I have always used an unguyed, crank up tower, bracketed near the top of the
bottom section to the house. I have never suffered any losses due to weather
damage. Recently, however, I moved to Cape Cod, not exactly unknown for it's
hostile environment during hurricane and winter northeaster seasons and
erected the same tower configuration. Needless to say, during a typical
December Northeaster, I finally lost, or at least suffered some damage, to
the rotor and several antennas. The tower came through just fine.
I contacted my home owner's insurance company (Commercial Union) and found
that if the tower is attached to the house (in this case the Rohn house
bracket sufficed), it was considered part of the house for insurance
purposes. There was no squawk at all about covering the claim. That was 2
years ago. Last year I had a break-in at a storage unit I rent and I again
had a claim to file with the insurance company. Those are the only 2 claims
ever filed in 16 years with the same company (2 different qth's) and they
totalled to a little over quadruple the deductible I've always carried
($250). I shudder to think of what I've paid into that company for the last
16 years.
My home owner's policy is now up for renewal and to my surprise I received a
letter from the insurance company telling me that they were doublling my
deductible because of my recent claim history. It looks like a claim
totalling somewhere around 4 times the deductible, anywhere in your history
with the company, is cause for them to double your deductible the next time
around. I guess the object is to keep raising your deductible until you can't
receive any compensation for claims.
So the word of advice is, if you can manage to mechanically tie your tower to
your house, I think you'll find it's covered the same way as any part of your
house or contents by your homeowner's policy. However, do check with your
agent to make sure that your company does not have any peculiar exceptions
(like towers or antennas) and also be sure to find out what happens to your
deductible as a function of the size of any claims filed. By the way, this
changes from year to year depending upon how edgy the insurance company is
about forecasted conditions for your area. The weather gurus are talking
(just talking mind you) about maybe a more severe hurricane season this year
- sun spots, you know. My insurance broker told me that some companies
covering homes on the Cape have already refused to write any new policies,
one has completely pulled out of the Cape Cod market, and the rest are all
carefully reviewing past claims and deductibles. So, it's not just my company
who no longer seems to be in the risk insurance business! In fact, it appears
that the word risk in the insurance business has been redefined to mean
shareholder's risk, not the policy holder's. We're just there to insure the
stockholders from capital gains loss! No wonder the DJ average is soaring!
73 de K1PDX, Saul
sdinman@aol.com
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