Home Owners Insurance Cancellation+

[pianoman]

Hi Danny
Don't forget the $300 rent is just the beginning.  Then there is heat,
light, electricity, sewer bills, water bills, and of course business
premises insurance as well as fear of someone breaking into your shop and
stealing all your stuff.  In the end, there is no good way of doing this
with all the rules and regulations.  I work at home and used to go round
and round with the tax lady about my work space being deductible.  They
keep using the term "Home Office" and I kept using the term shop.  You
might want to eat food in my office but you wouldn't want to eat food in my
shop.  Not only do I not have dust control I do not have clutter control.
:>)
James Grebe
R.P.T. from St. Louis
pianoman@inlink.com
"Only my best is good enough"

----------
> From: Danny Moore <danmoore@ih2000.net>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Home Owners Insurance Cancellation
> Date: Sunday, November 02, 1997 11:29 AM
> 
> Warren Fisher wrote:
> 
> > A Word to the Wise, guys.  Keep your home operations secret!
> > That little mistake is costing me $300 a month just for shop space!
> 
> Warren, list,
> 
> Once again my empathy goes out to you.  This is even a more difficult
> situation the the broken plate because, as James pointed out, it will
take
> several years to sort it out, if ever!  (Oh yeah, just any case anyone
> wondered why I took a 75% pay cut to become a piano tech, multiply this
> problem by the 1500 clients I served.)
> 
> 1.  Find an agent you like, trust and serves your needs rather than the
> insurance company.  Agents get paid commission, so YOU pay his wages, not
> the company.
> 
> 2.  Please DO NOT hide the fact that you do piano work in your home! 
***If
> your Agent/Company is not told of the home based business and you have a
> claim, they have the legal grounds to deny the claim.  They consider this
> misrepresentation, and in todays insurance climate, they will strictly
> interpret the policy.***
> NOTE:  Personal insurance policies allow for a home based business.  In
> Texas, an insured is allowed up to 500 sq.ft. for business use in the
home.
> Any liability associated with the business is specifically excluded.
> 
> 3.  Do find out what the business limitations are in your state and
discuss
> this with your agent before you buy the policy.  I can only speak for
> Texas.  (We were licensed for Claims in Louisiana, not sales.)
> 
> Basically, consider the additional $300 a blessing.  Most non-standard
> policies that would provide the coverage you need would be much more
costly
> than that.  I would also consider this a buying you 12 months of shopping
> time.  Start with your existing agent, find out the LA statutes
concerning
> home based business, and do what it takes to fit them.  For example, my
shop
> is a 14 x 20 room attached to my 2-car garage.That 280 sq.ft. is well
within
> the allowed 500 s/f.  However, it has double doors opening into my
garage.
> When the insurance inspectors arrive, piano stuff is in the shop, cars
are
> in the garage.  Otherwise, I back the cars out and spill over into the
> garage for pulling plate, re-stringing, re-finishing, etc.
> 
> Good luck.
> 
> Danny Moore
> Houston Chapter
>