Q: An act of vandalism and theft happened on the insured property recently. The insurance denied the claim.
I have a homeowner policy with Travelers. Property is located in Hagerstown, MD. The property was posted for sale for a few months and during that time the premises were not occupied. In October, while our family has been dealing with an acute medical emergency out of state (in North Carolina), an act of vandalism and theft happened on the insured property in Hagerstown, MD. The insurance denied the claim by stating that, per policy conditions, the property had to be occupied. A police report is available, as well as other evidences of theft/vandalism, and loses are well documented. Any hope in fighting back this denial? Thank you.
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A: The key is going to be in the policy language. I think you may have something to go on here. It is probably going to depend on how long you were in North Carolina. But I can't imagine the policy reads to suggest that you actually have to be on the premises and cannot take a sojourn out fo the state. So ask them to show you the specific policy language that controls and post the answer and hopefully I or someone else will give their thoughts.
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