Homeowners Insurance Policy Cancelled for keeping chickens?

[ihvpower]

OK, last month, I switched insurance carriers from Eastern to Liberty Mutual. I gave them my Homeowners, car and boat insurance business. A few weeks ago, a man came out and did an inspection on the property. Today, in the mail came a letter from Liberty Mutual telling me that my Homeowners insurance was cancelled because, "the number of non-domesticated animals exceeds the maximum allowable". In my small town of Uxbridge, MA. there are no town ordinances or by-laws or what have you regarding the keeping of chickens and to my knowledge, chickens are not considered non-domesticated animals. I called LM and got quite a chuckle from the woman who answered as she had never encountered the problem before. I had recently sold my flock, I told her but if I hadn't, why are chickens not allowed? how many are acceptable and why do the underwriters consider chickens a non-domesticated animal? In my town, even Alpaca are not considered farm animals but chickens are???

Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with this issue??

Nancy

 

[nivtup]

No experience, and no help to offer.

I would immediately switch to someone else. And I would tell them very clearly why.

 

[Kevin565]

Maybe your policy had a certain amount of allowable pets rather than your city ordinance?

 

[Bullitt]

Chickens and Alpacas are both domesticated animals. I think the insurance company meant to say you exceeded the allowable number of domesticated animals.

Non-domesticated animals would be like wolves and tigers. I am guessing the insurance company would not insure anyone with these animals.

 

[cassie]

Insurance companies don't know the difference. And sometimes no logic applies at all. My MIL once had her insurance cancelled because "her house was too far from the fire station". Her house was less than 1/4 mile from the fire station, but the inspector had passed a fire station about ten miles from her house and assumed that was the one that protected her house. He didn't see the close one and as far as he was concerned, because he didn't see it, it didn't exist. The insurance company agreed with their inspector, so MIL changed insurance companies. She came out the better on this deal because the second company offered much better rates.

 

[chickenzoo]

Yep, a lot of insurance company's wont insure you if you have horses etc etc.... When we bought this new place, with all my zoo animals and reg farm critters it was hard to find an insurance company that would touch us.

 

[GardenerGal]

Insurance companies may also withhold coverage if you have certain breeds of dog. Besides the "obvious" ones such as Dobermans, pitbulls and German shepherds, I learned that cocker spaniels and other smaller breeds are also on the "no" list!

Nancy, I live on the North Shore of Massachusetts in a town where there also are no ordinances for livestock. I have kept goats, geese, chickens, ducks on my small property with no complaints from my insurance company (Safety Insurance). Maybe try them.

 

[Ole and Lena]

We're with Grinnel Mutual. We had to get a rider for the horse (agent couldn't figure out why I laughed at that statement) but the chickens, dogs, cats are cool so long as we're not selling large quantities, but damage caused by animals to our property is specifically exempted. Basically anything smaller than a cow is OK without any special concern. A horse under 12 hands is considered a pet, not livestock in their calculations so no rider needed for ponies either but personal injury resulting from "equine activities" is not covered without the horse rider. They're even OK about the woodstove.

 

[chickenzoo]

Most of the ones I talked too didn't even know what a Emu was...... Lol. I finally found one that didn't faint from my list of animals.......

 

[GardenerGal]

We had to get a rider for the horse (agent couldn't figure out why I laughed at that statement)