House Vandalized, Not Covered By Insurance

By Angie Hissong

Published: January 3, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio—The weekend before Christmas, Barb Doyle walked into her childhood home that she was trying to sell and found it totally ransacked.  There were holes in the wall and debris everywhere.  Columbus Police were called and are currently investigating whether the damage could be gang-related since there were names of competing gangs spray-painted on the walls throughout the house.

Like many homeowners, Doyle thought the damage was covered by her homeowner’s insurance policy, but she was surprised when she found out it wasn’t.  Since no one has lived in the house for more than 30 days, Doyle’s insurance company denied the claim.  The Ohio Department of Insurance says that is a standard clause and advises homeowners to read the fine print carefully and to never sign a contract until you have read and understand every portion of it.

If you have any questions about your insurance, call Ohio’s Consumer Services Hotline at 1-800-686-1526.

Stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for additional information.

To submit a story idea or news tip, e-mail us at .

NBC 4 POLITICS: Headlines, Interactives & Video

MORE: NBC 4 Local News | Local Crime News

NBC 4 SPORTS: Sports News, Video