Your Homeowners Insurance and Diseased Tree Removal

When thinking about the coverage found in your Greensboro homeowners insurance policy, two words should be kept in mind – abrupt and unforeseen! While your policy is designed to cover a large number of perils that could possibly cause you serious financial loss, these perils, by nature, must be both sudden and unexpected in order to be covered.

If you have a diseased tree on your property, maintaining the safety of that tree falls within your homeowner's maintenance duties and it is not covered by your Greensboro homeowners insurance policy. Should that diseased tree suddenly fall down, your insurance company will likely see this as a preventable situation and deny a claim. If the tree comes down in a storm or is struck by lightning and falls over, it may be covered by your insurance, but only if it was a healthy tree to begin with. If it was a diseased tree, however, the claim will likely be denied because you should have known in advance that it was at risk of falling down due to its health status.

Negligence, Accident or Maintenance

When you have a tree growing on your property, your insurer assumes that it's your responsibility to keep it healthy or to have it removed. To them, this is proper and prudent maintenance and failure to do so would be negligent. If this tree falls down onto your lawn, your insurer will expect you to foot the bill for removal and cleanup.
If, however, a tree falls onto your house, your fence or your car as the result of a wind storm or a lightning strike, this should be covered by your Greensboro homeowners insurance policy even if the tree was diseased. It would be best to check your policy for specifics on this matter and discuss it with your agent if you're unclear about your coverage. Take note that trees damaged on your property as a result of flood or earthquake are typically not covered by your standard homeowners policy.

Coverage Limits

If you have a fallen tree that your insurer agrees to pay for in removal and cleanup costs, there will generally be a limit to the amount they'll pay. Although each insurer and homeowners policy may differ on this, a typical limit is 5% of your policy's dwelling coverage limit per claim. There may also be a per tree limit, such as $500 or $1000.

Is It Too Late to Change My Homeowners Insurance Policy?

There are numerous reasons for considering changing your Greensboro homeowners insurance policy and you may be curious as to the best time to make this proposed change. After having had your homeowner's coverage for a certain period of time you may be wondering if it's too late to change or cancel your coverage. The answer to that question is, “No.” You may change your homeowner's insurance coverage at any time, assuming you follow certain steps to ensure that you're never without coverage, not even for one day.

Some Reasons For A Change

It's a good idea to revisit your homeowner's insurance coverage and the company underwriting that policy on an annual basis, even if making a change isn't something that's on your mind. Remember that the limits on your coverage may no longer be appropriate, especially if you've made significant improvements to your home or the cost of building a home in your area has gone up significantly since your homeowner's policy was first written.

You may wonder if there's a different insurer out there that can provide you with equal or better coverage than you currently have but at a better price. If you've been shopping around and find such a company it may be worth considering a change. If you decide to make a change, you can do it at any time and, if you've already paid up for your current coverage in advance, you'll be due a partial refund.

Perhaps you've had to make a claim under your current policy and are unhappy with the way the process went. This is one reason people decide to switch insurance companies, and there are plenty of other Greensboro homeowners insurance providers from which to choose. Using a trusted insurance broker is a good way to find some options to your current policy. Let them do the work and present you with options and then you can make an informed choice.

Switching Can Really Pay Off

When comparing different homeowner's policies to find a better deal, don't forget to factor in discounts and incentives. The company you're currently with may offer a loyalty discount that you didn't know about because often you must ask in order to find out about different discounts. Some insurance companies will discount your policy if you carry coverage for more than one area, such as auto insurance, homeowner's insurance, life insurance, etc. Consider all these factors.

What Does Car Insurance Cover?

When you take out a Greensboro car insurance policy, it's recommended that you read it through completely so you have a good idea of exactly what's covered and what's not. There's no simple answer to the question, “what does car insurance cover,” because each policy is unique in that it's drawn up to fit your specific wants and needs.

For starters, your Greensboro car insurance policy is required by North Carolina state law to contain at least a minimum of third-party liability coverage. Here in NC that minimum is $30K per person for bodily injury costs, $60K for all third-party injuries in a single incident and $25K for loss or damage to third-party property.

It's Not Enough

The above-stated mandated liability minimums only protect third parties suffering losses as a result of an accident for which you are held liable. Considering the high rates of today's medical costs and property values, including replacement of totaled vehicles, these minimums are woefully low. Experts agree that your liability coverage should be five or ten times the required minimums. Many recommend purchasing a $1M umbrella policy, especially if you have significant assets that may be at risk in a liability lawsuit.

Other Policy Protections

One other requirement mandated by state law is a minimum amount of protection against losses suffered as the result of liability by a driver who is uninsured or underinsured. Beyond these insurance requirements, you have several options for choosing policy protections that cover other than liability losses. Here are some of the most typical coverage options for those drivers who choose to add them to their basic coverage:

• Medical Payments or MedPay – pays toward losses suffered by you or any of your passengers as the result of a vehicle accident.
• Collision Protection – pays toward repair or replacement of your vehicle caused by a collision. If the accident is another driver's fault, their liability coverage should pay first and your collision protection should pay in addition if needed.
• Comprehensive Coverage – pays toward repair or replacement of your vehicle when damaged or loss due to something other than a collision with another vehicle or object. This includes fire, vandalism, theft, falling objects, flood, earthquake and more.