The following information is provided by Mary Elizabeth Himes, owner of Safe Harbor Agency in Oak Harbor, Washington. For additional questions about insurance, she may be reached at (360) 675-6663.
Maintaining Your Home
Insurance is an agreement between parties to transfer risk. That means that one party pays another party to provide financial compensation in the event of loss of assets, property or life. Most Americans are most familiar with personal insurance that protects their homes and cars, the problem is that most Americans do not understand what they are paying for. We want to help you have a better understanding and overtime use this platform to educate you about personal insurance and its benefits.
The importance of understanding coverages cannot be ignored. Our last article discussed the different types of homeowner’s insurance and what they covered in very general terms. As fall is now here there are items that you should consider when it comes to your home and how it is insured. In Washington there are some maintenance issues that should be addressed to make certain that a claim will be covered by your carrier. So, we will touch on a few items that a homeowner should pay attention to.
What many insureds do not know is that carriers often do short visual inspections of insured homes that do not require the insured to be contacted. This is done to make certain that an insurance company is managing the number of potential claims, by weeding out unacceptable risks.
Roof Maintenance
Poor roof and gutter maintenance are one of the most common ways that an insurer will non renew a policy. Indicators of poor maintenance is excessive moss growth (Organic Growth) on the roof of ANY structure on the insured property. Many people think that it is just the main home but all detached building on the property are also covered under Coverage B – OTHER STRUCTURES. Broken or sagging gutters are unacceptable as the water may back up into the eaves and into the walls of the home causing extensive damage.
Organic growth can lead to additional moisture seeping into the wood beneath the outer covering of the roof be it asphalt, wood or metal, causing rot, mold and leaking. The growth can also attract pests that can destroy the wood leading to leaking and burrowing into attic areas of the home. The homeowner is responsible for maintaining the home and eliminating potential hazards to the structure. Rot, mold and rodent or pest infestation is not covered under most home policies and may require additional endorsements. If it is found at the time of a claim that maintenance was neglected over a long period of time the carrier may deny or pay less on a claim.
Trees and Brush
Homeowners are responsible to keep trees and brush trimmed back away from the home. Tree limbs touching the roof are a traffic way for animals that may find a way into the attic and walls of a home, causing openings in the structure that may lead to water damage. Overgrown trees and brush are fire hazards and a hindrance to the safe access into the home or property. Now that fall is here, and the winds are picking up falling tree branches close to the home may damage the roof.
Many times, insureds are concerned with a neighbor’s tree fallowing onto their property and causing damage, if this happens the neighbor is liable for the damage caused by the tree.
Debris
Debris on the insured property is also unacceptable and can lead to a cancellation or non-renewal. Debris is garbage, old appliances, abandon vehicles, old construction materials etc. The hazards of these items are that they are potential fire hazards but also liability hazards as the pose a threat of injury to persons or the environment. Abandoned vehicles and old appliances can house rodents or can become an attractive nuisance for children who may decide to be adventurous and play in a vehicle or large appliance (freezer/refrigerator). Construction materials can be a fire hazard as they may have flammable chemicals on them, the same is true with old batteries and paint.
These are just some simple items that homeowners can manage to keep their homes insurable. Sometimes the upkeep can get overwhelming for older homeowners and extra help is needed. We have many volunteer organizations on Whidbey Island to aid homeowners that may be overwhelmed with caring for their property. Reach out to Island Senior Resources and The Center in Oak Harbor for information about those organizations.
