Home Owners Insurance

[wickedfood]

Hey, just wondering how many folks here have notified their home owners insurance company of their tanks???

[T Man]

Shhhhhhh!!!! I'm sure they'd find some loophole to either raise my premium or heavens forbid......not cover a cataclismic claim. I know firsthand that some agents will increase premiums on specific breeds of dogs ( potential biters). I can just hear it now........
I would contact a different agent than you have now to "check out" TinMan

[HDAlien]

I talked to my insurance company and was told I'm covered, no problem.

[JetCat USA]

most policies will cover the water damage a busted tank would do, but they don't cover the tank or its contents.

[coastalaqu]

mine covers the tank and water damage, will not cover the contents. To bad.

[deahtop]

I was told the same, it'll cover my tank and damages but not its contents

[wickedfood]

That makes me feel better, that water damage is covered, but I'm still reluctant to ask just to make sure. Don't want to invite them to raise my premium...

[dukenukem]

It's really no different having an aquarium than if you have a waterbed Think about how many gallons a king bed could hold!

[HDAlien]

Originally posted by dukenukem
It's really no different having an aquarium than if you have a waterbed Think about how many gallons a king bed could hold!

Eek, I have both a waterbed and a reef tank if both ever went for some reason (earthquake?).....

[Peedub20]

If I were you, I would call your agent and give him a bit of a white lie.

Tell him you are looking into the fish tank, and want to know if that would change your premium at all.

[seapug]

I just met with my insurance agent last week and specifically asked about it. She said that carpeting and/or structural damage to the house would be covered, but the tank, its inhabitants, and any furniture or personal items that might be damaged in a flood caused by it wouldn't be covered. She said that is a pretty standard level of coverage across the industry and anything beyond that would require a special policy, inspections, appraisals, etc.

If you think you have coverage beyond structural damage without paying a special premium, you might be wise to ask your agent about the "fine print" of your policy. And make double sure your tank plumbing is tight.

[Nightfall_fish]

Alright, alright! I happen to work for State Farm insurance, so let me set a few things straight. First of all any time you call your agent to ask them a question about your coverage they will happily answer you. By asking a question they will NOT just raise your rates from a whim. Insurance companies are really not out to screw you, and if you feel like your agent isn't taking care of you the way you should be...fire him! Go out and find someone who does care about your interests. Yes, your tanks and equipment are covered, your livestock may or may not be. When in doubt always have documentation of what you have...you never know when an adjustor will help you out. That is what we're here for after all.

[TitusvileSurfer]

^ Yay I have State Farm.

[seapug]

Interesting, Nighfall_fish.. my STATE FARM insurance agent made a special call to a claims rep. on the subject while I sat there. They told me the tank, equipment, and furniture would not be covered-- only the structure of the house and things "nailed" to it. Does State Farm's coverage differ from one place to another or was I told the wrong thing? How can I find out for sure? This is why people distrust insurance companies!

[Lordhelmet]

i worked for SF last year and can tell you the animals are not covered. the only animals SF covers are show horses. and they have a special policy for that. but your tank and all the equipment are covered since they are your possessions and they are covered under your Homeowners policy. but your deductible does apply.

[Nightfall_fish]

Lordhelmet is correct. Your tanks and equipment are just like your couch and your TV. It's all personal property. Like I said in my previous post, the LIVESTOCK is NOT covered. Just like your dog or cat isn't.

As far as if policies being differant by state...yes. State laws require differant things from us, and resrict coverages on certain things. I have not however heard of a policy that doesn't cover any personal property, only fixtures. I'll do some checking around for you guys and see what i can find out. Another option is to question your agent and his staff like you were a member of the inquistion....

We don't mind...really. That's our job.

[wickedfood]

Originally posted by Peedub20
If I were you, I would call your agent and give him a bit of a white lie.

Tell him you are looking into the fish tank, and want to know if that would change your premium at all.

Thanks, that's a good idea.

[Nightfall_fish]

Sorry, went on a bit of a tangent there...to answer the question at hand... NO having a fish tank does not change your premium. the only reason a dog does is the liability that it might bite someone. Not too many people getting attacked by fish....

[seapug]

Thanks for the info Nightfall_fish, but there is still a big discrepancy between what you are saying and what I was told by State Farm. It would be a huge help if you could see what you can find out about the details of personal property damage vs. structure/fixtures. If it makes any difference, I live in Colorado.

Again, according to the claims rep. I specifically spoke to about it, they were very clear in stating that no personal property would be covered if my tank happened to split open and empty on to the floor, only the structure of the house and fixtures. Since it was my agent and a State Farm Claims rep that told me this info, I'm not sure who else I could ask about it.

[Peedub20]

Your personal contents outside of your contents in the tank, and possibly the tank itself seem like they should be covered. I would be very surprised if its not.

I am an insurance adjuster, and normally you are covered outside the actual origin of the loss(atleast in most policies).

example: You have a pipe leak in your basement, and ruins carpet, chairs, drywall, etc... All would be covered, except the work to the actual pipe.

[TonyOrlando]

I just switched my insurance to Allstate. Make sure you get replacement cost. There is no additional premium for a fish tank. The reason why you have premiums on dogs is that there is a risk of them biting someone. My tank and equipment is coverd for up to $5000. It will not cover any type of livestock though and of course it will also cover any type of water damage incase of tank break!

[IslandCrow]

Not too many people getting attacked by fish....

I don't know, there are some pretty aggressive Damsels out there. You never know when one might jump out of the tank and go for the jugular!

Seriously, though, thanks for all the good info. Truthfully, I never gave it much thought, so I'm glad someone brought it up.

[Aslan]

I have a policy on my tank that covers the first $25,000. Including damage to the physical structure, carpet, walls, etc. AND the tank, stand, equipment, what not. For the first $25K.

In order for my apratment complex to allow the tank, this was the deal.

I'm on the first floor on a concrete slab. Besides the carpet I really don't know why they are so worried about my 20g tank.

[JetCat USA]

Originally posted by Aslan
............. Besides the carpet I really don't know why they are so worried about my 20g tank.

you'd fully understand their concerns if you've ever owned and rented out a home, you'd be right surprised how people can completely destroy something in such a short amount of time.

[landlord]

I always love when my renters decide to chage their motorcycle oil in the living room, and then get mad when they do not get their deposit back!

--landlord