I recently had my 3 year "farm review" by my insurance agent. She informed me that my "farm" has gone from #1 rating - immaculate (her word) - to a #2 rating. I didn't think it was a HUGE deal but my house/farm payment has gone from $795 a month to $869. That's an increase of $75 per month!! She cited "debris." I prefer to think of it as work-in-progress. I'm not talking school buses on blocks in the front yard! I'm talking 2 x 4's for a goat milker, plastic recycling stuff, a cement mixer (in perfect working order), and 5 cedar logs to be taken to the mill - all movable stuff. Does anyone know of any other insurance company that allows wood burners? It's actually a fireplace insert... I really need a more farm friendly company. I am currently with Farm Bureau. Thanks everyone!

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), July 06, 2001

Answers

A way to restore your #1 rating is to move the stuff as far as you can from the existing house and structure. One of our neighbors had a similar problem and built a "tobacco shed" pole shelter about 500 feet from his residence and existing structures to store all lumber scraps and odd and ends under neatly and paided for a reevaluation.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), July 06, 2001.

Gailann, you might want to check out AutoOwners. They allow us our woodburner and give a discount when you have both your vehicles and home insured with them.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), July 06, 2001.

Ask the agency in your state that issues the licenses to sell insurance. They will provide you with the information about companies that insure homes that have woodburners. They usually also have a list of companies that "must" insure properties that are rejected as uninsurable. The cost may be high but there is coverage available for just about any kind of property.

The increase that you describe in your post seems out of line to me, and would cause me to do some serious shopping around. Good shopping.

-- Ed Copp (OH) (edcopp@yahoo.com), July 06, 2001.

Gailann, Consider yourself lucky! I was with Allstate Insurance for thiry years (without a late payment or claim) and was cancelled without notice. They told me that I was cancelled because I was actuarillary (sp?) "due". In plain language, I was overdue for filing a claim and they wanted to dump me before it happened. That was five or six years ago and I still have not filed a claim with my present insurer (Farm Bureau). We live in an earth-sheltered reinforced concrete home with a fully independent fire suppression system and could not get insurance with any other company because we did not have central heat and air conditioning. Believe it or not, agents are not allowed to write policies on homes which do not have central heat or air because corporate lawyers consider homes without heat and air to be "obsolete". Goes to show you how the lawyers control our freedoms. Trust me, you are as well off as you are going to get. P.S. I am not a Farm Bureau agent, just a homesteader who was glad to find anyone who would insure my place.

-- John James (jjames@n-jcenter.com), July 07, 2001.

Insurance companies!! My brother and sister-in-law built their house themselves (and the help of friends) with no debt by doing what they could as they could afford it. After completing it her father felt they should insure it (it is large and very nice) and he was going to buy the insurance for them. They had a hard time finding insurance. They were told that because they had never insured it before, insurance companies felt as if they probably wouldn't take good care of it because they didn't bother to insure it. Forget that they built a very nice house but just couldn't afford to do that and insure it too.

-- Terry - NW Ohio (aunt_tm@hotmail.com), July 07, 2001.

Thanks everyone! I am currently doing "summer pruning" with a chainsaw to the shrubs I hate! I hope to have the place put back to "mother-in-law" presentable soon. I will then call Farm Bureau for a re-evaluation. I found another company in town that will insure wood burners too. I will check with the state license people (Thanks, Ed. Never dawned on me to do that!) for more insurance names. I appreciate all the info... I haven't had a picky mother-in-law for so long (or a mother for that matter) that I have gotten comfortable with my projects! Smiles to all.

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), July 12, 2001.