Home insurance ****** *******s...I lost my main electrical service line...

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Here in Houston we have underground service cables. The electric company does not replace service cables from the transformer to the house meter, it is the home owners responsibility. Ours failed 2 weeks ago and we are on the verge of pulling the trigger and starting work.

Question: Will a typical home owners policy cover this? I think not, but thought I'd ask and I don't want to get gigged for an "inquiry". I beleive I have the standard Texas "B" policy.

TIA!

[jk the sooner fan]

no

what peril caused the damage

do you have a home warranty?

[skycat]

I want to face the peril!

[TheHumanAlphabet]

no What I figured...


what peril caused the damage Don't know, the line is 40 years old, could be degredation, neighbors put in a new fence 2 years ago, an electrician said perhaps they nicked the line and it took a while to degrade and short out.


do you have a home warranty? No. I'm self-insured, but baby won't get new flooring soon. ;)

Thanks for the reply.

[OUAndy1807]

typically the electric company owns everything up to the meter. until it comes into the meter, it's their distribution line, after that it's the primary for your house.

[Okla-homey]

Question: Will a typical home owners policy cover this? I think not, but thought I'd ask and I don't want to get gigged for an "inquiry". I beleive I have the standard Texas "B" policy.

TIA!

If you have a copy of the policy, and can read, you should be able to figger this out without enquiring of the evile insurance company -- or at least get close enough to know if its worth asking. Afterall, I'm sure the fine consumer-oriented texass legislature have passed statutes which require policies to be stated in plain English and stuff.

[12]

I like it when two former military guys duke it out.

NTTAWWT.

[Frozen Sooner]

If you have a copy of the policy, and can read, you should be able to figger this out without enquiring of the evile insurance company -- or at least get close enough to know if its worth asking. Afterall, I'm sure the fine consumer-oriented texass legislature have passed statutes which require policies to be stated in plain English and stuff.

Most insurance companies use minor variations on the ISO standard forms. Most of them are written in what you or I would probably consider plain English, though most would probably disagree.

Anyhow, I'm with jk. Unless your cable line was damaged by either a named peril or a non-excluded peril (depending on your coverage form) then you're probably SOL. Since the line is buried, the only perils I can think of would be 1) Earth movement, excluded in most homeowners policies, available by endorsement, and I'm guessing that your agent didn't do that to you in that part of the country 2) flood, excluded in all homeowners policies (though it can be added by endorsement through the national flood plan) and 3) damage from someone digging the darn thing up, which should be covered by their liability coverage.

Edit: Inherent vice (degradation) is specifically excluded by all ISO homeowners policies.

[ultimatesooner1]

The Texas B is completely different than an ISO policy but if it was wear & tear it is most likely excluded

[Frozen Sooner]

OK, fair enough. I don't write homeowners and I don't write in Texas. :P

[PAW]

An HO-B in Texas is pretty broad and it names what it does not cover in the policy. It will cover fire, lightning, hail, falling objects, windstorms, explosions, vandalism, theft, freezing pipes, and damage vehicles (not the insured's). It also covers sudden and accidental water damage and damage caused by a water leak under a slab foundation.

You should check with your agent about the available endorsements. Generally, people don't realize they need a specific endorsement until after a loss.

Here is a link, which shows some of the key coverage issues on the 3 main forms, including the HO-B, which are used in Texas. Some companies have their own policy forms, so it is best to read your policy.

http://iiat.lphost.net/iiat/documents//Homeowners/Technical%20Reports/form_chart_prop.doc

[Mjcpr]

Most of them are written in what you or I would probably consider plain English, though most would probably disagree.

Shoot Froze, most of us tweren't never ones fer yer books and such.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

typically the electric company owns everything up to the meter. until it comes into the meter, it's their distribution line, after that it's the primary for your house.

Not with underground cables. It is excluded from the transformer to the house. And I have 90 feet of it...

Most e companies handle above the ground lines. Most do not repair underground cables, that why they like them.

Again, the cable is 40 years old and I suspect it was wear and tear. I don't have a definitive peril I can point to that caused the line to fail. I suspected as much, and my policy is fairly readable. I just didn't want to get dinged for an inquiry where I was seaking a difinitive answer on my policy. Sad the insurance compaonies have made peopl afraid to ask questions on their own policies...

[ultimatesooner1]

OK, fair enough. I don't write homeowners and I don't write in Texas. :P

I don't write it but I have to underwrite it. Getting rid of the A & B forms and going ISO in texas = less headaches for ultimate :D

[mdklatt]

I just didn't want to get dinged for an inquiry where I was seaking a difinitive answer on my policy. Sad the insurance compaonies have made peopl afraid to ask questions on their own policies...

:confused:

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Yeah, an inquiry of the policy (esp. true on water claims) tend to get dinged on the policy as if you filed a claim (or so I'm told)... Sorry for the bad typing on the previous post.

[mdklatt]

Yeah, an inquiry of the policy (esp. true on water claims) tend to get dinged on the policy as if you filed a claim (or so I'm told)...

That's legal?? I guess they figure if you're asking about a problem it's going to cause trouble for them down the road.

Hypothetically, does my policy cover three feet of water in the basement?

[ultimatesooner1]

they can't surcharge you unless a claim is paid