How brokers can stop a flooded basement
April 16, 2019 by David GambrillA recent study suggests brokers have a golden opportunity to talk to homeowners one-on-one about how to protect homes from basement floods. With the right information and often for less than $500, homeowners can protect themselves from the increasing risks…
Did settling soil or sudden water leak cause this home damage?
September 8, 2018 by Greg MeckbachA disputed home insurance claim could go to trial because the carrier has accessed 22-year-old court records from the claimant’s divorce. In September, 2009, Douglas Cotter noticed the patio along the front of his Penticton, British Columbia home had shifted.…
The exclusion that no longer applies to this home insurance coverage
August 28, 2018 by Greg MeckbachFifteen years after Nova Scotia was hit by Hurricane Juan, a Canadian home insurer is offering storm surge coverage in all four Atlantic Canada provinces. Storm surge is a rise in sea level resulting from atmospheric pressure changes and wind…
Rebuild contractor wins lawsuit vs. homeowner’s breach of contract
August 14, 2018 by Greg MeckbachAfter her home burnt down, a homeowner tried to get the proposed rebuild to fit the quotation of an insurer, contributing to a breakdown in the relationship between the homeowner and the contractor. The dispute led to a lawsuit to…
Monk v. Farmers’ Mutual Insurance Co. (Lindsay): Further Lessons in Policy Language and Interpretation
May 18, 2016 Michael S. Teitelbaum, partner; and Ashley Peacock, associate Hughes AmysIntroduction In Monk v. Farmers’ Mutual Insurance Co. (Lindsay), [2015] ONCA 911, the Court of Appeal reversed the motion judge’s decision1 that the “faulty workmanship” exclusion applied to both direct and indirect damages. The Court ruled that the motion judge’s…