Personal Lines

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Types of Personal Lines Insurance

The John J. Flynn Insurance Agency offers a variety of personal lines insurance, see below to understand the different types.
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Homeowners
(Homeowners/Seasonal & vacation homes/apartments & condominiums/multi-family dwellings)
Homeowners and Renters insurance is designed to protect your home and allow you to remain financially secure at a time of loss. Coverage may include a dwelling, detached structures, personal belongings, loss of use, and most importantly liability protection.
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Personal Umbrella
This policy provides coverage for liability over and above what all your other personal property and liability policies provide.
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Boats | Motorcycles | RVs | Snowmobiles | ATVs
Boats, motorcycles, and more are not covered under your standard homeowners or personal auto policies. You need additional coverage to protect them from physical damage and liability.
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Valuable Property
Valuable property, such a jewelry, fine arts, photographic equipment and even computers may need additional coverage beyond your standard homeowners insurance.
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Flood Insurance
Your homeowners insurance may not cover damage suffered because of a flood. Flood insurance is a national program offered through participating agents. Ask about about how we can help you protect yourself against flood damages.
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Whatever your needs may be,
our agencies will get you the coverage you need.

Automobile

Motorcycle

Recreational Vehicles

Homeowners

Renters

Marine

Farm

Umbrella

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Personal Lines FAQs

Homeowners FAQs

Flood FAQs

Umbrella FAQs

Watercraft FAQs
Homeowners Insurance FAQs

Who decides on the type of insurance, the mortgage company or me?

You do. The mortgage company collects a set amount from you each month in order to protect their investment. This money is put in escrow and covers your insurance and taxes. However, the policy is still yours and you might select the insurance you feel offers the best coverage at the best rates.

What exactly does a Homeowners policy cover?

“Exact” coverage is impossible to define because there are different policies and about 900 insurance companies writing Property/Casualty business in the United States. However, 80% of Homeowners policies are based on a standard form. All Homeowners policies cover two important areas: Property and Liability.

Property insurance covers your structures and possessions. Personal Liability, as its name implies, means you’re legally obligated to pay money to another person for actions caused by you, your family, or your property. That liability extends to medical payments to others for injuries caused by you or your family.

Can a Bank or Mortgage Company Tell me that I need to carry a certain amount of insurance, even if it exceeds the replacement cost of my home?

No. This is one of the most common questions here in the seacoast sections of Maine and New Hampshire due to the extreme values in waterfront land. In Maine, Title 33 prohibits financial institutions from making the homeowner carry more insurance than what the property would cost to rebuild as is. It is flat out illegal. Where we see problems with this most often is in waterfront homes where the land may be worth $1,000,000 but the home would only cost $250,000 to rebuild. Often the buyer would have a loan of about $750,000 and the mortgage company would tell them that they had to have insurance for the amount of the loan. Here is Title 33 word for word…”No person or financial institution making a residential mortgage loan for one to 4 residential units may, as a condition of the mortgage or as a term of the mortgage deed, require that the mortgagor carry property insurance on the property which is the subject of the mortgage in excess of the replacement cost of any buildings or appurtenances subject to the mortgage.”

Are floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters covered?

Most catastrophes are covered. Flood and earthquake damage, however, are not covered by a standard policy and both perils are more common than many people realize. We can advise you on such normally excluded conditions as floods and earthquakes.

Are there exclusions I should know about?

Exclusions listed and defined in your policy might include neglect, intentional loss, “earth movement,” general power failure, and even damage caused by war. If you fail to take care of your property (e.g., a leaky roof), you might not be covered. Obviously, if you intend to lose an object or damage your property, there’s no coverage.

One other exclusion that can be costly is the Ordinance or Law exclusion. Building codes established by governmental bodies that drive up the cost of rebuilding or repairing after a loss occurs might not be covered by your insurance policy. Thus, if you discover when replacing damaged property that current law demands higher grade or more expensive materials than those you’re replacing, the new materials might not be covered fully.

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Flood Insurance FAQs

Who do I go to first for help with questions about my Flood policy?

You should call your insurance agent or insurance company first.

Does my NFIP policy cover all the buildings on my property?

The Standard Flood Insurance Policy provides coverage for one building per policy. The only exception is 10% coverage for a detached garage. However, the total payment for flood damage to the detached garage and the house together cannot exceed the building policy limit. For coverage to apply, the garage can only be used for parking and storage. Any other use would void this coverage, i.e. if the garage has a workshop, the coverage would not apply. All other buildings on the premises need separate coverage. Policy limits for residential properties are $250,000 and $500,000 for commercial properties.

Are the contents of my home covered under my NFIP policy?

Contents are not automatically included. If contents coverage is desired a specific amount must be named and a separate premium charged, but it doesn’t need to be a separate policy. Contents coverage limits are $100,000 for residential policies and $500,000 for commercial policies.

Will my home and its contents be covered in the event of flooding from a hurricane?

Damage from rising or tidal water is specifically excluded from a homeowners policy and must be covered by flood insurance issued under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood insurance is a separate, special policy, but it can be purchased in conjunction with a homeowners policy and from the same office or agent. It is federally-subsidized coverage issued and administered by the Federal Insurance Administration, an arm of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

What is Actual Cash Value?

Actual Cash Value (ACV) is the cost to repair or replace an insured item of property at the time of the loss, less physical depreciation. The value of physical depreciation is based on the age and condition of the item. Personal property, i.e. contents, is always paid at ACV.

What is Replacement Cost Value?

Replacement Cost Value (RCV) is the cost to repair or replace an insured item of property at the time of the loss without a deduction for physical depreciation. RCV is available when the insured property is the primary residence and the amount of coverage is equal to 80% or more of the replacement cost of the building. RCV is also available for residential condominium buildings. There is no required amount of coverage, but residential condominium buildings not insured to 80% of replacement cost will experience a reduction in their claims payments.

Do I have to pay a deductible?

Yes, all policies have deductibles for both buildings and contents coverage (if contents coverage has been purchased).

I have a living area in my basement. Is that covered?

Strict exclusions of coverage apply in any basement. A basement is defined as any area that is below grade on all four sides. In some cases, sunken living rooms can be defined as a basement. Building coverage in basements is limited to systems that service the building, such as electrical boxes, heat pumps and air conditioners. Contents in basements are not covered with a few exceptions such as a washer, dryer, freezer and the food in it. Similar exclusions of coverage also apply in any enclosure below an elevated structure if the structure is post-FIRM.

What does Post-FIRM mean?

FIRM stands for Flood Insurance Rate Map. Post – FIRM means built after the effective date of the initial Flood Insurance Rate Map for the community or December 31, 1974, whichever is later.

Does my Flood policy cover my additional living expenses when I cannot return home?

No. There is no coverage for Additional Living Expenses or Loss of Use or Business Interruption.

Does my NFIP policy cover mold or mildew?

Damage from mold and/or mildew resulting from the after-effects of a flood is covered but each case is evaluated on an individual basis. Mold and/or mildew conditions that existed prior to a flooding event are not covered. After a flooding event, the policyholder is responsible for taking reasonable and appropriate mitigation actions to reduce and /or eliminate mold and/or mildew. Reasonable actions taken to mitigate mold and/or mildew are covered (for example, the use of responsible drying-out techniques or application of mildicide at a reasonable cost).

Does my Flood policy cover water backed up from the sewer?

Back up of water from sewers and drains is excluded, except when caused by a flood.

What is Increased Cost of Compliance, or ICC?

This coverage provides up to $30,000 to comply with the community’s floodplain management regulations when a building has been substantially damaged by flood and is in a designated floodplain.

Does my Flood policy cover landscaping or my deck?

No, there is no coverage for landscaping, trees, decks or outdoor furniture. Other exclusions are found in the Standard Flood Insurance Policy.

What is a Proof of Loss?

A Proof of Loss is a legal document that is your statement of the amount you are claiming under the policy. Under the NFIP policy, your adjustor may prepare a Proof of Loss as a courtesy. However, you, the insured, are responsible for submitting either the Proof of Loss prepared by your adjustor, or you may prepare your own. Generally, you must submit it to your insurance company within 60 days of when the damage occurred.

What do I do if I do not agree with my adjuster?

You should work with your adjustor as long as possible. Ask your adjustor to work with your contractor if your disagreement involves the building claim. If you cannot agree with your adjustor, ask for assistance from his supervisor. If you cannot resolve your differences, contact your insurance company.

If I do not have insurance but would like to purchase it, what do I do?

Call your insurance agent. Flood insurance is available to any homeowner or business owner who lives in an NFIP-participating community. These are communities that have agreed to pass and enforce certain storm water and flood plain management ordinances.

Information about flood insurance is also available on the web at www.fema.gov/nfip or www.FloodSmart.gov.

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Umbrella Insurance FAQs

What is a personal umbrella liability policy?

This is an insurance contract designed to accomplish two goals. First, it increases liability protection beyond what you have in your homeowners and automobile insurance policies. Second, it aims to fill in gaps in your liability coverage since some things are simply not covered by automobile and homeowners policies – for example, libel and slander. Together with homeowners and automobile insurance policies, a personal umbrella policy gives you the highest level of protection.

How do I know if I need a personal umbrella liability policy?

In the past, the people who purchased personal umbrella liability policies were wealthy, with sizable amounts of personal assets that would be at risk in a lawsuit. However, our society has become more litigious, and many people desire more liability insurance than what is provided under their homeowners and automobile insurance policies. How much protection you want against potential lawsuits is a choice you should make based on your personal circumstances and what you need to feel comfortably protected.

What coverage is provided in the typical personal umbrella liability insurance policy?

Before we discuss the contents of the typical personal umbrella liability (PUL) policy, it should be noted that these contracts can vary substantially from one insurance company to another. Therefore, when you are comparison shopping, you should look closely at the extent of the liability protection provided under each PUL policy you consider. But there are several common characteristics in most PUL insurance policies. First, PUL policies only pay liability claims when the policy limits on the underlying insurance policy are exhausted. For example, suppose you are found negligent in an automobile accident and the court requires you to pay damages of $500,000. Your PUL insurance policy will only pay that portion of the $500,000 that exceeds the policy limit in your private passenger automobile insurance policy. Second, a PUL insurance policy is going to provide broad coverage.

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Watercraft Insurance FAQs

I own a boat that I use for fishing and water-skiing. Does my homeowners insurance policy provide coverage for my boat?

Most homeowners insurance policies offer very limited or no coverage for physical damage losses or liability claims that arise from the negligent ownership or operation of a pleasure boat. For these reasons, individuals usually need to buy a separate policy to provide physical damage and liability coverage for boats. Insurance for pleasure and recreation boats is available from many private insurance companies. A boat owners package policy combines a number of coverages into one policy and should cover most losses that could arise out of either the ownership or operation of a pleasure boat. Another package policy, personal yacht insurance, is designed for larger boats such as cabin cruisers, houseboats, and large sailboats.

What coverages are provided in the typical boat owners package policy?

Before we discuss the contents of a typical boat owners package, it should be noted that these contracts can vary substantially from one insurance company to another. Therefore, when you are comparison shopping, be sure that you understand what coverages the insurance company is offering in its policy. That being said, there are a number of common coverages that are provided in most boat owners insurance policies. First, most policies offer coverage for physical damage losses to the boat, typically on an all-risks basis. Second, most policies offer liability coverage for any damages arising out of the negligent ownership or operation of the covered boat. Third, most policies provide coverage for medical expenses incurred by the driver and passengers involved in a boating accident. Finally, some boat owners policies provide an uninsured boaters coverage that is very similar to the uninsured motorist coverage included in the private passenger automobile insurance policy.

What coverages are provided in the typical personal yacht insurance package?

Like the boat owners policies, the coverages included in personal yacht insurance policies vary substantially from one company to the next. However, most personal yacht insurance policies have at least two coverages: physical damage to the hull, and protection and indemnity (P&I) coverage. The physical damage to the hull coverage provides protection against losses or damage to the boat itself, including the masts, spears, furniture and any other fixtures on the craft. The coverage can be written on an all risks or named perils basis. The P&I – protection and indemnity – coverage is similar to the personal liability coverage in the standard homeowners insurance policy. It provides liability protection against lawsuits due to the negligent operation or ownership of the yacht.

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