Finding out neighbors insurance company?

[Branwen]

Hi, all. I am in Massachusetts, and live in a Boston area suburb with no dangerous dog ordinances. A friend of mine has been terrorized by a neighbor's pit bull for years...the dog has run loose, bitten people, and killed a cat. The family has now gotten another pit bull, who is also aggressive, and has been seen running loose. Calls to police and AC have proved futile...until a person is badly mauled or killed, they say they can't do anything.

According to the online registry of deeds, the dog owners are mortgaged to the hilt. Is there any way of finding out who their HO insurance company is? This family is a lawsuit waiting to happen, I am aware that very few insurers will insure pit bulls, much less pit bulls with a bite histroy and a record with AC. My friend tried guessing and calling one insurance company, they were VERY eager to check their data base and told her they would have an agent out there the next day if they were the insurer, but they were not.

Would the mortgage company be able to share that information with my friend? The mortgage company is listed online. Is there a data base anywhere that would allow someone to report insurance fruad to an insurance company? I think the dog owner is obviously not disclosing the risk he is assuming to his insurer, to me that sounds like insurance fraud.

Thank in advance for any advice you can share.

 

[bluestblue.]

Hi, all. I am in Massachusetts, and live in a Boston area suburb with no dangerous dog ordinances. A friend of mine has been terrorized by a neighbor's pit bull for years...the dog has run loose, bitten people, and killed a cat. The family has now gotten another pit bull, who is also aggressive, and has been seen running loose. Calls to police and AC have proved futile...until a person is badly mauled or killed, they say they can't do anything.

According to the online registry of deeds, the dog owners are mortgaged to the hilt. Is there any way of finding out who their HO insurance company is? This family is a lawsuit waiting to happen, I am aware that very few insurers will insure pit bulls, much less pit bulls with a bite histroy and a record with AC. My friend tried guessing and calling one insurance company, they were VERY eager to check their data base and told her they would have an agent out there the next day if they were the insurer, but they were not.

Would the mortgage company be able to share that information with my friend? The mortgage company is listed online. Is there a data base anywhere that would allow someone to report insurance fruad to an insurance company? I think the dog owner is obviously not disclosing the risk he is assuming to his insurer, to me that sounds like insurance fraud.

Thank in advance for any advice you can share.

until you are actually bit by the dog, you cant know. Then you should be happy you got bit because then youll know the company, the company will know about the dog and you might get a nice settlement. but you'd have to get attacked. so yea, that sounds fun

the mortgage company has privacy guidelines. I'm sure there are companies that will insure the homeowner with the dogs. its not fraud unless the ins co is paying your neighbor. falure to disclose is more the right term. not fraud. i think your being nosey and vindictive.

Why dont you just go to your neighbors and ask. It might work, it might not, but then your neighbors will know it was you who "blew the wistle" on there loved family pet.

 

[cyjeff]

until you are actually bit by the dog, you cant know. Then you should be happy you got bit because then youll know the company, the company will know about the dog and you might get a nice settlement. but you'd have to get attacked. so yea, that sounds fun

the mortgage company has privacy guidelines. I'm sure there are companies that will insure the homeowner with the dogs. its not fraud unless the ins co is paying your neighbor. falure to disclose is more the right term. not fraud. i think your being nosey and vindictive.

Why dont you just go to your neighbors and ask. It might work, it might not, but then your neighbors will know it was you who "blew the wistle" on there loved family pet.

I was unfamiliar with the doctrine of "insurer/client" privilege.

Can you quote the statute, please?

 

[bluestblue.]

I was unfamiliar with the doctrine of "insurer/client" privilege.

Can you quote the statute, please?

of course i cant. maby instead you could give us the right answer.

the mortgage company might/probably wont give a third party any info. thats all im saying. they have regulations. wheres the site that discloses homeowner info? I have not heard of one, public info it might be, but easly obtained annonomusly(sorry spelling) i dont think so.

 

[Branwen]

until you are actually bit by the dog, you cant know. Then you should be happy you got bit because then youll know the company, the company will know about the dog and you might get a nice settlement. but you'd have to get attacked. so yea, that sounds fun

the mortgage company has privacy guidelines. I'm sure there are companies that will insure the homeowner with the dogs. its not fraud unless the ins co is paying your neighbor. falure to disclose is more the right term. not fraud. i think your being nosey and vindictive.

Why dont you just go to your neighbors and ask. It might work, it might not, but then your neighbors will know it was you who "blew the wistle" on there loved family pet.

First off, I am posting for a friend....they are not my neighbors. If they were, my husband would have had a "talk" with them, and I doubt the problem would have continued, but that is neither here nor there. Their "beloved family pet" has been the subject of at least one local newspaper story regarding its aggressive behavior, and the fact that 11 neighbors petitioned the BOA to do something about the dog. Now they have a second dog that is proving to be equally aggressive. The only thing the neighbors EVER asked for was that they keep the dogs contained, but the arrogant, irresponsible sociopaths who own the dogs refuse. They don't care about their neighbors children or pets. For the record, the elderly cat that was killed while sitting on his own front porch was someone "beloved pet" also, until his neck was broken by the off leash pit bull.

I came here asking what I thought was a legitimate insurance question to help a friend....these dogs may end up seriously injuring or even killing a child. The first dog has already bitten my friend, but got a mouth full of clothing, so she did not require medical attention. She cannot walk her own dogs down the street for fear they will be attacked and killed if the pit bulls are loose. Her children can not take the school bus home, because it drops them off at the end of the street, and they have to walk by the neighbors house to get home; on two previous occasions, the dogs have charged two of her boys, growling and menacing them until they were able to get safely to their house.

Reporting them to the insurer BEFORE a tragedy happened seemed like a reasonable solution to this problem. Obviously, you favor waiting until a child is killed.

If nothing else, I should thank you for illustrating for me what goes on in the minds of people who own these types of dogs and allow them to terrorize neighbors.

 

[cyjeff]

of course i cant. maby instead you could give us the right answer.

the mortgage company might/probably wont give a third party any info. thats all im saying. they have regulations. wheres the site that discloses homeowner info? I have not heard of one, public info it might be, but easly obtained annonomusly(sorry spelling) i dont think so.

That's because a legal "privilege", like doctor/patient, IS a matter of statute (for example, HIPAA). There is significant case law around priest/penitent privilege (People v. Phillips) and attorney/client as well ... but this varies a bit by state as to the full scope - and is also governed by the State Board of Ethics.

However, in terms of the insurance industry, I know of no governing body that states it is illegal to do so... this doesn't mean they HAVE to, of course... but it doesn't approach law.

My personal take is that the insurance companies don't want to make it easy for someone to figure out the best place in the neighborhood to have an "accident"... but that is simply my opinion.

However, none of this matters.

If and when something happens (which WAS the correct answer, by the way), you sue the person. That person will then involve their insurance company to offset the damages.

You, typically, cannot sue for what MIGHT happen.

 

[cyjeff]

First off, I am posting for a friend....they are not my neighbors. If they were, my husband would have had a "talk" with them, and I doubt the problem would have continued, but that is neither here nor there.

Let's stop right here for a moment.

Are you honestly saying that the best way for adults to deal with their issues is via violence and/or threats?

That is not only morally bankrupt, but illegal.

The lady with the cat gets an attorney and sues the bad people.

Reporting them to the insurer BEFORE a tragedy happened seemed like a reasonable solution to this problem. Obviously, you favor waiting until a child is killed.

Yes. You found us out. We all want dead children littering the streets.

God, drama much?

Having said that, you cannot sue for what MIGHT happen... or I could sue you because the way you drive is a hazard to my safety.... granted, you haven't hit me YET, but you will... and I want to be ready.

The courts don't work that way.

If nothing else, I should thank you for illustrating for me what goes on in the minds of people who own these types of dogs and allow them to terrorize neighbors.

Oh, so because we gave you the accurate legal advice we are somehow on the side of the dangerous dog owner?

Wow... you pull out ALL the stops when you get upset, don't you? Now you are into the whole "if you aren't on MY side then you must be on THEIR side" crap, and it doesn't fly.

You want to harass your neighbor via the insurance carrier. That is illegal.
You want to threaten your neighbor if he does something you don't like. That is illegal.

I agree... aggressive dogs shouldn't be allowed to run free. Call the ASPCA EVERY time the dog is loose. EVERY time. Take pictures and videos. Build a real case file.

Invest in pepper spray on your walks.

 

[moburkes]

Insurance companies generally follow the same laws that financial institutions follow. They are not allowed to collect nor provide information on 3rd parties. Gramm Leach Bliley (forgive my mispellings) is the name of the act.

 

[Branwen]

Insurance companies generally follow the same laws that financial institutions follow. They are not allowed to collect nor provide information on 3rd parties. Gramm Leach Bliley (forgive my mispellings) is the name of the act.

Thank you....that was pretty much what I was asking. I thought it was a straightforward question. I am not sure why the above posters extrapolated my question into meaning my friend was looking to sue anyone.....she pretty much just wants to be able to walk down the street. And the elderly owner of an elderly rescue cat isn't going to be able to sue for vet bills, the cat was killed instantly.

As far as calling AC every time the dog is loose, its been done. Our town has only one PT AC person, so the odds of getting help from AC are slim to none. She has called police, and they are sympathetic. She has a file of documentation, pictures, copies of police reports, written statements from other neighbors, etc. If and when the dogs attack and do major damage, she will be able to sue and undoubtedly win, but thats little comfort to her. No one wants a law suit, she just wants to feel safe.

I had a bad experience with an aggressive dog in my neighborhood years ago, and joined a group of citizens who tried to get an dangerous dog ordinance passed, which is how we met. I stumbled upon this site, and thought to ask the question for her. No one is trying to harass these people through their insurance company....the dog was declared dangerous, and they were ordered to put up a fence and keep the dog muzzled, they just refused to comply, and the city doesn't want to litigate.

The addition of the second dog has only made things worse.

Anyway, thank you for your civil response to my question.

 

[msiron]

I can likely tell you what your looking for but there is no option available to PM you.

 

[Alex23]

This neighborhood might have to sacrifice a couple of pets to get rid of the nuisance pit-bulls. If this hasn't happened, yet, maybe the dogs aren't as dangerous as you think?

 

[nrose]

Most insurance companies will have a list of breeds that will make the home uninsurable - and the Pitt Bull is on that list for sure. If you really want to pursue something with this, file a claim with your own HO insurance company with any damages that have been caused to your property, and through the investigation and subrogation of that claim the neighbor's company will discover the forbidden dog.