Cats, Rats, and Brats – Homeowners Insurance Exclusions
According to surveys conducted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), millions of homeowners assume that their standard homeowners insurance insures them against several kinds of losses typically excluded from coverage. These exclusions are sometimes referred to as “Cat, Rats, and Brats,” reflecting three exceptions to standard coverage.
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Cats. A 2007-2008 survey conducted by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association reveals that 71.1 million of America’s 113.7 million households (63 percent) own at least one pet. This represents an all-time high for pet ownership in the United States. Many people assume that their home owners insurance covers damage to windows, doors, furniture, and carpeting caused by pets. They are mistaken. A standard homeowners insurance policy excludes damage caused by cats, dogs, rabbits, and other pets. The NAIC reports that 22 percent of the people they surveyed thought that their insurance covered injuries to or theft of pets. This is not correct.
Rats. Damage by wild creatures is not covered by homeowners insurance, either. Nearly a third of the homeowners surveyed by the NAIC (31 percent) mistakenly believe that damage caused by infestations of rats, bats, mice, ants, termites, and other pests is covered by their homeowners insurance. It is not. Pests are so prevalent that insurance companies cannot afford to assume the risk of property losses they might cause.
Brats. Children and young adults lack the experience—and sometimes the respect for property—to be careful with personal possession or even the home. Whether the result of an innocent accident or malicious acting out, damage caused by children is not covered by home owner insurance.
Living on the flats. According to the U.S. government, virtually every part of the United States is subject to flooding. Some areas are more susceptible to flooding than other areas, of course. The areas most at risk are known as Special Flood Hazard Areas. Because floods cause widespread damage, private insurers cannot profitably insure against their risk. To prevent floods from wiping out the assets of the millions of Americans who live in flood zones, the U.S. Congress enacted the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, establishing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Funded with premiums from homeowners and able to borrow against the national treasury, the NFIP offers the only kind of flood insurance available in the United States. Optional in some areas, flood insurance is mandatory for homeowners who live in Special Flood Hazard Areas. Despite the fact that flood insurance requirements are disclosed when a person purchases a home, the NAIC found that 33 percent of respondents wrongly assumed that their homeowners insurance covered flood damage.
War-like acts. The mainland of the United States has sustained damage from war-like acts only four times in its history. The first attacks came in the War of 1812 when British troops invaded points along the border with Canada and burned Washington D.C. The second incursion occurred when forces under the command of Mexican General Pancho Villa raided Columbus, New Mexico on March 9, 1916, and burned the town. The third attack occurred on February 23, 1942, when a Japanese submarine fired on an oil refinery in Santa Barbara, California. By far the worst attack occurred when terrorists from the al-Qaeda network flew airliners into the World Trade Center and The Pentagon on September 11, 2001, killing 2,998 and causing more than $30 billion in direct property damage. Damage caused by war and acts of terrorism are not covered by homeowners insurance.
Earthquake cracks. Earthquakes have struck 39 of the 50 states since 1900. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), earthquakes cause more than $4 billion in property damage per year. Because earthquakes cause widespread damage in a matter of seconds, insurance companies cannot afford to cover earthquake damage with a general homeowners insurance policy. Nevertheless, the NAIC survey reveals that 35 percent of homeowners believe their homeowner’s insurance covers earthquake damage. To insure their homes, homeowners need to purchase separate earthquake policies. After the Northridge earthquake of 1994 that caused $12.5 billion in losses, California insurers stopped offering earthquake insurance. To guarantee that homeowners at least could rebuild their homes after a severe earthquake, the California legislature passed a law requiring property insurers operating in the state to offer “mini-policies” to cover primary dwelling spaces, but not pools, patios, and other non-essential structures.
For most people, their home is their biggest expense and largest asset. While the majority of homeowners know that some things are excluded from their homeowners insurance coverage, a surprisingly large number of people—roughly a third of homeowners—do not realize that their coverage excludes some types of damage. Every homeowner should review their homeowner’s insurance policy to verify their coverage then contact their insurance agent to discuss what types of additional coverage might be necessary to protect their home.
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Tosa, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier, fila brasileiro, and Rottweiler USA – Restrictions on or the prohibition of ownership of American pit bull terriers in some municipalities. – Restrictions on the availability of homeowners insurance for owners of many breeds, including American pit bull terriers, Rottweilers, Dobermanns, and Akitas in some areas. disclaimer- I do not own the song or any of the lyrics to the song, nor do I own any of the pictures. please comment/rate. … Pit …
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Bradley Steffens is a copywriter and the author of twenty-eight books. He has written for a range of clients in the financial, healthcare, and high tech industries, including Raymond James Financial, Cardinal Health, and Del Tel, Inc. His latest book is a biography of the medieval Arab scientist, Alhazen.
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18 Responses to “Cats, Rats, and Brats – Homeowners Insurance Exclusions”
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August 2nd, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Bastards are the people who Follow BSL and everyone who doesn’t follow it are way better people that thing was so sad i was cryin so vote to stop BSL and give to the nice so no more of those vids can be made rate this comment thumbs up if you think same thumbs down if you think different
August 2nd, 2009 at 8:49 pm
keep it on … don’t leave it!
agree with all!
but the human are more agressive and the dogs are in witch way u breed them.
ONLY NATURE AND SOME HUMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 2nd, 2009 at 7:45 pm
It really depends on how it breaks, what type of policy you have and the insurance company?
Some company's can even add riders to your policy to cover it.
Call you insurance company or ask your agent!
August 2nd, 2009 at 9:13 pm
They don't ask, but there is a good chance they will find out anyway. My aunt has a trampoline in her back yard, which is prohibited, but she figured no one would ever know. It went unnoticed until some teenager tried to dial a number on his cell and hit the front of her house. Her insurance company (along with his) came out to inspect the damage and saw the trampoline.
They also find out when the dog attacks someone in the neighborhood or gets loose and chases the mailman and a complaint is filed.
There are plenty of incidents that could take place that would cause the insurance company to come out.
August 3rd, 2009 at 11:20 am
I totally agree with the Deed not breed sayin, But!!!!
(to a certain extent) agree with the ban. Simply because, yes if any breed is brought up the right way, it will be as friendly as any, but because the breed has a reputation, it generally attracts people that will mistreat the dog, because they want that breed for status. The authorities should make a law that dog owners should have a license, then reintroduce the banned breeds, this would turn the reputation around, anyone agree?
August 3rd, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Yes very much so. Certain breed's of dogs will void a home owners insurance policy. This is based usually on vicious breeds who tend to generage alot of liability claims. It states this clearly in your policy. If your friends looks at her HO3 policy she will see which specific breeds will cancel her policy. Also many HO3 policies place exclusions against trampolines & swimming pools.
If she chooses to keep the dog – she will have to go through an excess/surplus company to get her homeowners insurance. She will pay about 3x the amount she was paying prior. Its up to her if the dog is worth keeping.
August 4th, 2009 at 1:34 am
Thank you for running into each other instead of an innocent person who is following the rules.
You stand as much chance as your homeowner paying the bills for your accident as there is that your auto insurance would cover your house burning down.
If that's not plain enough, NO.
Which ever of you was at fault in the accident owes the other for all damages.
August 4th, 2009 at 6:11 am
Go the the taxing authorities homepage for your county (Google it). You can look up the average taxes on the homes for the neighborhoods you are considering.
August 4th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
You need to call an insurance company for quotes, start with your auto insurance company & go from there. There are many questions, what does the master policy cover? You would need to read the condo bylaws to find out. Does that policy cover everything attached to the unit or only to the studs? Does it cover anything that you add to or alter in the unit? So, you would purchase a condo policy (HO6 form), you would need to find out from the condo association what you actually need to cover. That would be the dwelling limit you need. Then you need to tell the insurance company how much contents coverage you want (if you had to replace everything you own), then get at least $500,000 liability, $5,000 medical payments & get $50,000 (or the company maximum) loss assessment (this covers if you are assessed for damages to common property – simplified definition – you would need to speak to an agent to explain it to you). You would also need to tell the agent the deductible you want (property coverage).
Good luck in your purchase but no one here can give you a quote.
Homeowners insurance is always an annual policy.
August 4th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
pittbulls aint dangerous ,,,but jews are …dont kill pittbulls,,,but fight off the jew,,cos they are looking for land power nd money ,,and non off those they deserve ,,ask the palestinians and libanese
August 5th, 2009 at 12:01 am
The way I look at it is people say it is the what the does owner is the reason this breed does what it does.. Well it only takes a few bad apples to ruin the bunch, so I guess we do the same thing we have done with guns, atvs, and all the ohter things people love and enjoy.. Put laws controling it and make sure the assholes who cant raise them right dont get them..
August 4th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
I have to say, I support the insurance company on this one. They have to manage risk, and part of that risk the dogs people own. Unfortunately, there are quite a few really bad pit owners out there. Don't blame the insurance company, blame the irresponsible owners.
Besides, to make a comparison- a regular doc's malpractice insurance is about a fraction of what it is for a ob- have you ever wondered why there seem to be a larger number of docs getting OUT of the baby business? Used to, all gyns did OB, now, that number keeps dropping. Mostly because they can't afford to pay the insurance AND deliver babies. Are the insurance companies discrminiating against OB's?
August 5th, 2009 at 7:34 am
i knew someone with a lab who literally ate her face after she got knocked out…should all labs killed or not bred ?
August 5th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
just because they are cheap does not mean they are inbred….i saw a cane corso pup in the paper today for 100 bucks does that mean does that mean his dad is his uncle..nooooo fuckface..after lookin at your vids you seem like an ok guy ut fuck that…i can tell youre a punk ass bitch who probably tells on everyone
August 5th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
The more available you are to potential customers, the more likely you will get to quote them. I know that when I am attempting to buy something, I partly base my decision on how easy it is to get ahold of someone.
August 6th, 2009 at 4:51 am
my relative owns 8 pits on one propperty(very big country place) and the only time theyve been agressive towards me even though i dont know them is when i walked into thier house,them knot knowing i wasnt an intruder and startled a female with newborn pups.illa dmit theyre a dangerous dog but with propper training and love they dont have to be
August 6th, 2009 at 6:54 am
youre right they are not for everyone i agree only good people with strong charectors deserve these dogs but the same goes with alot of breeds even the lab…every breed is not for every person
August 6th, 2009 at 6:45 am
If I were you, I'd look into two things in particular:
First is a mortgage disability policy. You would probably want to take out this policy on both you and your husband. This will help to cover mortgage payments if you or your husband are injured and unable to bring in income.
I'd also look into life insurance policies on each of you. If your husband were to pass away, would you be able to continue making mortgage payments on your own? Would you choose to move? If not, life insurance is a must.