Help,, Question Home Policy is Running Out

[Billsmith60]

I have a problem, my parents died without a will, no estate planning, there are no signers on anything, just my Dads name on the deed. The insurance policy on the house they owned is due. My younger brother has lived in the house his whole life, mom and dad wanted him to have the house, which is fine by me, my question is can he be added to the home's insurance policy, I'm at a loss here and time is running out, I don't want the policy to lapse, and the house to be covered, the policy is thru Farmers in California

 

[Josh]

It should just have a renewal that can get paid while everything is getting sorted out. Your brother could also get a new policy, but if he doesn't own it then technically there would be grounds for denying a claim. Of course, dead people also can't file claims so that's the other end of it.

If I were you, I'd just pay the renewal on the current policy and then talk to a probate attorney on Monday.

 

[mplsmm]

I just went through this. The house was paid off so it was a payroll deduct on a group account and of course when the mom died, it rejected. He paid a quarterly payment on a credit card online but I couldn't do anything with the policy. The executor couldn't add him, customer service said it was impossible, no one would talk to him, they wouldn't even set up auto pay. I just rewrote the whole thing and made him primary this time. And my guy was named as a secondary and they wouldn't do anything without his moms consent, pretty hard when she's dead. They even mailed the refund checks to her, but since he was executor the bank cashed them for him. I would just rewrite quick.

 

[todd02]

I too would just pay the renewal and go to an attorney asap. For someone to be an "insured" they must have a legal insurable interest, i.e. On the title or a lien holder. Sorry for you loss but this is exactly the reason why I always tell older folks leaving property to kids to add them to the property title.

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I just went through this. The house was paid off so it was a payroll deduct on a group account and of course when the mom died, it rejected. He paid a quarterly payment on a credit card online but I couldn't do anything with the policy. The executor couldn't add him, customer service said it was impossible, no one would talk to him, they wouldn't even set up auto pay. I just rewrote the whole thing and made him primary this time. And my guy was named as a secondary and they wouldn't do anything without his moms consent, pretty hard when she's dead. They even mailed the refund checks to her, but since he was executor the bank cashed them for him. I would just rewrite quick.

So he was the executor but not a insurable interest or owner of the house yet? And you made him primary on a new policy? Let's hope he gets on the title faster than he has a claim or you got a big E&O risk hanging out there.

 

[MGBAgency]

I have a problem, my parents died without a will, no estate planning, there are no signers on anything, just my Dads name on the deed. The insurance policy on the house they owned is due. My younger brother has lived in the house his whole life, mom and dad wanted him to have the house, which is fine by me, my question is can he be added to the home's insurance policy, I'm at a loss here and time is running out, I don't want the policy to lapse, and the house to be covered, the policy is thru Farmers in California

Why aren't you asking the Farmers Agent? Answer is Farmers doesn't get notified of deaths or care who pays the premium. You can add the brother as a co-applicant as he has insurable interest being a household resident with now defacto owners rights after an expensive legal probate happens due to not spending $1000 on a trust. Probate might run $20,000 or more.

Find a good Attorney and keep paying all of their bills.

 

[mplsmm]

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So he was the executor but not a insurable interest or owner of the house yet? And you made him primary on a new policy? Let's hope he gets on the title faster than he has a claim or you got a big E&O risk hanging out there.

Sorry, no she left him the house free and clear and he was on title and the executor, but he was still just named on the policy. They didn't even think about it when she found out she was going to die. They really thought they had thought of everything. So he went to call in and pay, no dice, he tried to take her auto off and add a new car and we couldn't do anything with it. I just tried to fax in a new payment form with his signature and they denied it because of no signature match. I didn't want to rewrite it because she was a 30 year group employee with a heck of a discount and he was a kid with no credit. But we were forced to when we couldn't even get it to renew. CS and UW didn't care that she was dead and he was executor, named insured was all they wanted to hear.