle. Even if the thunder has stopped, do not proceed until thirty minutes after any sound of thunder.

HAVE A PRIME DAY™! PRIME Insurance partners with over 40 of the leading companies to provide all forms of NJ, NY, PA, MD, FL, TX and other nationwide coverage. This includes travelers, auto, commercial, flood, renters, property, homeowners, bonds, workers comp, life insurance and more. See how PRIME can help you.

Is Coach House Insurance Expensive?

Coach house insurance should not cost any more than standard home insurance. If you use a specialist insurer you will have access to a wider and more competitive selection of policies specifically for coach houses and you will pay less. Unfortunately, non-specialist coach house insurance providers tend to charge more due to the time and effort it takes to produce a one-off policy.

By using a specialist insurer that has a range of policies available specifically for coach houses then they will be able to offer the insurance cheaper than using a company who are producing a one-off policy just for you. The main reason is the cost of underwriting and producing documents. As a one-off this process is very expensive and that will show in the premium you pay. Most insurers aren't even sure what a coach house is! They don't offer any provision online for non standard properties, and call centre staff just won't understand what the legal liabilities surrounding those leasehold garages are. The risk of bad advice is extremely high and could end up costing you a lot of money!

Shop clever! Use a company that produce coach house insurance all day long! Not only will the process be far easier - because you are speaking to specialist advisors that understand your property and your legal liabilities, but your premium will also be far cheaper because the policies are already drawn up, and policy documents are ready to go. You will benefit from a choice of policies - not having to accept what is available, and with a choice comes informed decisions, and having the opportunity to tailor your policy to meet your needs exactly.

By using a specialist insurer, you will also avoid administration fees should you need to make mid-term adjustments to your policy. If your insurer did a 'one off' for you, making any kind of mid-term adjustment can take time, need re-underwriting and therefor incur administration charges due to the amount of work they need to do to consider the change. Specialist insurers are set up for coach houses and therefor have slick systems in place for the non-standard policy, changes and adjustments are free of charge.

If you can find a specialist broker - you are set to win further! A broker should have a whole range of specialist insurers waiting for your business, and by having a panel of quotes you can only benefit when it comes to the premium you pay!

At Homeshield, We Specialise in Coach House Buildings and Contents Home Insurance. We are a UK Broker and have a whole panel of insurers waiting to quote you.

We will Include All Of The Garages On Your Buildings Insurance Schedule.

Coach House Property

A coach house property is a flat/apartment above usually 2 or 3 Garages or Carports. When you buy a Coach House property you would normally purchase the freehold, and so it would fall to you to insure the whole building. As a freeholder one of the garages or carports would be yours, and the rest on 999 Year Peppercorn leasehold's to neighbours.

Coach House Home Insurance

As the Freeholder the Insurance for the whole building will fall to you. You must Insurance the property as a 'Coach House'. NOT as a flat or apartment. You are required to insure the garages and carports on behalf of the leaseholder's - the Property Insurance you need is very specific and a niche product that is tricky to buy online as easily as you would ordinary Home Insurance. You would do best to seek out the advice of a specialist Insurer who can guide you.

Where Can I Buy Specific Insurance From?

There are a few Coach House Property Specialist Insurers around - you need to target your online searches and make sure you shop around. Due to the nature of the property these insurances need specific underwriting and costs vary greatly between providers/brokers. You will also need to make sure you are not slammed with admin fees.

Is Coach House Home Insurance Expensive?

No! It will require some effort in terms of research to make sure you have the right policy but it is not expensive. It is not expensive providing you are speaking to the right Insurance Broker anyway!

Do the Garage Leaseholder's have to contribute to the cost of the Coach House Insurance Policy?

This is determined by what is written in the Title Deeds of the Coach House Property - and what is written in the Peppercorn Leasehold Document. It is common that there would be a small percentage of the Buildings Insurance payable by each Leaseholder - but this is normally a nominal contribution - and it is only applicable to the Buildings section of the policy.

The cost of Contents Insurance would have to be deducted to calculate what is owed by the Leaseholder's. If you need full Home Buildings and Contents Property Insurance You should have a joint policy for the two elements as this will control overall cost for you. In the event of a claim you would only have 1 excess to pay - instead of having 2 policies and 2 Excesses.

It would usually at least double the cost of Insurance if you were to have a Separate policy for the Buildings Insurance, and the Contents Insurance.

Best Advice

The Best advice would be to talk to a specialist who knows these types of property's and is familiar with your Insurance needs. It is no good calling into a vast call centre where the advisors have no clue what a Coach House Property even is! You need to talk to someone who is clear about the legal liabilities facing you as a freeholder of a Coach House Property. This would normally be a UK Insurance Broker.

These types of Policies are very easy and straightforward to set up providing you are talking to a specialist, and won't cost you the earth. It may seem daunting to begin with - but don't worry! Landlords Insurance is also available for these types of properties - providing you are speaking to the right company that is! Landlords Insurance for Coach House Properties is no more expensive than ordinary Insurance for any type of Let Property.

Remember to target your research to the specific product you are looking for - rather than just a generic ring round the usual household names - you won't find it there. Specifically request what information you need - ask specific questions so that you can understand exactly what you are obliged to provide in terms of Insurance. Garage Leaseholder's are not required to source Insurance for the property - it falls solely on the Freeholders shoulders.

As with all Insurance documents - when you purchase your policy you must review your documents to ensure your property is listed correctly as a 'Coach House', and that the garages and/or Carports are specified on the policy/Buildings Insurance Schedule. If your property is listed as a Flat or a Maisonette for example - then you will need to query this with the Insurer and potentially be prepared to change Insurance Providers.

Get your Coach House Property Insurance Quote here today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9890524

Empty House Insurance

When your House is left empty for any reason - it's important that you have the correct Buildings Insurance in place.

Conventional Buildings Insurance will not cover an empty house - so it's vital you cancel your ordinary policy and replace it with Vacant Property Insurance/Unoccupied Property Insurance.

There are various levels of cover that you can choose for your empty house, and the most common is FLEEA.

This policy would include:

• Fire

• Lightening

• Explosion

• Earthquake

• Aircraft Collision

Of course you property owner Legal Liabilities would also be included as standard.

You will notice that Flood and Subsidence are missing from this basic insurance as many believe that if your property is not at risk from flooding generally, then there is no need to pay for it, and it is also unlikely that your empty house will subside suddenly during this short term of insurance - and therefor an unnecessary cost too.

The middle level of cover would include the Flood cover, and the Comprehensive level of cover would include Subsidence too.

For peace of mind - some people may choose comprehensive levels of cover - particularly if the property will be empty for some time. These policies would typically be 9 or 12 month policies.

FLEEA Cover would be recommended for short term empty houses Insurance - perhaps while a property is completing on a sale, or being decorated/updated. Short term Insurance would be 3 or 6 month policies.

Empty House Insurance has tiered costing to match the level of cover you choose, and the term of the insurance. FLEEA with the very short-term of 3 months, will have the lowest premiums. Comprehensive cover at 12 months term will have the highest premiums - but this will sometimes be necessary, it depends on the circumstances of the individual empty house.

You may need empty house insurance due to:

Waiting for a sale to complete

Renovation works

Re-decoration and updating

Probate

While you decide what to do with an unoccupied/empty property you have become responsible for.

During Renovation works, the empty house insurance would be more bespoke, and individually written depending on the works being carried out. Any demolition works for example will carry certain criteria set down by the insurer which will be applied on an individual basis - once a full schedule of works has been reviewed by the underwriter (if a schedule of works is available - its best to submit it with a quote request as this could reduce your premium by showing the insurer exactly what will be happening at the property).

If he renovation is low risk - this will be reflected in the premium you are required to pay.

We offer a full range of policies to suit any Empty House Insurance needs.

We offer basic, middle and comprehensive cover. We also offer Short Term Insurance of 3, 6, 9 or 12 month policies.

We offer a range of policies to suit properties undergoing Renovation works - big and small projects are all insurable with us!