Insurance

Tim Watson · Post by **Tim Watson** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:24 pm

I have recently read that if one has livestock you should also have public liability insurance to cover for any damage (cars, fences, gardens etc) resulting in claims from escaped livestock.
Is this just another ploy from the insurance industry or is it something that the wise members of this forum would advise? Is the premium better spent on quality fencing or does it protect you from damage/injury to people visiting you as well?
There seems little point in asking a company about it as they will undoubtedly say we need it!
If it is advisable have you found any particular company to be better than others?
Many thanks

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:30 pm

Tim I would strongly recommend you are adequately covered to include public liability insurance. Also, in terms of any equipment you get, from my own experience if it's not nailed down it will get nicked. So make sure you cover this too.

I have found the NFU very good.

Colin

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:17 pm

There is an insurance company that specialises in smallholding. They have some basic packages at extremely competitive prices, and which will cover most of the aspects that you will require. PL comes automatically. Here's the cover for basic package at £275 per annum premium.

Damage Farm Buildings £20,000
Fire, impact by a vehicle, lightning, storm which presumably include floods and other rarer things like a plane landing on it!
Machinery £5,000
Produce (hay, red diesel) £2,500
Fencing, gates, wall damage £1,000
Livestock £5,000 (max £1,000 per beast)
Public Liability £1,000,000

I can't remember the company though except that Royal Life is involved. It is definitely called a Smallholders Package, so any good broker should know it, or Google it.

Louise Badcock · Post by **Louise Badcock** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 11:16 pm

NFU are fine --most of the others do not cover outbuildings or temporary helpers.
Louise

jem · Post by **jem** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:10 am

If all you want is Public Liability, NFU will include this with their household insurance.

CarolineL · Post by **CarolineL** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 3:40 pm

Would definitely recommend public liability insurance - it may always be one of those 'just in case' things but the one time you need it will be the one time you wish you had it - even if the situation wasn't your fault if they are your stock you will be liable and people will sue for anything these days and for ridiculous amounts of money too. I would say that the bit of extra cost is worth it for getting rid of the stress/worry about 'what if'. We use a local NFU company and they have been very helpful.
Enjoy your Dexters - they're fab!
Regards
Caroline

AlisonKirk · Post by **AlisonKirk** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 4:10 pm

Would certainly recommend NFU. Get in touch with you local office ..... you'll find them very helpful. We're in Bonus Scheme which does shave some money off their premiums. They will pay out claims fairly quickly.

Be warned, however, several years ago we allowed a game keeper to put his pheasant pens in our fields. To cut a long story short our Dexters got into those pens & released approx 400 young pheasants. We thought ... it's OK we're insured. Not so, because we had allowed the pens to be placed in our fields we were not covered. Had our cattle escaped & gone into someone else's property, we would have been covered.

Several hours later most of the baby pheasants had been put back in their pens and we heard no more from the game keeper. The underkeeper had forgotten to put on the electric fence & left buckets of corn in the pens!!

Alison Kirk
Boram Dexters

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 4:16 pm

We were with NFU but they would not cough up when my satnav was pinched from my landrover which I had left open (even though when I joined them, the manager told me directly they would disregard their rulebook when it came to farmers and their landrovers). Had it being locked, the thieves would have created a lot more cost and mess, but they were not interested.

So we changed to Farmers & Mercantile 3 years ago and our premiums went down from £6500 p.a. to £5000, for improved cover, and they have paid up on claims as well.

Not knocking the NFU but I think it depends what your local office is like.

Edited By Broomcroft on 1259853689

Tim Watson · Post by **Tim Watson** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 6:32 pm

We already have some insurance with NFU so will be getting in touch with them. I think we will also try the Cornish Mutual as they have an office locally and we can talk to a human. Beryl also has some information so we should be able to check and make sure everyone is on their toes when it comes to being competitive!