What an executor needs to consider when dealing with the unoccupied buildings and contents insurance for the estate of a deceased person.
If you are an executor handling the estate of a deceased person then you need to consider how the property insurance is affected. As an executor, you have an obligation to protect the assets of the estate and this includes arranging suitable insurance. An insurance policy can therefore be arranged in your own name as an executor, or in the name of ‘executors of…’ which will include the interest of any other executors which may be appointed.When a householder dies leaving the property empty the insurance will likely be affected immediatelyas the property is no longer lived in. You will need to advise the insurer immediately that the property is unoccupied.
Advising the insurer of the death of the policyholder
When notifying the insurer about the death of the policyholder and the subsequent unoccupancy, make sure you keep a note of who you spoke to and when. If they agree to alter the terms in any way from the standard wording then make sure they issue a written endorsement to that effect. Look out for conditions such as inspection requirements, heating / water management conditions, security conditions and the like. If you haven’t got an endorsement amending the standard policy wording, in the event of a claim the standard policy terms will be applied.
Upon learning that a property is not lived in, most insurers will tell you that ‘standard terms apply’ which leads you to thinking that cover is unaffected. Unfortunately nothing can be further from the truth. Standard terms in a household policy for a property which is unoccupied will usually apply a list of exclusions and conditions!
Unoccupied property insurance quotation
Insurance exclusions when a property is unoccupied
A standard household policy may exclude cover such as theft, malicious damage, escape of water, burst pipes, from day one, alternatively it may be after a period of 30 or 60 days. Check your policy wording carefully and if in doubt, ask the insurer for precisely what their conditions are. Whether the property is furnished for normal habitation or not will also be a key factor and often this will be a feature as to whether certain cover is provided.
The insurer’s restrictions to the policy will commonly be unacceptable as it excludes cover for the most likely events that will occur when the property is empty. Usually an unoccupied property insurance policy for probate property will be required. A word of caution however is that some specialists will also exclude the very same cover that the current insurer will so be prepared to check the policy terms carefully. There is no standard level of cover for empty homes so whether they are quoting level 1, level 2 or level 3 unoccupied buildings cover be sure to check exactly what is provided before you buy it.
Insurance during probate
We can cover probate empty property buildings insurance for houses, flats, maisonettes. We can also provide cover for the contents of the home. Generally the most cost effective way of covering an empty property awaiting probate to be granted is on an annual policy. The property is most likely to be sold and you can never guarantee when probate will be granted or when the property will actually be sold. We offer annual policies with cancellation terms which provide a return of premium in the event of cancellation during the first period of insurance which is usually far cheaper than having to buy a new policy every 3 months.
In addition to dealing with executors directly, our services are used by a network of solicitors throughout the UK who handle probate for their clients. Solicitors require the very best policy cover and we are pleased to be able to satisfy the requirements of probate solicitors. If you are a solicitor handling probate then please give us a call and we can explain what we can do for you.
Insurance for long term unoccupied property is not a problem for us, in fact we don’t even ask how long the property has been empty for. If the property has been vacant for many years and difficult to place building insurance is right up our street. As long as the property is secure and water tight and in good condition then we should be able to offer a quotation.
If you have any questions or would like an insurance quote for empty probate awaiting probate to be granted then please give us a call.