Fire insurance of property. Insurance payments after a fire

In the period from January to September 2017, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, 66,279 residential units were damaged by fire, including private houses, apartments, country houses and nearby outbuildings. The total amount of direct material damage for the specified period amounted to 3,307,165 rubles. Most of the burned structures were not insured, so the owners had to compensate for losses and restore the damaged facilities themselves. Fire insurance makes it possible, in the event of destruction or damage to the insured object, to restore housing and compensate for losses at the expense of the company. The key point is the right choice of insurance company and a well-drafted contract.

What is fire insurance?

Home fire insurance implies compensation by the insurance company for damage caused by fire to the property and real estate of the insured (beneficiary). This concept also includes harm caused when trying to extinguish a fire and eliminate the consequences. At the moment, the procedure is voluntary for private houses and premises, mandatory for objects of municipal and state balance. Insurers can be individuals and legal entities. The scope of insurance and the list of insured events depend on what type of policy was chosen. The range of property subject to insurance is quite wide. Companies offer various options depending on the customer's goals. Most often, the contract includes insurance of the following objects:

• Apartment (structural elements, decoration, furniture, art);
• A private house, what matters is whether the building is used for permanent residence. Seasonal housing is assessed at a different rate. The contract includes landscape design, extensions, gazebos;
• Real estate purchased with a mortgage. As a rule, such insurance is a mandatory condition of the bank.

The listed objects are insured most often, and the popularity of this service is growing due to the fact that insurance companies offer convenient “boxed” products that include a large number of risks (except fire), as well as several objects. In this case, insurance limits are set by the insurance company independently and are not subject to change. Therefore, if a client wants to issue an insurance contract only for one specific object and only as protection against fire, then he can count on individual insurance.

What risks are covered?

Insurance provides protection for property against a range of fire-related hazards. The full list of insured events is described in the contract, and depending on the policy of a particular insurance company, this list may change. It is worth noting that arson of property by the insured is not only not an insured event, but also faces criminal penalties. But malicious actions of third parties are a legal basis for receiving compensation. If there is a suspicion that the fire did not start accidentally, the Fire Inspectorate and law enforcement agencies will investigate its circumstances. So, the standard program includes the following risk situations:

• Fire caused by faulty electrical wiring: short circuit, voltage surges;
• Domestic gas explosion;
• Fire due to careless handling of fire;
• Ignition due to lightning strike, natural disasters.

It is worth noting that each risk has exclusions from coverage. Thus, it will not be possible to insure housing against fire if the standard terms of its operation have been violated, and production, non-production, construction, structural defects, or improper performance of installation, repair, and construction work in the insurance territory have been identified. If the structures of the building in which the apartment is located are physically worn out, it will also not be possible to purchase an insurance policy. If, as a result of an investigation after a fire, it is discovered that there were explosive substances in the apartment (house) and chemical experiments were carried out with such substances, then insurance compensation will be denied.

Advantages and disadvantages of an insurance policy

The main reason for fire insurance for real estate is the ability to compensate for losses in the event of a fire. Among all emergency incidents, it ranks first in terms of the scale of damage caused. Restoring damaged property is fraught with prohibitive costs. If the contract is drawn up correctly, the procedure has practically no disadvantages. The policy specifies the maximum payment amount, usually the market value of the property.

The assessment is carried out by the company's experts based on the condition of the object at the time of the transaction. If part of the property survived the fire, the damage will also be compensated in a smaller amount. For example, if part of the walls has been preserved. When concluding a contract, you must carefully re-read all clauses. This will help protect yourself from unpleasant surprises. The customer can separately negotiate and change the terms of the transaction. It makes sense, for example, to include in the list of risks a fire caused by the property owner.

How much does it cost to get insurance?

The price of insurance, as well as the amount of payments, is set individually in each case. It depends on the condition, purpose, area of ​​the premises, region of location of the object and is determined as a percentage of the market value of the object. The tariffs of different companies differ insignificantly. The table below provides examples of offers from some insurance companies.

Table - Fire insurance programs for apartments (houses) and policy costs in 2018

Fire is a tragedy for every person. There are situations when fire consumes absolutely everything that has been protected by the owners for many years. It is impossible to predict the occurrence of an emergency, so property fire insurance becomes an excellent opportunity to gain confidence in the future.

Principles of insurance

Insurance of a house or apartment is considered a voluntary form. The legislation also provides for compulsory fire insurance, but this does not apply to the property of individuals, so if there is no desire to take out a policy, then this is completely legal and will not entail administrative liability.

Fire property insurance is the only way to receive compensation for damage caused by a fire, explosion, lightning strike, or an airplane or other object falling on the property that caused a fire. This opportunity allows you to preserve your material wealth even in the event of an unforeseen tragedy, and the owner of the apartment will not have to think about what to do now and where to live, which almost always happens during a fire disaster.

You can insure against fire:

• any real estate, apartment, house, enterprise, store, etc.;
• finishing repairs of real estate;
• equipment in organizations and enterprises;
• furniture and all equipment that are located in the room;
• products of production or goods for sale.

That is, the insurance contract can stipulate not only compensation for damage caused to the apartment itself, but you can also claim compensation for the cost of all acquired property that was inside the premises during the fire, even the wallpaper on the walls.

Conclusion procedure

An insurance contract is a document that specifies the obligations of the parties when insuring property against fire. The document specifies all property that is subject to financial compensation in the event of fire damage. The contract includes the amount of compensation in the event of an insured situation and restrictions for users of the property.

The document is in writing; any other form of the document is invalid and has no legal force. Insurance of a house or apartment is carried out at the request of the owner and is not a mandatory procedure. The procedure can be carried out by an organization that has permission and a license to do so, as provided for by current legislation.

What should the policy include:

• name of the agreement;
• full legal name, address and account of the company that provides its services as an insurer;
• Full name of the property owner, place of residence and contact information;
• indication of the object of insurance: house or apartment;
• insurance amount;
• description of the insurance risk;
• the amount of the contribution and the procedure for its accrual to the company’s account;
• expiration date of the contract;
• the procedure for making changes to the document;
• procedure for terminating the agreement;
• If desired, specific conditions and additions to the provision of services can be made;
• the document is certified by the signatures of the parties and the seal of the organization.

The main package of documents includes: policy, conditions and rules.

Cases of refusal to compensate for damages

After a fire occurs, insurance inspectors conduct their investigation, which helps determine the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage caused. The legislation provides for cases when the insurer retains the right to refuse compensation to the home owner for losses.

Grounds for refusal:

The contract becomes invalid

It is worth considering that insurance for a house or apartment has a validity period; after this period, the document becomes invalid and claims for damages cannot be made against it. There are also certain situations in which the contract automatically becomes invalid.

The most common cases of liquidation of an agreement:

• if the insurance company is deprived of its license;
• in cases of death of the policyholder;
• if the company has already covered the damage to the policyholder;
• as a result of delay in mandatory payment;
• By the tribunal's decision.

By a court decision, the agreement may be invalidated if the interested party tried to insure property that had already been damaged by fire. Also, the contract loses its legal force if the insured property was confiscated by a court decision.

Amount of insurance premiums and amount of compensation

In the process of concluding a contract, different amounts of compensation may be taken into account, but it always comes from the cost of the apartment or house. Sometimes the amount of compensation includes all restoration work, that is, if the apartment was damaged, it is brought back to the form it was in before the fire, including all furniture, appliances and repairs.

Also, the amount of compensation may be equal to the market value of the apartment, which is determined by an expert commission. There are times when the policyholder is paid the residual value of the home.

Also, the insurer and the policyholder can agree on the amount of payment under the contract, taking into account all the finishing work carried out, the cost of processing documents and other expenses.

The amount of insurance premiums will depend on the list of risks; for example, an apartment can be insured against fire and flood at the same time. The fire protection system installed in the room, its level and degree of protection are also taken into account.

The amount of expected compensation for damage after the occurrence of an insured event is taken into account. The degree of fire risk is assessed. The company often offers discounts to its regular customers.

Also, additions may be made to the insurance contract, on which the insurance premium will depend. For example, an apartment owner can protect his home from unlawful actions of third parties, fire, explosion, robbery and other things.

When insuring an apartment, house or country estate, the pricing principles remain the same, the only thing is that the insurance policy can also include movable property that is located on the territory of the building, this can be household appliances, cars located in the garage.

Small nuances

When applying for a policy, you must remember that the insurance service is still not interested in compensating for damage, therefore, in the event of a claim, it will conduct its own investigation, in order to avoid disputes, it is recommended to protect yourself:

1. Before going to the insurer, you need to take pictures of the apartment, house and all property that will be insured. Sometimes the company does not conduct a preliminary inspection of the premises, this makes it impossible to determine the presence of repairs or the condition of equipment and furniture before the fire.
2. It is also necessary to obtain a fire survey from authorized bodies, which will confirm the validity of the insured event. When filing a claim, the insurance company will require a certificate of the accident.
3. it is necessary to compile a complete list of property that is subject to insurance, equipment, clothing, expensive decorative items, etc.

According to the law, fire victims are entitled to financial assistance. Money is allocated from the budget in exceptional cases:

• fire victims injured due to the fault of employees of state-owned companies;
• people who lost all their property and personal documents due to the burning of their house (apartment).

The legal framework has established other ways for fire victims to claim compensation. They are directly related to the following facts:

• availability of an insurance contract;
• the results of the investigation into the causes of the fire;
• owner of residential premises.

Important!

Only tenants of apartments (houses) of the municipal fund can count on help from the authorities after a house fire. Budget funds are allocated to owners only in exceptional cases.

Methods for compensating losses from fire

When property is destroyed in a fire, people need outside help. You need to look for it in a certain order. The fact is that after a fire at home, you should obtain a report from the Ministry of Emergency Situations about the causes of the fire. Without this document it is impossible to move forward.

The algorithm of actions for victims is as follows:

1. calling firefighters and rescuing property;
2. waiting for the end of the investigation;
3. receiving a document describing the cause of the fire;
4. development of subsequent actions.

Compensation for fire victims is provided by such objects of legal relations.

• Insurance company under the following conditions: the premises are privately owned by the injured citizen; an agreement has been concluded with policyholders; the cause of the disaster is included in the list of insured events.
• The guilty person, if identified by the investigation.
• The Russian government is also providing assistance to fire victims. Conditions are determined in each case separately. For example, after a fire, houses became completely unusable; the cause was a natural disaster, terrorist attack or other crime.
• Local governments also have the right to allocate money to citizens in connection with a fire. The decision is made after studying the circumstances of the disaster and the financial situation of the victims.

Important!

The amount of compensation cannot exceed 120,000 rubles.

Contacting the insurance company

This option is provided for owners of residential premises who have prudently insured their apartments (houses). They need to contact their policyholder. To do this, you will need to collect a package of documents. They are listed in the table below.

Important!

If a company refuses to pay financial assistance to the insured person after a house fire, then you need to go to court. The same is done in the case when the insurer allocates an amount that does not comply with the terms of the agreement.

Collection of funds from the guilty party

This option for compensating for losses due to fire is suitable if arson is detected (). Moreover, in theory, there are two options. The further actions of fire victims depend on the specific situation.

At the trial, the degree of guilt of the arsonist is determined. The claimant must provide proof of the value of the lost (damaged) property. For this:

• documents are collected (checks, bills, passports, etc.);
• an expert assessment is carried out (at the applicant’s expense);
• the amount of money spent on the expert’s work is included in the claim.

Monetary compensation established by a court decision is forcibly recovered from the perpetrator.

State support for fire victims in 2018

Authorities provide assistance to people in connection with the fire in certain situations. Moreover, the determination of their complete list falls within the competence of local self-government bodies.

In general, the following citizens can count on compensation for part of their losses (Art. , Housing Code of the Russian Federation):

• those who lost their housing due to a natural disaster or criminal activity of terrorists;
• victims of criminal negligence of an employee of a state-owned company (gas workers or electricians, for example).

The state provides support to citizens in two ways: by providing equal housing or by paying financial assistance.

The conditions for allocating budget funds to fire victims are as follows:

• The cause of the fire is not arson;
• The family's only home burned down.

Who is entitled to an apartment from the authorities?

Only citizens who lived in the affected apartments on social rental terms can count on receiving new housing (). It is the responsibility of municipal authorities to take care of tenants. If the housing is damaged, it must be replaced with a new one. This social service is provided in several forms.

• If the municipality has vacant apartments, they are distributed among the affected families.
• If there are none, then until the authorities are able to fulfill their obligations, people destitute after their house was burned down are provided with temporary assistance: other living quarters or funds to rent an apartment.
• If local authorities do not have a fund, then citizens are awarded financial compensation.

Important!

Other housing is allocated at the initiative of victims of disaster. You must write an application to the local administration. Documents from the Ministry of Emergency Situations are attached to it.

Registration of material payment

An applicant for financial assistance must contact the local administration with an application. The following documents are attached to the document:

• Emergency Ministry report and conclusion on the cause of the fire;
• document of ownership (if available);
• expert opinion on the amount of damage;
• a certificate from the Unified State Register of Real Estate about the absence of ownership of other residential premises by the tenant and members of his family;
• technical passport for the burnt apartment;
• extract from the house register;
• certificate of family composition;
• certificate of income of its adult members;
• bank account details.

Important!

Local authorities provide financial assistance only to owners who do not insure their property. Tenants can claim compensation for lost property (not an apartment).

Conclusion

So, the procedure for compensating for the consequences of a fire depends on four factors:

• causes of fire;
• degree of damage;
• the financial situation of the victims;
• from the one who owned the residential premises.

Depending on the situation, fire victims may be eligible for compensation for losses from the person responsible for the disaster, an insurance company, or municipal authorities.

What are the conditions for receiving payment? First of all, the owner of the damaged property must record the fact of the occurrence of an insured event (with the help of relevant organizations), prepare a package of documents, and draw up a competent statement.

Something terrible happened...

When an event occurs that has signs of an insured event (to understand whether it has them or not, study the insurance conditions in advance), you must first report the incident to the competent authorities.

So, in the event of a fire, representatives of the State Fire Service should be called. Moreover, even if the fire is extinguished yourself - after all, to receive payment you will need a fire report indicating the cause and location of the fire. If the fire was caused by a gas explosion, you also need to call the employees of the organization responsible for the gas networks.

When filling with water, the procedure may be different. If the water comes to you from the adjacent section of the townhouse, call representatives of the operational services. If the flooding occurred as a result of floods and other natural disasters, a certificate from the Hydrometeorological Service will be required.

To receive payment for the risk of “illegal actions of third parties” (theft, robbery, etc.), you must call the law enforcement authorities. And after the policeman arrives, insist on initiating a criminal case under the relevant article.

Note

As soon as the occurrence of an insured event is recorded (or in parallel with the proceedings), it is necessary to report the “unpleasant event” to the insurance company - by calling the dispatcher or fax (some large companies receive signals around the clock). This must be done within 24 hours of receiving news of the incident.

When an insured event occurs, it is important to preserve the damaged property until it is inspected by a representative of the insurer in the form in which it appeared as a result of the incident. But the home owner must take measures to reduce the damage. For example, put out the fire yourself if the fire is small, or urgently call the fire department if the “red rooster” has covered a large area. But you shouldn’t throw away burnt objects and wipe soot off the walls until the insurer takes photographs of everything as it is.

Payment or non-payment?

Insurance is provided only against specific insurance risks listed in the contract. Compensation is not paid if the insured event was the result of intentional actions of the policyholder or a member of his family. The amount of actual damage does not include losses associated with moral harm and lost profits. In addition to force majeure, the contract usually specifies a number of events that give the insurer the right to refuse to pay insurance compensation. For example, a fire or destruction of a cottage as a result of construction and installation (including finishing) work or penetration of water (rain, snow, hail) through open windows or doors, cracks in the roof structure, etc. You cannot count on compensation and if the insured event occurred as a result of rotting, aging, corrosion, or natural wear and tear of the structure. Concealment by the insured when concluding a contract of some defects in the structure (for example, laying communications in violation of basic rules and regulations) usually allows the insurance company to refuse payment.

The payment terms for major and minor damage are the same; on average, money can be received within three days after the decision on compensation is made and the corresponding insurance act is issued. Another thing is that large losses require a longer procedure for preparing the relevant documents.

No documentary surprises

As for documents, in order to receive compensation you need to provide several of them. First of all, you need a written application for payment of insurance compensation. As a rule, it is compiled in free form. The application must indicate the date of the incident (if known), the circumstances that led to the damage to the property, etc. Be sure to ask the insurance agent how the application can be submitted to the insurer. So, if the property is insured by a disabled person or simply an elderly person, he should reserve the right to send the application by fax or with an authorized representative.

Next on the list are certificates received from the competent authorities, indicating the reasons, place, time and other circumstances of loss (death) or damage to the structure. In addition, you will need documents confirming the amount of loss. Finally, the documentation package includes papers certifying the interest of the insured (beneficiary) in preserving the structure. Typically this is a certificate of ownership.

Note

Many citizens are concerned: will the insurer refuse to work with them in the future if an insured event occurs during the term of the contract? According to experts, there should be no refusal. However, if the contract is extended, the tariff may increase.

How much is difficult to say. There is no general approach here, and the decision to increase the insurance rate (or maintain the previous one) is made separately for each case. In this case, the insurer takes into account the following: measures taken by the policyholder to prevent the occurrence of a similar event in the future; amount of loss; number of insured events, etc.

Mortgages and “boxes”

Today, more and more suburban real estate properties are purchased with the help of a mortgage. In this case, home insurance against possible damage is issued as part of comprehensive mortgage insurance (this package includes life and health insurance for the borrower, as well as title insurance - ownership of the property). But who, in this case, will receive compensation if something happens to the house - the bank or the borrower?

Note

As a rule, there are two options for paying insurance compensation. If there is no overdue debt under the loan agreement, the amount of insurance compensation is transferred to the policyholder. If there is an overdue debt under the loan agreement, the compensation expected to be paid to the policyholder is transferred, in accordance with his instructions, to pay off this debt. If the cottage is completely destroyed, the insurance compensation will be used to pay off the debt on the bank loan, and the remainder (very small) will be transferred to the borrower.

Recently, so-called “boxed” insurance products have become very common on the market. This is, in essence, insuring an object for one of the fixed amounts without inspection. The client comes to the office of the insurance company or even to one of the policy sales points (in a shopping or office center, another institution), and he is offered policies at a fixed price with a predetermined insurance amount: 20, 40, 80 thousand dollars. etc. The buyer chooses an option that suits him, pays money and... does not always sleep peacefully. The fact is that when selling a policy, the object is not assessed. But in case of damage, the amount of compensation will be calculated very scrupulously. And here the main drawback of “boxed” products becomes obvious. If the amount of damage is below the “ceiling” specified in the policy, the money will be paid in full - in accordance with the contract. And if the insurance is issued for 40 thousand dollars, and a house that has completely burned down costs two hundred, then the poor insured will only have enough compensation to restore the foundation and communications.

On the other hand, the opposite option is also possible. Let's say a client purchases a policy with a fixed sum insured of 100 thousand dollars. And then something terrible happens to the dacha - it is completely washed away by a mudflow. The insurer evaluates the destroyed object (by comparison with similar objects or using other methods), and it turns out that such a dacha costs a maximum of 80 thousand dollars. The policyholder will receive these same eighty, and not at all the hundred thousand for which he insured.

Note

Please note that the loss (destruction) of a structure is considered to be in its condition when the costs of restoration exceed the cost of the structure specified in the insurance contract (insurable value). In addition, the insurer does not reimburse expenses for improving the structure relative to the condition in which it was before the insured event.

So, we have considered a whole range of cases in which the policyholder may be left without payment. However, one should not think that insurance itself weakly protects the interests of homeowners. Experts never tire of repeating: if the policyholder, when concluding the contract, provided reliable information and fulfilled all the obligations stipulated in the document, then he will not have any difficulties in receiving insurance compensation. Read the documents carefully and manage your property wisely! And then everything will be okay.

In conclusion, let me give one example from insurance practice.

On the morning of December 28, 2005, a fire started in a two-story wooden house. At this time, there was a man inside who smelled smoke and saw that there was a fire. He immediately turned off the power and called the fire brigade. The workers who were in the garden began to extinguish the fire, but the fire, despite the measures taken, quickly spread through the voids in the walls, to the second floor and further onto the roof structure. The fight against the fire by the arriving firefighters was complicated by the fact that due to the negative temperature (-15 0C) and the north wind, it was difficult to organize the supply of water through the hoses from the nearest reservoirs, and the fire truck went to the reservoir several times to get water. The fire was contained by mid-afternoon. The roof was severely burned, the internal wall cladding and insulation were burned out, the outer cladding of the house was damaged, and the structural elements of the wall frame were partially burned. The cause of the fire was the lack of separation between the fireplace chimney pipe and the combustible structures of the country house. To assess the damage, Russkiy Mir Insurance Company hired an independent surveyor. Based on the report and the estimate, the company made an insurance payment in the amount of 2.324 million rubles.