Does your insurance have this condition?

[garyb1st]

While I can't say for sure I suspect each policy has it's own and different terms and conditions.  No point taking a chance.  Ask your agent.  Do it in writing.  Have him respond in writing. 

 

[darsben]

Thanks for the feedback.  So my Flipping houses was a different circumstance.  I'm glad to see this, as I have State Farm on my primary House as well.

But different states have different conditions even within the same insurance company so you need to check

 

[johnaye]

You need to talk to your insurance agent.  I assume the term vacant is in an exclusion of some form.  Does the exclusio exclude any loss or a specific kind of loss such as vandalism?  If the exclusion is a problem, can you buy the exclusion back? If you are not comfortable assuming the risk of loss while you are gone for five months ask the agent to shop for coverage that will meet your needs or find a new agent.

 

[BinaryBob]

My household policy requires a visit at least once every seven days or so.

How was this determined?
I'm not aware of any policy from any insurer that actually defines "vacant", or what you need to do to prevent a "vacancy exclusion."
It seems a letter from your insurer or agent would be imperative for those that are away for an extended period of time.

 

[UTTransplant]

Well, I finally got in writing a response from the State Farm agent:

"To be considered a vacant dwelling the homeowner must 1st not have the intent to return to the property. (As an example in the case of an abandoned or a home taken over by the bank.)

The second part is that a predominant amount of personal property has been removed or is absent such that the dwelling is not functional as a habitual place of residence. In the case of secondary or homes for snow birds the home is owner occupied as they have every intent to use the property at their discretion. At the same time personal property remains in the home.

I hope this gives you peace of mind. State Farm is protecting the home in the case of loss during your travels and while you are there".

I wanted to let you know what happened with this.

That is pretty much the same as what my State Farm agent told me over the phone when we asked about the same wording. We intend on being gone 3-4 months.at a time. She said as long as you have furniture in it and intend on coming back, the house isn?t ?vacant?. We do have one of the kids come by once a week or so to check on things, and we will have a security system that includes temperature and water alarms by our snowbird trip, mostly just for peace of mind.

 

[Marysmall]

First of all, I would make you sure about the insurance policy you hold for him. As there are many such fraud companies who send fake policy details and thus becoming a serious issue for the policyholder. Keep an eye on the original policy and cross check it with the insurance company by calling them. I agree If the homeowner isn't aware of that clause, the claims adjuster could easily determine by asking a few innocent questions when he comes to investigate your claim. I think you should now contact the public adjusters who can give you helpful hints regarding the insurance policy and claims.

 

[NY_Dutch]

Allstate Customer Service has confirmed to me that our NY cottage is covered while we're away for long periods in similar wording to the previous quotes from State Farm, etc. One or the other of our daughters does visit the cottage every week or so, but that's mostly for our peace of mind, not for any insurance requirement. We also remotely monitor the interior temp during cold weather in case of a furnace issue.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I think you should now contact the public adjusters who can give you helpful hints regarding the insurance policy and claims.

Please be aware that the hot link in that post is to a business that sells a service. You can hire a "public adjuster" to advise you on your claim. Whether that is a worthwhile service is for you to decide.

 

[Marysmall]

Good luck.