I have a dog that has a one time bite history and I am shopping for homeowners insurance. please advise

Question

I was also wandering if I removed the dog from the home and had proof of the removal would I be able to return the dog to the home after obtaining home owners insurance. Just a loop hole I thought of. Would this be legally sound or would the insurance company be watching for this.

Answer 1

OK, good luck on that.  If you didn't get rid of the dog, I don't know of anyone who will give you homeowners insurance.  Flat out.  Even if you do, many companies just won't want to take the chance that you'll bring a biting dog back, and flat out won't write you.

Foremost insurance - if you get rid of the dog - will write you a homeowners policy with a dog bite liability exclusion on it.

If you do remove the dog, then return the dog, what you're doing is committing insurance fraud - material misrepresentation.  If you get caught - like, with another dog bite - best case scenario is the claim gets denied, and your policy gets cancelled, with nothing paid.  Heck, even for a fire claim, if the adjuster suspects a dog (like, sees a leash or bowl or something), they can deny the claim, and cancel your policy.

EVERY insurance company is going to know that there was a dog bite claim.  That's why most won't want to mess with you, or take your word for it, that you got rid of the dog.  And you can bet, they'll ask your neighbors.

You're going to have a d**n hard time finding insurance WITHOUT the dog.  Trying to commit fraud on top of it?  Well, good luck.

Answer 2

The insurance company doesn't have to "watch" for anything. Obtaining insurance under false pretenses is not a loophole it is, plain and simple, fraud.

Here is how it would work. If (or maybe when) you presented a liability claim to your insurance company because your dog bit someone the company would proceed to rescind your contract. Recission wipes out the existing contract and restores the parties to their situation prior to entering into the contract. So it would be as though you never had the policy.

If you want to keep the dog your State may offer a homeowners policy through a high risk pool. You need to talk to an agent because the high risk pool policy is usually less coverage at a significantly higher premium. Check with your agent even the high risk policy may not accept the risk.