Friday, November 23, 2012

LISTEN UP! All current and future condo owners!!

Have you ever wondered what would happen if the unit next to you went up in flames or had a pipe that burst, severely damaging other units in your complex? It may not seem like something that could happen to you, but I’m here to tell you it can!

Imagine one day; the unthinkable happens. The woman next door was in such a hurry trying to get to work in the morning she left her stove on HIGH!! Her unit goes up in flames and all the units next to her are burnt to the ground. Including yours! You get home from work only to find your beautiful home in utter disarray. The final flames are being put out by the fire fighters.  All your belongings… gone. You lost everything. Clothes, furniture, appliances, family photos…AND you just put in those new hardwood floors!


Not to worry, you purchased a comprehensive condo policy. Your insurance company will pick up the bill, but you might wonder, who’s going to pay to replace the building itself?

The condo corporation of course! Think again… they do have a policy set in place to cover the cost of rebuilding but who’s on the hook to pay the deductible to the condo corporation’s policy? Surprise! YOU ARE! And it’s not a small amount.

The condo corporation can ask every condo owner to cover the cost of their deductible. Sometimes you’re looking at anywhere between $5,000- $20,000 per condo owner. I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t have $20,000 sitting in the bank waiting to pay a deductible for fire I didn’t even cause! 

So where do you go from here? Well there’s actually an easy fix! Some insurance companies will cover the cost of the condo corporation’s deductible under your own policy up to a certain limit. 

Contact your local broker to discuss the coverage’s under your condominium policy.


Written by Genevieve St-Denis, Account Executive,
Rhodes & Williams Limited

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Is your pet insured on your homeowner’s policy?

Some of you may remember the story of the sales associate at Home Depot who was bit by a customer’s Shih Tzu last summer.  She was bending down to pet the dog when it leaped out and bit her right in the face! The woman sustained severe injuries from the little pup and required plastic surgery in order to fix her torn off nose. 

 
The photo above is a Shih-Tzu; the same breed that is
responsible for the attack of the Home Depot Associate.

Regardless of the size, any dog can be dangerous.
 The 66-year-old customer was fined $610 by a bylaw officer and ordered to keep her 12-year-old Shih Tzu muzzled at all times in public.    

Even though the customer was reprimanded for her dog’s actions, the Home Depot employee still decided to take legal action against the dog’s owner. 

In this case, the employee would have sued against the Personal Liability portion of thecustomer’s property policy for the actions of the dog. Keep in mind that every claim is investigated on a case by case basis and that all insurance companies have different exclusions.In this situation, the insuring company did pay out the claim, however the amount was undisclosed. 

It’s important to know that a situation resulting in a liability claim can happen anywhere at anytime. Therefore, it’s important to have sufficient liability coverage on your tenants, condo or homeowners policy. In this case, it benefited the customer greatly as she did not have to bear the cost of the settlement.  

Contact your local broker for more information on liability coverage. 

*Please note that your pet is not insured on your policy as property. Meaning you would have no coverage for health benefits for your animal or coverage if they were to be stolen. 

Written by Genevieve St-Denis, Account Executive,
Rhodes & Williams Limited