Q: Does a customer hold any liability if his or her home is broke into and the contractors tools are stolen?
A home was broke into and a large amount of tools and equipment have been ripped off. The customer claims he does not have insurance on the property. The liability insurance policy of the person who had his tools ripped off will not cover it. They have basically said it's on the homeowner insurance. The homeowner failed to disclose critical information which would have probably prevented the person from leaving his stuff at the location in the first place had he disclosed the information. Instead he claimed it was a safe and secure. He knew that the home was an easy target for thieves & had personally wittnessed a person break into the home while in the purchasing process. None of this information was shared until after the home was broke into. He claims he has no liability or responsibility at all. True or false?
A:
You've just witnessed what makes these sort of situations complicated: every insurance company is going to say someone or someone else's insurance is responsible. That said, I think a case can be made that the homeowner's insurance should be responsible.
So what happens if the homeowner doesn't have insurance? The homeowner may still be personally liable, and I suppose it would be possible for the contractor to put a lien on the home to secure the judgment.
1 user found this answer helpful
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
