[Oxboro]

We have recently received a notice from our insurance company cancelling our home owners insurance. They have given us two reasons. The first is distance is too far from a fire station. In actuality we have two fire stations within 3 miles of the house.

The other reason is the presence of 10 Basset Hounds.

The insurance comapny is Met Life (yes the Snoopy company). In the forty years that I have owned Basset Hounds I have never filed a claim related to the dogs.

The policy does not state an exclusion for dogs other than those that are considered to be aggressive. If prople out ther have Met Life homeowners I would suggest finding a new insurance company.

Meanwhile we will be complaining to the Washington State Insurance commissioner and scrambling to find new hoem owners insurance.


My friends with the Am Straffs said that it could happen to anybody and i guess they were right.

Stephanie Gonyeau

 

[Twinkie's Mum]

My goodness, what do our breeder folk do? Seems pretty unfair to me.

Janet 'n Twinkie

 

[Lisar4]

As someone who actually sells homeowner insurance, this disturbs me regarding the animal. Most, if not all, policies exclude aggressive animals or any animal with a bite history as well as any breed that "could" be agressive such as the pit, rott, wolf hybrid, etc. I've never known a basset to be on this list.

When you applied for the homeowner insurance, did you list any dogs on the app at all? If so, why are they cancelling you now? Also, did they give you 60 days notice of cancellation?? I could see getting you to maybe sign a animal exclusion endorsement but not cancelling the whole kit and caboodle!!

As for the fire station (and hydrant) location, this determines the PPC (protection) code you are in. Usually, if you are in a PPC 10 (more than 5 miles away from a station and over 1000 ft from a hydrant) a lot of carriers do not like to write this type of risk. Of course, your agent should have known your correct PPC before he did the app. Anyway, most carriers will accept a letter from the fire station stating how close you actually are to them. You might want to check that out.

DISCLAIMER: I do not write insurance in Washington so I do not know the laws and regulations in that state. This is just my own experience with insurance in my own state. (LOL - Had to put that in!!)

 

[Aruuuu]

We live in MA, and home owners here have been cancelled because their dogs were on the aggressive list. Not bassets, of course, so we're okay. I'm wondering if it's because you have ten dogs, but I don't see why that would affect your insurance risk.

 

[Oxboro]

Lisa,

We have received the 60 days notice (delivered to my husband's work address while he was on vacation). The policy application had not asked for info regarding the dogs however we had notified the agent both verbally and in writing about the dogs before purchasing the insurance.

We live on 20 acres and the entire property is cross fenced with 5 and 6 foot fence mainly to protect our dogs from the neighbors Rotteiler rescue operation.

The fire issue may be the big issue as we do live in Central Washington which is prone to fire during the dry season. Our house exceeds all recommendations from the DNR and Fire department for defensible green space. As is true in much of Washington State particularly the unincorporated areas we rely on a volunteer fire department.

I believe that Washington State prohibits cancelling of insurance for other than an aggressive dog, but I am not certain on that.

We have filed a complaint with the insurance commissioner and will also ask our State rep and State Senator for help once the campaign is over.

I am still royally ticked off!

Stephanie Gonyeau