Which of the following types of property would be covered under Coverage C?

Unlike the open perils protection for the dwelling and other structures, personal property is covered against direct loss on a named perils basis, including the following:

• Fire or lightning
• Windstorm or hail
• Explosion
• Riot or civil commotion
• Aircraft
• Vehicles
• Smoke
• Vandalism or malicious mischief
• Theft
• Falling objects
• Weight of ice, snow, or sleet
• Accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam
• Sudden and accidental tearing apart, cracking, burning, or bulging of a water heating or transporting appliance
• Freezing
• Sudden and accidental damage from artificially generated electrical current
• Volcanic eruption

Most of these perils are listed along with some explanation of what they involve, as well as specific exclusions. For example, damage by windstorm or hail to personal property in a building is not covered unless the opening is caused by wind or hail. Therefore, if hail broke a window and damaged property inside, the loss would be covered. If the window was left open, however, damage to property would not be covered. Similarly, furnishings, equipment, and other personal property are covered only if such property is inside a fully enclosed building. So, if your curtains are damaged by a windstorm while the window is left open, coverage C of HO-3 will not pay for the loss.

Smoke damage is covered if it is sudden and accidental, but not if it is caused by smoke from agricultural smudging or industrial operations. If, for example, your oil furnace malfunctions and spreads smoke throughout the house, the insurer will pay for redecorating and having smoky furniture and clothing cleaned. On the other hand, if you hang your clothing outside on the clothesline and it needs cleaning because of exposure to emissions from a coal-burning power plant, you will have to pay for any resulting loss.

Theft includes damages caused by attempted theft as well as loss of property from a known location when it is likely that the property has been stolen. If someone damages your bicycle in an attempt to steal it, such damage is covered. The second part of the theft definition is sometimes referred to as mysterious disappearance. Suppose, for example, you leave your camera at your table in McDonald’s, go to the counter for another cup of coffee, return to your table, and find the camera gone. Was it stolen, or did it leave under its own power? It was probably stolen, so the loss is covered. Mysterious disappearanceCoverage that requires that there be loss of property from a known place in such a fashion that theft is the likely cause. coverage requires that there be loss of property from a known place in such a fashion that theft is the likely cause.

Several exceptions to the theft coverage are enumerated in the policy. First, the HO-3 does not include loss caused by theft committed by any insured. This appears strange until you consider how many people are included in the definition of insured, which includes any resident relative and anyone under age twenty-one in the care of one of these resident relations.

Second, theft in or from a dwelling under construction or of materials and supplies for use in the construction is excluded because the risk is too great. Theft from any part of a residence rented by an insured to someone other than an insured is also excluded. If you rent a room to an outsider, for example, and he or she steals something from that room, the loss is not covered.

The third exception is one particularly important to typical college-age students. Unless an insured is residing there, theft from a residence owned by, rented by, rented to, or occupied by an insured, other than the residence premises, is excepted. Property of students kept at school, however, is covered as long as the student has been there within forty-five days. If you go home for winter break and your dorm room (or apartment) is broken into, your property is covered if you were not gone more than forty-five days at the time of the theft, subject of course to other policy exclusions and limitations.

Falling objects is the next listed peril. If a tree falls on your canoe, the damage is covered because the tree is a falling object. This peril does not include loss to property contained in a building, however, unless the roof or an exterior wall of the building is first damaged by a falling object. If you drop a hammer on a piece of china, the loss is not covered. If the roof is damaged by a falling tree that, in turn, damages the china, the loss is covered. Similarly, damage to personal property caused by the weight of ice, snow, or sleet or the collapse of part or all of a building is covered.

Loss caused by accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam from a plumbing, heating, air conditioning, or automatic fire protective sprinkler system, or from a household appliance, is covered. Water could leak from a washing machine, for example, and cause damage to a painting hung on the wall of a room below. Sudden and accidental tearing, cracking, burning, or bulging of a steam or hot water heating system, an air conditioning or automatic fire protective sprinkler system, or a hot water heater could damage not only the premises but personal property. Such loss is covered.

Loss caused by freezing of a plumbing, heating, air conditioning, or automatic fire protective sprinkler system, or of a household appliance, is covered. This does not include loss on the residence premises while the dwelling is unoccupied, unless you arrange to maintain heat in the building or shut off the water supply and drain the system. If you leave your home during the winter for several weeks or months, losses caused by cold weather will not be covered unless you take the same precautions as would a prudent person who did not have insurance.

Damage to some property caused by a short circuit in your electrical system is covered. Excluded is loss to a tube, transistor, or similar electronic component. Thus, damage to your television or personal computer is not covered.

Which of the following is covered by coverage C?

What is coverage C?

Which of the following is not covered under Coverage C?

What is the percentage of coverage C?