Insurance company cancelling us!

[freelancer79d]

USAA is a pro military insurance company. USAA stands for United Services Automobile Association. here is the link: https://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_logon/Logon

 

[EweSheep]

So far, our insurance agent laughed at the shed and coop and we are covered. American Family Insurance , that is! I told him don't bother to insure the coop and birds, they are on my own cost and I dont sell eggs, rarely gave eggs away to neighbors because of so called hype (like right now, the salmonella cases) but my extended family gets the eggs and no problems.

I didn't have an increase of $$$ for that reason. As long I do not harbor GSD, Dobs, Pitts, half breeds of such, Huskies, Chows, or have a known biter, I would be just fine! I told him that we don't have dogs and not planning on any either for a good while when we no longer travel, economy picks up and would take on an additional responsibility of caring, feeding and neuter/spay the dog(s) AND giving it attention.

 

[zazouse]

Thats just weird,
we've used Formost for years even had our farm equipment and dump truck on out homeowners and i have tons of critters and lots of big dogs to guard the place and livestock, they had been out here for a small fire clame once but never said or sent us anything.

Mabe us having a working farm has something to do with it,i don't know that's just weird.

 

[RM44]

Agree USAA is a great insurer. I also agree with those that are surprised by the move to cancel. I would call your insurance company and ask to speak to your agent. Not the secretary or some other home office person, but your actual agent that services your policy. Have an honest and frank conversation with them. If they are concerned about the chickens and/or coop specifically, they might be willing to write a waiver that exempts the chickens/coop, but they shouldn't cancel your homeowners altogether.

As an example of this type of negotiation, I will tell you my own story (with USAA). We live in a home north of Atlanta, GA, on just over an acre of land. Single family dwelling. We purchased 40 acres of undeveloped farmland in Tennessee this year. In order to get a better price on the land, which is currently an active plant nursery with over half the acreage planted in nursery stock, we agreed to let the nursery folks (and former owners of the property) continue to work the property, maintain it and maintain/remove their stock over the next 5 years.

There is an old, run down barn/shed structure up there (30x30 feet) and we restored it by adding siding, painting, re-hanging the doors, etc., and we bought a tractor to use up there. We wanted to store it in the barn (160 miles away from our primary residence) and were worried about theft of the tractor or intentional/accidental damage to the building we just restored. So I called USAA and told them about the property, the building and the tractor. I also told them about the arrangement with the former owners/nursery company, and that the nursery employees would be on the land periodically with tractors, bushhoging and digging up nursery stock.

USAA told me that our land was covered by an "extension" of our current primary residence, up to 40% of the value we have our primary residence covered for under the policy. They also told us the tractor and all other material items of ours were covered up to 10% of the primary residence value. And all this for no additional increase to our homeowners policy. They had a problem with the nursery workers, and had to "research" to decide what to do about that. After about a week, they came back to me and told me that the nursery workers, their equipment and any injuries related to them would be excluded from coverage.

I suspect at worst, the company might agree to exclude your chickens/coop, but I can't see why they'd actually cancel you just because you have chickens. If you don't get a satisfactory answer from them though, and you have access to USAA, then you have several people here who have recommended USAA plus an actual story from me on how USAA treats their customers. Good luck to you!

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
HUH!?

 

[Ohhhdear]

Anyone heard if State Farm homeowner's insurance is nasty about small flock chickens? We're rural, fenced in, nearest neighbors are 200 yards away.

 

[WingingIt]

If you have a Farm Bureau around, call them, too. We've used USAA for years and years and yet, when we bought our house they quoted us an OUTRAGEOUS price. Like literally over three times what the other three companies quoted. They explained it as they use higher rebuilding per sq. ft. numbers. OK. But 3-4 times more than everyone else? They actually asked me to give them the info. from Farm Bureau to give to their actuary dept and I did. The next year I contacted them and their rate had gone done. About $50.

Our of our immediate neighbors (and us) 4 households are either active or retired military and not a one of us use USAA for our homeowners. The still insure our vehicles, though, because even with the multiple policy rate with FB, it was cheaper to use USAA. Crazy, huh?

 

[2bradleys]

Ohhhdear-

I have State Farm, and I'm in Kentucky. Easiest HO insurance company to get along with that I've found. We have two American Pit Bull Terriers...State Farm has no breed specific legislation, they didn't even ask if I *have* dogs. Last year, we installed a wood burning stove. Contacted my agent first...no problem, no raise in premium. Didn't matter what type of wood stove, or if it was homemade. No inspection of the installation was necessary. All I had to do was contact my agent once it was installed and let him know so that he could note the policy. As for chickens...I never asked about mine, but I cannot imagine that a company with no banning of "vicious" breeds and wood burning stoves is going to say something about a chicken, lmao.

 

[mdbokc]

State Farm here and no problems. Our agent even got eggs when they did an inspection (10 years since last one). He thought it was great we had them. Took a pic of the coop for his records.

 

[2bradleys]

Farm Bureau does have breed specific legislation though...so if you have a Rottie, Dobie, GSD, ANY type of bull dog, etc...forget about it. I love how companies can discriminate against dog breeds as a whole, but can't discriminate against children or the elderly or any other "group".