Unless you are fortunate, you probably have a mortgage on your home. Your mortgage company, a lien holder, is vested in protecting your home. If you fail to carry the correct homeowner’s insurance and a loss occurs, their monetary loss will be much more significant than yours. This is why the lien holders require you to carry homeowner’s insurance. You won’t be able to close on a purchase without it; if it lapses, your lien holder will step in.
Force-Placed Insurance!
Forced-Place insurance is a policy that your lien holder takes out on your home when your policy has lapsed or you have not provided them with proof of an acceptable approach. To protect their interest in the property, your mortgage company will obtain a policy and attach the payments on this policy to your mortgage. This insurance will remain in place until you provide proof of an alternate insurance policy.
The Reason You Don’t Want It
It doesn’t seem like such a bad deal to let the mortgage company handle placing insurance on your home. The problem is that this type of policy exists only to protect the mortgage company’s interests-not yours. There is no coverage for your personal property, and in the case of a claim, you will get nothing-only the mortgage company will receive payment. In return for this limited coverage, force-placed insurance is very expensive-much more so than traditional homeowner’s insurance.
How Can I Avoid It?
First, ensure your homeowner’s insurance coverage doesn’t lapse! Make your payments on time. If you have trouble remembering, consider rolling the insurance in with your mortgage payment or automatically withdrawing it. Another important consideration is ensuring the insurance company has accurate information regarding your lien holder, including their address. This will ensure the insurance company provides proof of insurance to the correct lien holder, and there is no question that you already have insurance in place.
Force-placed insurance isn’t what the mortgage company wants, nor is it the best choice for your interests. Be sure your homeowner’s insurance stays in force and proof is provided so that your interests and those of the mortgage company are protected.
