Tennessee Legislature Repairs the Sinkhole Problem

The Tennessee Legislature recently amended T.C.A. § 56-7-130, the statute requiring insurance carriers offering homeowner’s insurance in the state to “make available” sinkhole coverage to their insureds. The new statute clarifies sinkhole coverage is optional and available upon request by the insured. This is important because while the prior statute required insurance companies to “make available” sinkhole coverage, disputes arose over whether carriers were required to affirmatively “offer” sinkhole coverage to their insureds. The statute now makes it clear sinkhole coverage is not mandated to be included in homeowner property insurance policies – only that such coverage be available for optional purchase on request by policyholders.

The new statute also adds several helpful definitions such as “building stabilization or foundation repairs”, “covered building”, “homeowner property insurance”, “land stabilization”, “primary structural member”, “primary structural system”, and “structural damage” helpful in interpreting the law. According to the new statute, “sinkhole loss” is further clarified to require coverage for “structural damage” and does not include land stabilization. Without “structural damage”, as defined by the statute, any other cracking, shrinking, and/or expansion damage would not be covered even if actually caused by a sinkhole unless otherwise covered under the terms of the policy.

The statute requires insurers to follow the statute’s investigation standards only if the insured’s policy contained the sinkhole coverage, something that was less than clear in the previous version of the law. If sinkhole coverage is provided, upon a claim for sinkhole loss, the carrier must inspect the property. If structural damage possibly caused by sinkhole activity is present, before a sinkhole claim may be denied, written certification must still be obtained from an engineer or other qualified professional that sinkhole activity did not cause the observed structural damage.

If a loss is covered and determined to be the result of sinkhole activity, the statute speaks directly to how the claim is to be paid. The carriers, through the terms of their policies, may limit recovery to the Actual Cash Value of the loss, excluding the costs for building stabilization or foundation repair, until the insured actually enters a contract for such building stabilization or foundation repair. To receive payment in excess of the aforementioned Actual Cash Value:

– The insured must actually repair the damage in accordance with a repair plan approved by the insurer; and
– The policyholder is required to enter into a contract for foundation and building stabilization repairs within ninety (90) days after the insurer confirms coverage for the loss.

The carrier is required to pay the amounts necessary to begin the repairs and may not require the insured to advance payment for the necessary repairs. Such repairs are required to be completed within twelve (12) months unless there is mutual agreement; the matter is in litigation, appraisal or litigation; or circumstances beyond the control of the insured.

The new law takes effect July 1, 2014. It is a substantial improvement over the previous statute as it provides much needed clarity as to the requirements of insurers in making the coverage available as well as the specific steps required in the event of a covered sinkhole loss.