# Need Help- US Homeowners Insurance While on Expat Assignment??



## TheStegg (Jan 12, 2011)

I'm hoping that someone can provide some help or guidance here.

My wife and I own a home in Kansas City and left it vacant to move over to Dubai for a 1 year expat assignment. When we informed our insurance company, USAA, of the move, they initially told us that it wouldn’t be a problem, that the policy would continue since we were going to have it maintained by a property management company and had a security system turned on.

Recently they completely changed their mind and said that they can’t cover the property since its vacant. I’ve screamed bloody murder and escalated this up as far as I can within the company, but the best they’ll do is issue a fire policy that only covers the structure, but none of our personal belongings in the event of a break in, fire, tornado, etc. 

Renting the property isn’t an option, and we can’t really afford to move and keep all of our belongings into storage. 

Does anyone know of any standalone benefits or anything that might help here? What are you other US homeowners doing? 

I just feel sick. I am so disappointed with USAA, I never expected such terrible, _god awful _service from them.


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## indoMLA (Feb 6, 2011)

1. Shouldn't have told them that the house was going to be vacant. I would just keep quiet and just keep the homeowner's insurance on the house.

2. I actually placed all my stuff in storage and rented my house out. I got only a fire policy on the house which like you said covers only the structure.

3. Can you go with another insurance agency and not let them know the house will be vacant? You will need them to email you the documents to be signed every year, but this would be the best option.


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## cobragb (Mar 15, 2010)

I had the same sort of thing happen to me. My local Allstate agent, just up the road heard from a friend we were out of the country and cancelled our homeowners without telling us. I had to get on the phone and get another policy very quickly. I told them we traveled often, so we didn't have a home phone. Gave them my son's cell phone number just to have a local contact.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Have a family member 'live' there.... what we did.


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## TheStegg (Jan 12, 2011)

Jynx, not an option. Family all lives hours and hours away.

Cobra- Did Allstate re-insure you although your home was vacant? 

indoMLA- That works great until you have to file a claim and they don't cover it and/or charge you with fraud.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

I do not believe any insurance will insure a home that no one is living in. We didnt really have our family living in our home but when asked as the mail came back (forgot to change that to a different address), our insurance were going to cancel. We then stated we were overseas but living in the home every three months and had family living in the home. It sufficed and no further issues.


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## indoMLA (Feb 6, 2011)

TheStegg said:


> Jynx, not an option. Family all lives hours and hours away.
> 
> Cobra- Did Allstate re-insure you although your home was vacant?
> 
> *indoMLA- That works great until you have to file a claim and they don't cover it and/or charge you with fraud*.


They can't do that. My residence is classified as a rental property when I left and I have the legal documents that state that. Additionally, when I got the insurance I specified to them that the property will be used for rental purposes and the tenant will be responsible for his/her own insurance for their property. The insurance company gave me the appropriate insurance for the classification. This is not the first time I have taken this ride, so I am pretty sure I know what I am doing.

Also, not speaking for Cobra, but it appears (from what he said) that he told them he still lives there and kept the insurance.


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## cobragb (Mar 15, 2010)

No, we went with another company.





TheStegg said:


> Jynx, not an option. Family all lives hours and hours away.
> 
> Cobra- Did Allstate re-insure you although your home was vacant?
> 
> indoMLA- That works great until you have to file a claim and they don't cover it and/or charge you with fraud.


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## TheStegg (Jan 12, 2011)

cobragb said:


> No, we went with another company.


Did you tell them the house would be vacant? If they insured you anyway, and you're happy with them, would you mind sharing the name?


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## cobragb (Mar 15, 2010)

It is Farm Bureau. They know I am out of the country quite often and had no problems. My son lives 10 minutes away and checks on things pretty often.


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