What happens if someone lies on their homeowners insurance application?

Lying on any insurance application, including a homeowners insurance application, is detrimental. Today’s technology makes it easy to confirm information on an application, which means your application can be denied outright for making false statements.

If someone lies on their home insurance application and he gets approved, there is a strong likelihood that the lie will be uncovered at some point in the future, disqualifying any claims and voiding the policy.

Make it a point to always tell the truth on your insurance application. Besides, if your goal is simply to find the cheapest home insurance then just enter your zip above and start comparing free insurance quotes!

Lying About Home Value on Your Homeowners Insurance Application

There are no benefits to lying on a homeowners insurance application. If someone lies about the value of his home in the hopes of reducing his premium, they are only hurting themselves.

In the event of a major catastrophe, the true value of the home may be discovered, putting the entire claim at risk. If the deceit is not uncovered, the claim processed for the underinsured home will most likely not be enough to cover the true damages, leaving the homeowner at a financial loss.

If someone has a mortgage on the house, then the lender will require homeowners insurance. Since the lender has the majority of financial interest in the property, lying on the homeowners insurance application is incredibly risky. The lender needs to be assured that the investment in that property is secure and if insurance is obtained fraudulently and a claim was denied accordingly, legal action would more than likely ensue.

Lying About Credit on Your Homeowners Insurance Application

Many states allow insurance companies to utilize credit reports as a factor in determining the approval of a homeowners insurance applicant. The lower your credit score it, the less the premium may be. However, lying about a credit rating or lying about income will not get someone approved for homeowners insurance at a lower premium. Instead, the application will most likely be denied and fraud charges could be pressed.

If a person’s credit score is less than desirable and he needs to apply for homeowners insurance, then it is a good idea to try and raise that credit score. The sooner he starts working on repairing his credit, the faster his credit score will go up.

Repairing credit is not an overnight process; it can take a long time to raise a credit score enough to make a substantial difference and fetch a lower rate on homeowners insurance. That is why it is extra important to start working on your credit in advance of applying for homeowners insurance.

Lying About Property on Your Homeowners Insurance Application

When you apply for homeowners insurance you declare the property that you are requesting to insure. Once the insurance policy is written and accepted, you are legally bound by that policy. Any changes you make to your home should be reported to your homeowners insurance agent.

Some people do not report home remodeling upgrades or the addition of valuable personal property because they are afraid it will raise the premium. Unfortunately, if these enhancements are not reported then they will not be on the policy and subsequently they will not be insured.
Some people lie to their insurance company when submitting a claim, alleging that more damage occurred than really happened. Lying on an insurance claim is considered to be fraud and is illegal in every state.

While it may seem easy to be deceitful about personal property, it is never worth the risk. If you are caught committing fraud you could pay heavy fines and serve jail time. If your lie is not discovered and your claim is paid, then you will most likely pay for your deception with a hefty premium increase that will last for years.

Insurance claims are not free; the more claims you have or the higher the amounts of the claims are, the more your premium will go up at renewal time. Once the insurance goes up, it does not usually go back down.

If someone lies on their home insurance application, he or she will probably get caught during the application process or during the claims handling process. Computers provide cross reference checking capability and database network sharing, making fraud easier to detect. If you are caught lying, your application can be denied. If you are caught committing fraud, your claim can be denied and you risk going to prison.

Always Tell the Truth

No matter what the outcome is, lying on your homeowners application will not provide you with any benefit. Instead, apply for the appropriate amount of coverage you need at the onset and update it routinely.

Whatever the premium is for the coverage you select, it will be well worth the investment. Frankly, if you can’t afford the home insurance payments then you can’t afford the house.

To find lower premium rates, ask about discounts and shop around with different insurance carriers. You can get free homeowners insurance quotes right now by entering your zip code below!