Meth Labs, Explosions, and Homeowners’ Insurance
A house exploded in Charlotte, NC. Rumors of a meth lab began to swirl leading to an analysis of the HO policy to answer the question, does the insurance carrier…
Personal Lines
3 Underutilized Homeowners’ Endorsements
In the “HO-2000 world,” ISO has promulgated over 145 homeowners’ endorsements. Some of these endorsements take protection away (we want to stay away from those), some apply to specific exposures…
Kids at College: Does ISO’s Age Limitation Really Apply?
Based on the dictionary meaning of “resident,” is there really an age limitation on kids away at college? Paragraph 5.a.(1) states that an insured is a relative who is a…
Vacation Coverage – Or the Lack of Coverage: A Far-Out Tale of an Eventful Vacation
What coverage does your insured have when they travel for vacation? More importantly, what coverage don’t they have? Although there is worldwide protection for the insured’s stuff, what are the…
Trusts: Watch Out – Lawyers Strike Again
Trusts are often used as a means to avoid some of the issues related to probate and estate taxes. However, the lawyers rarely tell insureds that when a trust is…
Why Defining Actual Cash Value is Amazingly Difficult
The concept of actual cash value (ACV) is far more complicated than “replacement cost minus physical depreciation.” In fact, the meaning of replacement cost differs based on the state. To…
Loss Assessment Coverage
Individuals who live in or own homes in a home association face increased financial risks from assessments. Personal lines policies cover some of the assessments, but increased limits of loss…
Homeowners’ Insurance and Firearms
Once again, we find ourselves in the deeply political and emotional debate about guns, the second amendment, gun control, and safety. This discussion requires us to clear up some misconceptions…
Riding Mowers, Golf Carts, and Four-Wheelers: The Power of One Word
ISO has changed the wording related to lawn mowers, golf carts and four-wheelers three times over the last several years. These changes, as you would expect, change the coverage provided.…
Is There Trouble When Using Yelp (and ALL Other Social Media)?
When your insureds use Yelp, Twitter or even Facebook they open themselves up to charges of libel and defamation of character. Is your personal lines client protected? A Yelper is…
