I have seen millions of dollars in damage to people’s homes. This damage was not caused by storms or fires or high waters. The damage I see is caused by wild animals. Sometimes homeowners insurance covers the loss. Many times it doesn’t.
I own and operate a nuisance wildlife removal service in Flint, Michigan. In this article, I will review two real cases of animal harm for you. These two cases combined cost these two homeowners nearly $20,000.
The first situation involved a family taking a month’s vacation from their home in Flint, Michigan. They rented a house for a month and had a wonderful time in sunny Florida. Upon their return they found their house ransacked. Chairs were overturned, pictures were ripped off the walls, and curtains and draperies were torn to shreds. Every item on every shelf and had been thrown to the floor. Cereal and other food boxes were opened and the contents scattered all over the floor. The angst really sank in when they saw that vandals had smashed all the Royal Daultons (a very expensive collectible) that they had in a big display case.
The owners backed down and called the police. Officers entered the home and heard a partially open closet creaking. They opened the door and a fox squirrel jumped out at them. He reached another bedroom and they closed the door. That’s when I got the call to pick it up. My fee was less than the value of your cheapest Royal Daulton collectible.
Because squirrels are considered “rodents” by the insurance industry, your homeowners policy did not cover your loss. They asked me for a statement about how the squirrel got into their house to present to their insurance company, as they were going to appeal the denial.
The second scenario I have for you is that of a lady who had between 300 and 500 bats in her house. The bats entered the house through various holes in the exterior. They lived on the ceilings and in the attic. She could hear noises in the walls and ceiling, but she put it down to mice. She tried mouse traps and mouse poisons, but the noises persisted. Winter came and things calmed down. With the arrival of spring and summer, the noises got worse than ever. The house took on a strange smell, strong and acrid. The ceilings began to show “water stains”.
One night he saw bats coming out of his ceilings. Lots of beats! I got the call to get the bats out of your house. When I inspected, I determined that I had at least two colonies and possibly three. I waited at night to see them go and it was a great show!
Bats were everywhere!
I sealed the house and put in devices that let the bats out but not back in. The attic had mounds of bat droppings (guano) a foot deep! The cleanup of this attic was going to consist of ripping out all the insulation and replacing it with new. Bat urine had left the attic boards stained white. This would need to be sealed to prevent odors from continuing to permeate the house. The drywall would also need to be replaced.
Most homeowners insurance policies cover damage from bats. Some even cover the cost of removing the bats. She submitted her claim and was flatly denied. Her policy specifically states that damage caused by rodents and bats is not included in the coverage.
Both of these animal damage situations could have been prevented with a http://www.advanced-wildlife-control.com/Preventative%20home%20inspection.htm “>Preventive Home Inspection.
It’s time, right now, for you to call your insurance agent. Ask if you would have been covered under any of these instances. Check your policy and ask if any damage caused by animals is specifically excluded.
I don’t sell insurance. I am a homeowner and have insurance on my own home. I know it’s not at the top of your list to make that call to your insurance agent. You may be glad at a later date that you took the time to do so.
Now go make that call.