Homeowners insurance water damage coverage

[PurpleFloyd]

Of a different type for sure, but old enough to know that simulation and hardware are two different things. And sometimes stuff gets left out of the calculation and the 35W bridge falls down.

I guess I should have paid more attention when they were laying pipe in the street in front of my hours. I am pretty sure the sewer was plastic, but I don't remember what the water was.

It just seems to me that government ought to step up and take responsibility for damage caused by their systems malfunctioning.

What malfunction? because a ground shift broke a pipe? That is an act of god in any terminology. Secondly- How would you propose the city pays for it since their budget for that dept comes from property tax revenue?

[Powerstroke]

Lets compare a water main break to a pothole. The road is installed and maintained correctly every year. Some winters and springs are worse than others. Then you get a year like last year or this year and there is lots of water and a long freeze-thaw period. There is nothing preventable about that and there is no way to predict where the potholes will form. They will form in the usual places and they will form in places they've never been before. Sometimes they happen, get repaired and never cause a problem. Sometimes that pothole forms, causes damage then gets repaired.

If you got vehicle damage because of a nasty pothole the city would not be liable unless certain pretty well known factors were present.

The same is with water pipes. They are installed correctly and serve their purpose year after year without anyone complaining. Then all of a sudden they fail due to nature's hubris. Sometimes it effects no one, sometimes its catastrophic. Doesn't mean its anyone's fault.

99% likelihood that your water pipes are 6" or 8" ductile iron with an 8" PVC sewer. Your house's service line is likely to wear out or cause a problem long before the water main. You'll probably never experience a water main break in your entire life.

If you're interested in knowing more about your area. Call your public works office. We talk to people about this stuff all the time, especially after one of these stories makes the news.

[Tom7227]

Municipal tort liability is based on Minn. Stat. §466.01 - .15.

A basic premise is that municipalities are immune from liability unless a specific statute provides for it. The idea is based on old common law concepts but pretty much can be understood by accepting the idea that it's better to let one injured person to be uncovered than to expose all of society to any losses. May not seem fair to many but it's based on hundreds of years of legal precedent.

There are also limits on what can be paid out on any claim. The limit right now is $1.5 million for all claims arising out of any one incident.

As a previous writer indicated there has to proof of negligence by the municipality, and in instances like a sewer break there has to have been notice that the defect exists before there can be a finding of liability. The issue of notice is often litigated and it is one of the reasons why cities keep track of complaints.

An example of where that may occur is where there has been evidence of leakage in water or sewer pipes and someone has called and reported it. Unless there is something like that there isn't going to be any liability assignable to the municipality.

A city cannot pay out money just because something seems unfair. There has to be a public purpose behind the expenditure, and if there isn't assignable liability there is no public purpose.

Without laws like this the cost of government would increase dramatically. Society has decided that it's better to avoid that and let some folks accept the loss.

Just the way it is. Fairness is in the eye of the beholder.

[delcecchi]

Just goes to show I am not a lawyer.

[BoxMN]

Just found that my quote comes in at $74 for $5,000. Seems a tad higher than you guys quotes. This is AmFam, everything else has usually been cheaper or as cheap as other quotes. Possibly they are raising prices a bit leading up to flood time. They did tell me they are not writing any more after 3/17, in prep for spring floods. I got it, basically to cover a bit should anything bad happen. Then time to do the once over on all my coverage...

[Powerstroke]

Thanks Tom. I appreciate the clarity.

[ozzie]

GOD HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH INSURANCE!!!

Box- $74 for $5000 in coverage has been the price of the sewer back-up endorsement for quite awhile...for amfam the most coverage you can get I believe is only 10,000 unless you go through special underwriting....

[mabr]

Not trying to scare anyone but 5K - 10K is really low for any water loss. I've completed 2 so far this winter for sump pump failure in the basements and both policies cashed out for policy limits. Leaving the Homeowner to come up with the remainder of the repair portion or performing the work themselves. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read your policy and ask your agent questions before signing on the dotted line.

I have a black water loss right now that is running in the mid 20's just for the basement but this owner does have coverage due to the way there policy is written.

Any renters out there? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get a renters policy its very reasonable. If you have seen what Ive seen and you loose all your belongings due to someone else's carelessness you will be happy you have it.

[BoxMN]

Thanks mabr, good advice. My basement is plain old empty. Only furnace, washer/dryer, water heater and a freezer. Rest is concrete walls and boxes of stuff I should throw out anyway If it was finished I would up it for sure.