Claims question: your children’s (wrecking) party

You left for a romantic weekend to come back to a wrecked home after your teens organized a party. Are you covered by insurance? What should you do? An agent from the claims centre answers these real-life questions.

“My spouse and I were returning from a romantic weekend. We left our teens at home and went to relax at a spa. When we returned, our Zen-like state evaporated. Our children had taken advantage of our absence to throw a party — a very big party! Our hot tub has been damaged, the house is in a dreadful state, and there is broken glass in front of our neighbours’ property. Worst of all, my laptop and jewellery appear to have been stolen. What do we do now? Are we insured?”  

Response by Patrick, Claims Center Agent.

"First of all, if there has been a theft, you must call the police. Important note: if the police are involved, things should not be disturbed until they give their permission.

Then, you can call your insurer who will assist you as you need to secure the premises. Make sure all family members are safe, secure all entrances, do a safety check inside your home and put things in order. Your home insurance will cover this type of events, under certain limits, deductibles and conditions depending on your policy.

Regarding the hot tub, much depends on whether the incident occurred in the summer or the winter. A hot tub that gets damaged during the summer can be drained, as long as the water doesn’t make its way into the house (which could cause water infiltration and damage). However, if the damage is done in the middle of winter, it will need to be repaired as soon as possible to prevent the whole hot tub from freezing and the pipes from bursting. A hot tub that freezes is often a total loss. For advice about general maintenance of hot tubs and pools during the winter, we suggest you read this recent article.

As for the damage to the property next door, the neighbourly thing to do is to try to clean it up if your neighbours are amenable and if there isn’t too much of a mess. In the case where there’s more damage than you initially thought, the neighbours should contact their insurer, who will then contact us about possible compensation.

When it comes to the stolen items, you should make as accurate a list as possible of everything that is missing and assemble the proof of the various purchases (invoices, photographs, etc.). For any jewellery, you will need a description of each piece. There are typically limits on jewellery coverage. However, it is possible to obtain coverage beyond the policy limit by paying a premium, specifically to insure your jewellery; the price will vary depending on the amount of coverage.

For the computer, we will need a description of the product and peripherals. Once we receive your detailed list, we will determine the value of the items. Insurance policies generally cover theft. However, before settling a claim, an investigation must be conducted by an expert.

To recap: call the police to report the theft; secure the premises and the hot tub; talk to the neighbours, and, above all, call your insurer. Prevention is always best, so everyone should have a talk with their children about what can happen in these situations!"

See if your home insurance coverage covers any of the damages that occurred.

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