Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello. I live in Upstate New York. State Farm Insurance Company just refused to give my mother home owner's insurance today because we have a few snakes in our house (no dogs, cats, etc.). They refused to insure us because they consider snakes as "dangerous wild animals that could bite/attack/injure guests" and therefore sue us/them. She told them I have 2 Northern Pine Snakes, 1 Corn Snake, 1 Ball Python, and a Gopher/Bull Inter-grade Snake. My mom told them that they are not dangerous, they are securely kept in cages, and they are clean captive-bred specimens.

Does anybody know how to deal with these unreasonable Insurance Policies? Any helpful feedback would be very much appreciated.

I need help with this matter as soon as possible.

This has been discussed in previous discussion threads. It is standard for insurance companies to cancel policies for any "exotic or wild animal". Its happened to me at least twice. You just dont admit to owning such animals if they ask you and you dont let them see the animals if they do an inspection.

I would look for a new agent/insurance company. Having once allowed such information, there is a good chance that these details are available as a foot note, to any insurance company that pulls up your name. They have huge data bases and collect more about us than we know about ourselves.
"Too big to fail" is what brought us all down...Fiduciaries and Sureties lower than a snake's belly.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

It's funny, I have a 150 lb. St. Bernard. She's a sweetheart, but potentially could rip someone's head off if she snapped. But I guess having a ball python is more risky because it's labeled as "exotic"????

My Ins.cancled me once for having a sign posted "Attack Dogs" They findly reinstated for lower covererage higher deductable for the same prise. Another time they tryed bumping me for a extention cord that went over a lizard cage but it was so huge the thought in was a screened in patio.(they were taking pictures of the house from the locked driveway gate).It was heat lamps for my Iguans so I told them it was just there one night to see the BBQ grill. They said oh were sorry, I said I know! Then I got Venomous! Just was never home when they came by and everything was just fine. Then we had the fire, but I got them all out the back window as fire trucks drove up, it was a dark night, I ran back in and ripped my permit off the snake room door as Fire Marchall stepped in yelling for me to lock up the German Shepards barking around them. Next day people were painting my walls and fixing stuff and writing me checks. Everything was gruvy. The snakes were in a shed ten feet from the house, with a lock on the door. Moral of the story, just be prepared, sort-of-kinda. Fire was started from a big plastic bowl of dog food to close to a kettle of tea on the stove on high. Made a incredable amount of black smoke. Then there was that time when Grand pappy"s still........ VM

I woner what they would do with birds and fish? Some birds could take off a finger and some fish are venomous and/or poisonous but many birds and fish are harmless.
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www.hcu-tx.org/

Switch to Farm Bureau insurance.

We have one of the, if not the, largest private group of crocodiles in the USA. We went through this with multiple companies until we found Farm Bureau.

They are used to livestock of various types.

Otherwise you just don't say, in our case that wasn't an option as the crocs are so visible.
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CDieter
'Reason, observation, and experience; the holy trinity of science.'

if they are captive bred/born ......how can they be "wild"??????

Another interesting fact about how stupid these insurance companies are.

A couple of years ago there were a string of robberies right on my street. My next door neighbor was robbed 3 times in less than 10 days, and my neighbor across the street was robbed 2 times in this period. Funny that these gang members didn't dare coming near my house at all because they knew me and knew that I had snakes, which was a terrifying thought to them (their fear of snakes)especially my bigger ones. Yet the insurance companies all had to pay significant theft insurance to my unfortunate neighbors, but I cant get insurance because I have snakes? How desperate it is that everybody in this country/world should be educated about the REAL NATURE of HARMLESS snake species!