Home Owners Insurance...

rozett · Aug 18, 2004

I am at my whits end and looking to see what other folks have done with this. I have been a State Farm customer for 30 years and never made a homeowners claim. Last year I got a 24% rate increase and this year it was 50%. I asked the agent for an explaination and he said that he would investigate and call me. No call /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif So, that's the end of State Farm. Now I go looking for quotes elsewhere. As soon as I say that I have a small farm, half of them end the conversation. As soon as they learn that we have two pleasure horses, the other half terminate the conversation.

So, those of you with horses, what do you do for homeowners insurance? What carriers are available for coverage? (I know that each state approves different carriers).

Same questions for those with small farms. We have raspberries, blueberries, and christmas trees. No employees, other than an occaisional high schooler hired for a chore. No customers on premisis.

slowrev · Aug 18, 2004

Had similiar problem with state farm. Bought small farm and State farm did not want to insure it, because it was too high of a risk, 8 miles from town. It seems that they are not in the business of taking risks any more. hmmm thought that was their business. Well we were 30YR plus customers with home and auto's. Moved everything to Farm Bureau and have been very pleased. And saved more money then going with the lizard.

MicroPilot · Aug 18, 2004

Were you told or did you ask why being a farm or having horses was keeping them from selling you insurance?

Golfgar4 · Aug 18, 2004

You might want to contact your state's Insurance Commissioners Office and let them know what happened. If nothing else, enough calls from the public may put some heat on these companies that do this.

BTW - State Farm did basically the same thing to me about 10 years ago, after one of their claim adjusters told me to file a claim for some damage a repairman did to our carpeting. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

DaveNay · Aug 18, 2004

We have Erie Insurance, and have no problems. The agent has been out to the farm several times even, and likes the place /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif.

Dave

timb · Aug 18, 2004

How does a place named 'State Farm' not cover farms? Something just isn't right with that. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

We also have Erie, but have the place set up as just a private home, not a 'working farm'. But I have to agree, I never seem to get the hassles from my agent that other folks have posted about. Even covering the property when I wasn't living there yet. When I added the 'Inland Marine' policy for the new tractor and implements - I searched through the archives here and realized I was also getting quoted one of the best per-thou$and rate of any the posters. But - I've had Erie for over 25 years, for auto, home, business (non-farm), the works, and have never had a single claim. If and when that ever happens we'll see how things turn out.

Jimbrown · Aug 18, 2004

I had the same problem when we built our house last year. No one would touch me including ones I had done business with for 40 yrs. I finally got coverage from "Farmers" Even then the first agent would not help me but a different Farmers agent in the same town had me covered in 2 hours. I had to provide picturs proving that I had all of the brush and high grass removed from a round the house as fire is the biggest danger here in Arizona. State Farm is a joke they do not even insure farms any more.

mahlers · Aug 18, 2004

I hear you - I've gone through four insurance companies in the past two years. I've never had a claim, and I keep my coverage to an absolute minimum, and they keep cancelling me for bizarre reasons (house is more than 50 years old, they don't write policies in California anymore, I'm 2.1 miles from a fire station /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif). Since my mortgage is through Countrywide, though, it hasn't been much of a problem since I also use them as my insurance agents. So every time I get cancelled I just tell them to fix it or let me go without insurance to cover the mortgage. They always place a new policy within a day or so.

California · Aug 18, 2004

Try Maine Farm Bureau.

Here in California the state chapter of FB is a powerful lobbying organization with access to insurance as one of the significant member benefits. I don't agree with their politics, continually attacking endangered species protection, pushing legislation to prevent counties from creating Genetically Modified crop standards, etc etc but at least for insurance they are the powerful ally you need in your corner to obtain insurance.

Dad went with them when he ran out of alternatives to insure this primitive farmhouse.

I looked at Maine FB's web page and didn't see anything about insurance, but perhaps membership would qualify you to deal with an insurance agent in a nearby state.

You might also look at other rural service and fraternal groups such as the Grange. There must be other owners in your shoes and they are probably congregated together somewhere.

Good luck with this!

hillslider · Aug 18, 2004

You should try to get a farmers poicy in West Virginia!!!!! I have had real problems trying to find decent coverage. I got dropped form Farmers Mutual of Morgantown WV....they decided to drop most of their agents and those cutomers like me paid dearly. I called everyone in the phone book. State Farm is not writing new policies in WV...I asked them then why the h*** did you answer the phone! Most of the companies I called do not write farmers policies and the rest said they are not writing new policies. I called the State's insurence commision and I was better off banging my head on the wall than talk to those useless SOB's. I finally got a policy 3 months after being dropped. Of course the home morgage company got wind of this and they issued me a temp policy for a wopping 1100.00. Yes and that was only for 90 days. I HATE INSURENCE COMPANIES!!!!! I am not rich enough to be without insurence and I can not afford to have it!