Understand what “Proof of Ownership” is in a homeownersinsurance claim.
If you ever find yourself making a homeowners insurance claim, your insurer may ask you to provide a form of “proof of ownership” for whatever items need to be replaced. Essentially, you’ll need to document all of your lost or damaged belongings so your insurer can properly compensate you. Although this may sound overwhelming, the process can be simple if you have prepared before needing to make a claim.
What is proof of ownership?
In the home insurance world, “proof of ownership” is any document that provides details about an item that was lost or damaged, which now needs to be replaced.
What counts as proof of ownership when making a claim?
Although every insurer will have their own requirements, generally, one of the following documents could be used as proof of ownership in a home insurance claim:
- The original receipt or an electronic copy
- The email receipt for an online purchase
- A photo of the item
- Bank or credit card statement
- A certificate, evaluation or appraisal
- A record of the item’s serial number
- A warranty or guarantee document
- An operating manual or packaging
What about a gift?
It’s likely that you didn’t purchase all of your belongings – some of them may have been gifts, which means you may not have their receipts. If you need to prove ownership of a gifted item, try asking the gift giver for the receipt, or see if you can find the original owner’s manual, packaging, or a photo of the item.
For help securing
homeowners insurance for your house and belongings,
visit the team at Tompkins Insurance Agencies.
