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Why did my insurance company drop me for damage that has been on the house for years?
Why did the insurance company cancel my policy for the damage they have been aware of for years? The deck on the back of my house has been rotting away and the stairs aren't used anymore. No big deal; we just stopped using the back door and get to the backyard through the garage.
Shannon Martin · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
“Insurance companies can deem structures that are worn down from wear and tear unsafe, and if they aren’t repaired promptly, they can cancel the policy.
It could be that they may have recently upgraded their underwriting criteria and the deck is no longer acceptable in its current condition.
Liability claims get filed against homeowner’s all the time for injuries resulting from rickety stairs and unsecured railings. Even though you don’t use the back door yourself, if anyone on your property gets hurt from a poorly maintained deck, you will be held financially responsible.
Do you remember receiving a letter in the mail asking for your deck to be replaced or repaired?
In most cases, insurance cannot cancel your policy without warning and should have offered you a time frame to have the repairs completed.
At this point, your only course of action is to find another insurance policy. Keep in mind that most insurance companies will send out a home inspector within the first 30 days of the policy. The odds are they will also send a letter requiring the deck to be repaired.
Since you are already shopping for a new home policy, now is a good time to re-shop both your
home and auto insurance
policies. By bundling your auto and home insurance, you can save with a multi-line discount. Use the free
Jerry
app to help make this happen! Jerry collects auto and home quotes from over 50 companies and brings the lowest available rates right to your phone.”View full answer
- Gregory R.
WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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