4-A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Flashcards
Four sections in a standard commercial insurance policy:
- Declarations Page
- Conditions
- Coverage Forms
- Causes of Loss Forms
Part 1) The Declarations Page contains:
● Name and address of the insured ● Property covered ● Deductible ● Limits ● Term ● Expiration date ● Coverage forms ● Endorsements
Part 2) Conditions Pages of a policy include:
● Cancellation / Non Renewal ● Vacancy ● Changes in Policy ● Concealment, Misrepresentation, and Fraud ● Control of Property ● Other Insurance ● Legal Action Against an Insurer ● Subrogation ● Liberalization ● No Benefit to Bailee
Cancellation/Non-Renewal:
● Insurer should inform the policyholder at least 45 days before cancellation
● Penalty for not giving 45 days notice: insurer must offer 30 more days of
coverage at same rates
Vacancy definition
● Building is closed for 60 days
● Less than 31% of the building’s available floor space is occupied for 60 days
Legal Action Against Insurer
● Insured must comply with all policy obligations.
● Insured has 2 years from the date of loss to file a lawsuit.
Liberalization
● All current insureds will benefit from increases in coverage that do not raise the premium.
● Applies to changes that go into effect during policy period or up to 45 days before policy start date.
Part 3) Coverage Forms
Types of Commercial Property Coverage Forms Available:
● Building and Personal Property Coverage Form
● Business Income Coverage Form
● Contingent Business Interruption Coverage Form
● Builders Risk Coverage Form
● Condominium Coverage Form
● Leasehold Interest Coverage Form
● Legal Liability Coverage Form
● Differences in Conditions Coverage Form
● Other Coverage Forms and Popular Endorsements
The basis of all Commercial Property Policies
● Coverage A - Buildings and Structures
● Coverage B - Business Personal Property
● Coverage C - Personal Property of Others
Coverage A
Buildings and Structures: Covers building and structures listed on the “Dec Page” as well as:
● Additions
● Additions under construction
● Any construction equipment within 100 ft of insured property
● Machinery & equipment inside the building
● Maintenance property
Coverage B
Business Personal Property: the property of the business that is not affixed to the structure, such as:
● Business owned personal property used for business purposes
● Labor, services, and materials furnished on the personal property of others
● Inventory or products held for sale
● Leased business personal property
● Property within 100 ft of the business premises
Coverage C
Personal Property of Others: applies to property owned by another party when it is in the care of the insured business.
● Commonly $2,500 of coverage
● Only applies to the locations listed on the “Dec Page”
Exclusions
● Currency, bills, accounts, evidences of debt, securities, food stamps, and bullion
● Animals, unless owned by others and boarded by the policyholder
● Automobiles held for sale
● Bridges, roads, patios, walkways or other paved surfaces
● Contraband or property being illegally transported or traded
● The costs associated with excavations, filling, or grading
● Foundations of buildings or structures, machinery or boilers if such foundations
are below ground or lower than the lowest basement floor.
● Outdoor radio and TV antennas or masts and associated wiring
● Underground pipes or drains
● Fences, wiring and masts
● Outdoor signs not attached to buildings
● Trees, shrubs, plants
Universal Exclusions - types of loss or damage not covered under the policy.
● A loss resulting from enforcement of building ordinances which regulate
construction, use or repair of property
● Earthquakes or land movement
● Seizure or destruction by governmental action or authority
● Nuclear reaction, radiation and associated radioactive contamination hazards
● Loss resulting from utility service failures
● War
● Flood, or the rising of water and/ or mudslides, and the backup of water
through sewage pipes or drains
● Damages to wiring or devices caused by artificially generated electrical current
● Explosion of boilers, steamers, pipes and engines (available but requires
endorsements)
Common Additional Coverages
● Debris Removal ● Pollution Clean-Up and Removal ● Preservation of Property ● Fire Department Service Charge ● Increased Construction Costs ● Electronic Data
Debris Removal
● Pays for removal of debris resulting from a covered peril
● Limit: 25% of total claim
● Additional $25,000 of coverage is available if:
○ property damage and debris removal together exceed policy limit
○ debris removal expense exceeds its 25% limit
Example
Susie’s Toy Factory has a $100,000 policy. The factory suffers $60,000 of damage in a fire. Debris Removal could pay up to $15,000 (25% of $60,000), plus an additional $25,000, if needed.
But, if the property damages are so high that the 25% debris removal coverage would exceed Susie’s $100,000 policy limit, Susie would only be allowed up to $25,000 in additional insurance. Her total claim would be limited to $125,000.
Pollution Cleanup and Removal
● Pays up to $10,000 for pollution damages caused by a covered peril.
● Insured must report the loss within 180 days
Example
An insured gas station suffers vandalism, a covered peril under the gas station’s policy. The vandals spread petroleum products all over the grass around the station, and it costs the owner $7,000 to clean it all up. Pollution Cleanup and Removal coverage would pay for this cleanup, leaving $3,000 of available coverage for the remainder of the policy period.
Preservation of Property (Removal Coverage):
● Applies when the insured removes property to protect it from a covered peril
● Property is covered for any cause of loss during removal and storage at
another location
● Coverage lasts up to 30 days.
Fire Department Service Charge:
● Covers the cost of emergency services when insured is trying to protect
covered property
● Limit applies to each premises
● No deductible
Increased Construction Costs
● Applies when the insured has to pay extra in order to conform to new building ordinances when repairing or replacing a covered loss
● Limit is the smaller of two amounts:
● $10,000
● 5% of Coverage A limit
● Only applies to building insured on RC basis
Electronic Data
● Covers costs of replacing or restoring electronic data lost or damaged by a covered loss, such as a hacker planting a virus in the company’s system.
● Up to $2,500 per year, no limit to the number of occurrences
● Limit does NOT apply to electronic data used to operate the building’s:
○ elevator
○ lighting
○ heating
○ ventilation
○ air conditioning
○ security system
Coverage Extensions
Include:
● Only for policyholders who maintain the coinsurance requirement of 80% to the
value
● Not subject to policy limits