Which carriers write in the name of an LLC?Cumberland, PCIC, Stillwater will write Dwelling fires in the name of LLC if tenant occupied. Farmers of Salem could write dwelling fires in the name of an LLC only if it is owner-occupied.
Back to TopHow close to the water/coast can we write?This varies with each carrier, but as quick guide Preferred Mutual can only write 2 miles away from the coast. Mercury can write 1 mile out from the coast. Farmers of Salem and PCIC will determine eligibility based on zip code. Cumberland has recently announced that they will accept risks that are ½ mile from the coast in eligible zip codes.
Back to TopWho will write a secondary/seasonal home without having the primary?Stillwater can write secondary properties without having the primary in New Jersey. As long as the home is occupied for at least 6 months out of the year and does not contain roommates or boarders. The property must also be located within a limited access community. Cumberland will write them on dwelling fire forms but they must be owner occupied. Foremost can also write but only as a dwelling fire.
Back to TopWhich carrier writes standalone umbrellas?Only Stillwater can write stand alone umbrellas. For the other carriers it is an endorsement to the primary homeowners policy.
Back to TopCan we buy stand alone earthquake coverage?Unfortunately this has to be an endorsement to a primary homeowners policy with our carriers.
Back to TopIs there a list of prohibited dogs?Yes! All of our carriers have a list of breeds of dogs that are ineligible. Each individual carrier’s guidelines to determine which breeds are not acceptable. A general list of the usual breeds can be found in Carrier Guidelines in the Agents Area of uaanj.com Note that any animal with any kind of bite history, no matter how long ago, is ineligible.
Back to TopWho will write policies in “The Estate of”?Farmers of Salem can write dwelling fire policies in the name of an estate only if they wrote the prior homeowners policy on the dwelling. The estate would be listed as the named insured with executors added as additional interests using the MPL 40 endorsement. Stillwater also can write estate policies on a dwelling fire form, but it must be owner occupied and the estate would be listed as an additional insured. PCIC can write them on a tenant occupied dwelling fire form as well.
Back to TopCan we get coverage for farming exposures?Preferred Mutual does have an Incidental Farming endorsement (ML-320) to provide coverage for liability arising out of an insured’s farming activities on or away from the insured premises. Animal collision could be added to cover the loss by death to cattle, horses, mules, donkies, sheep or goats; this only applies if the animal was struck by a vehicle while on a public road.
Cumberland will allow two horses on premises if they are kept for personal use and adequate fencing is available. Risks where horses are bred or boarded or race horses or show horses are raised or more than 2 personal horses on premises are prohibited.
PCIC also contains an endorsement to provide coverage for the liability of the insured when farming is conducted on the residence premises and is incidental to the use of the premises as a dwelling, and the income derived from the farming operation is not the insured’s primary source of income. It is called the HO-24 72.
Back to TopWhat is the difference between a HO-3 and HO-5?HO-3 is the most common form of homeowners policies. It covers the dwelling and other structures on all-risk/special basis, so if a loss is not specifically excluded then it is covered. However, it provides coverage to personal property on a named perils basis, so if a loss is not listed as a named peril, it is not covered. HO-5 offers the best coverage as it insures the dwelling, other structures and personal property on an all-risk/open peril basis.
Back to TopWhy can’t UAA write DP-1 and DP-2 forms?UAA can only write DP-3 forms as that provides the best coverage for landlord polices. DP-1 forms are limited to covering fire, lightening and internal explosion only. DP-2 offers broad coverage but it is a named perils basis. DP-3 offers special/all-risk coverage on the dwelling, so if it is not excluded by the carrier, it is covered.
Back to TopWhat is ordinance or law coverage?This is designed to provide an insured an additional amount of insurance for costs associated with changes in building ordinances or codes after a covered loss. For example, a home built in 1980, insured for $240,000 burns to the ground. The cost to rebuild, including mandatory building code improvements runs $300,000. That is $60,000 the insured must pay out of pocket.
Back to TopWhat is replacement cost? Can we write coverage using actual cash value? Replacement cost is defined as the cost to replace damaged property with like kind and quality at today’s price, without deduction for depreciation. Actual cash value takes into account depreciation. Personal property should be insured on a replacement cost basis as the insured will receive more compensation in the event of a covered loss.
Back to TopWhat is needed to bind an umbrella policy?
- Umbrella application
- MVRs for all drivers in household
- Copy of current primary homeowners policy
- Copy of current auto declarations
- Copies of any policies for any recreational vehicles, watercraft, snowmobiles
- Copies of policies for any other residencies owned by insured
Back to TopCan we insure recreational vehicles on a homeowners policy?Generally, homeowner’s policies do not cover “motor vehicles” unless they are used solely to service a residence or to assist the handicapped. Liability and medical payments would be excluded for “ motor vehicles” if is registered for use on public roads, rented to others, used to carry persons or cargo for a charge, operated in any racing or used for any business purposes.
However, a homeowner’s policy could extend liability to an insured’s use of non-owned recreational vehicles that is designed for use off-public roads as long as it is not registered or required to be registered for public road use.
Back to TopMy client does some business on the premises and has some of the business property at their home, are they covered?While no business exclusions apply to the dwelling coverage A, exclusions do apply to coverage B other structures and coverage C personal property. Coverage B can be completely excluded from a loss if a structure is storing business property, while coverage C offers limited coverage on business property, and much less on business property when away from the premises. The insured should be advised to add their home as a location on their commercial policy.
Back to TopWhat is water backup? How much should we offer?Water backup/ sump pump overflow provides coverage for direct loss to insured property caused by water or sewage which backs up through sewers and drains or overflows from a sump. Drains that could back up include bathtubs, sinks, and toilets. UAA recommends adding at least $10,000 minimum to all new business prospects, however higher limits are recommended.
Back to TopHow do I get access to policy dec pages?Simply email your request to support@uaanj.com with the client’s name, policy number, carrier and your Allstate ID # and agency name you’ll receive them in 24 hours.
Back to TopHow long is the turnaround time to get approval on a quote I submittedTurnaround time is 24-48 hours. No coverage is issued until UAA approves and issues a policy, at which time proofs in the form of evidences or declarations pages, will be sent to the agent.
Back to TopWhy does a dwelling need to be occupied within 30 days of issuance?Many carriers consider a dwelling that does not have any occupants to be vacant after 30 days. After 30 days of continuous vacancy, the property is considered to be ineligible for coverage.
Back to TopWhere can we place vacant properties?Currently we can only place vacant properties with Foremost.
Back to TopMy client is renovating their home, which carrier will write a builder’s risk?Preferred Mutual will write a builder’s risk policy if the home will be owner occupied once completed and the construction must be begin from the ground up.
Back to TopHow can we delete an endorsement / coverage altogether?Simply have the client sign a waiver of coverage letter, stating that they have been advised by their agent of the function of the particular coverage and that they are voluntary waiving the coverage. The client should also acknowledge that they are not covered for any losses arising out of the coverage they are wishing to exclude and that for extra premium; they can endorse their policy at any time to include coverage.
Back to TopMy insured missed their payment, can the policy be reinstated?Reinstatements are on a case by case basis. It depends how long the payment is past due and the payment history of the client as well. Agents need to contact UAA for assistance. Generally, reinstatements require payment to the carrier over the phone by the insured as well as a signed No Loss letter submitted the same day.
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