homeowners insurance companies

does a person have to buy homeowners insurance?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. I am not planning to buy a house for a few years as I am still in school. The thing is I have a pet chow chow and I understand that chows are on the "black list" and many homeowners insurance companies will not insure people who own these dogs. I am trying to find a company that will though so if you know of any could you please tell me? Thanks for the help.

Never heard of a home insurance company asking if you even have a dog, so I am sure it would be no problem. However, if you have a mortgage the Bank usually insists that you have insurance.

Where can I go to post my reviews of my Homeowners Insurance Company and the Contractors work? Both were hell?

I need to share my story or and post my opinion/review to caution others who have used or who are thinking about using my homeowner Insurance company and the contractor that they use. Both put me and continue to put me through hell.

Go to Angie's List, which is where you should have checked before hiring that contractor!

What are the different kinds of homeowners insurance that companies offer?

Well, there's no one size fits all answer. It varies by state and by company. Most of the time, agents are going to ask a few important questions, and steer the client towards the most appropriate policy.

Is it possible to find out a neighbor's homeowners insurance company without asking them?

We have a neighbor with a hazardous, threatening tree that they refuse to deal with or let us deal with. We've been told that if we alert their insurance company they will probably force the homeowners to remove it. But how can I find that info out?

Due to the privacy act there is no way that I am aware of that you could possibly find this information. However in the meantime if you believe that this tree is a hazard and have tried to resolve this verbally it is now time to take it to the next level. As diplomatically as possible write a letter to your neighbor stating that it is your belief that the tree poses a danger to you and your property. In the letter you should offer to help pay a portion of the cost(s) for an inspection of the tree by an arborist and/or the cost of trimming or removal of the tree. Give a deadline for action on this matter. If the situation is not resolved by that date write a 2nd letter and again in a diplomatic fashion outline the same information but include a statement to the effect that if the matter is not taken care of and you subsequently suffer any damages you will have no option to but to sue them for their negligence–again give a date for compliance. Both of these letters should be sent via certified mail return receipt request and you should list on the bottom of the letter that you are sending a cc to your attorney and list his or her name. If both deadlines pass without any action, please consult your attorney. In a similar case that happened to one of my clients, the attorney wrote a letter and the matter was then resolved. However, if they do not respond to the attorney it is my understanding that they can be sued for having a public nuisance (I am not an attorney and this is my recollection of the terminalogy used in this area for this type of hazard). At the same time you are doing this you can also be calling your local housing compliance authority or if you are in a homeowners association call them and bring this matter to their attention so that they can also investigate and bring pressure to bear on your neighbor. Please make sure that you do everything possible to be diplomatic and do not take matters into your own hands–remember that this family will more than likely be your neighbors for a few years. Also make sure that they actually are the owners of the property, i.e. if it is a rental you will need to contact the actual owner not the occupant. You can find this information out on the internet by looking under the website for your local property tax authority–this information is public record and it will list the owners name, address, etc.

I wish you luck and harmony!