[joleneeriksen]

I am a part-time beekeeper with 6 hives. I sell my honey out of my home. My husband and I are wondering if anyone has been sued. We are a little concerned about lawsuits. We just carry homeowners insurance at the moment but wonder if we shouldn't get more. So, what does everyone do? And have you ever been sued?

 

[deknow]

Your homeowners will not cover you if you are selling honey (it is a business). If you tell your insurer that you have bees and are selling honey from your house they will drop you like a hot potato.

 

[squarepeg]

i use 'farmer's insurance' and it was easy and inexpensive to add a business rider that includes product liability to my home owners policy.

 

[WBVC]

Is farmers insurance separate from your home insurance?
My SIL is a litigator who frequently deals with large insurance suits...he has strongly advised me to incorporate and get product insurance...both of which I plan to do.
I have insured my home and property with farm disclosure. I should ask if that also covers product.

 

[squarepeg]

it's not separate, but a rider to the home owner's. product liability wasn't specifically mentioned in the rider, so i asked for and received a written letter from underwriting confirming that it was included in coverage. liability coverage under the 'business pursuits' rider is also extended under my umbrella policy.

 

[Michael Bush]

I went to Farm Bureau so I could get a decent price on my house+farm+farm products all in one policy.

 

[shinbone]

Form an LLC. Have the LLC hold all the bee related equipment and do the honey sales. Pay yourself a salary from the LLC. Any bee-related law suit would have to go through the LLC, and the most the LLC could lose is the bee equipment and cash holdings which happen to be on hand.

 

[Nabber86]

Form an LLC. Have the LLC hold all the bee related equipment and do the honey sales. Pay yourself a salary from the LLC if. Any bee-related law suit would have to go through the LLC, and the most the LLC could lose is the bee equipment and cash holdings which happen to be on hand.

And get product liability and general business insurance.

 

[Santa Caras]

This world has gone freakin nuts.

 

[shinbone]

This world has gone freakin nuts.

I agree. I have tried point out to hobbiest beekeepers that they aren't going to get sued over bee stuff. I ask, how many cases of a hobbiest beekeeper losing a law suit have you heard of? The answer is "none." But that doesn't seem to matter. It is almost like they are just looking for an excuse to buy more insurance. So now, my comment is the "form an LLC" one. That is, at least, a little cheaper than yearly insurance premiums.

 

[Santa Caras]

I agree. I have tried to tell hobbiest beekeepers that their aren't going to get sued over bee stuff. I aks, how many cases of a hobbiest beekeepers losing a law suit have you heard of? The answer is "none." But that don't seem to matter. It is almost like they are just looking for an excuse to buy more insurance. So now, my comment is the "form an LLC" one.

Not trying to steal a thread here. By all means if you want to get insurance please dont take my opinions to heart and do what makes you feel the best. with that disclaimer....
It's the same thing with my Santa Claus that I do for the children. years ago there was no insurance needed. NOW....it's suggested that anyone wanting to portray SC should get Performer Liability Insurance "in case" a child gets hurt. Same thing...how many have heard of a Santa being sued cuz a child was hurt or even preceived as hurt? NEVER!! Other Santas are so scared or worried that they wont even give candy or other gifts out cuz the child might chip a tooth or do something else. PTHHHPTH and another PTHHHPTH!!!! Insurance companies are a form of legalized mafia. IMHO

 

[Michael Bush]

Actually Insurance is the root of all evil. People hate lawyers, but without insurance companies most of them would be out of business and who is going to sue their neighbor when their neighbor would actually have to pay instead of the insurance company? Insurance has destroyed the fabric of accountability in everything, including the cost of medical care. If you want to solve the medical care crisis, outlaw medical insurance. It will change the entire face of medicine for the better overnight.

 

[grozzie2]

My SIL is a litigator who frequently deals with large insurance suits...he has strongly advised me to incorporate and get product insurance...

Aren't you a member of the BC Honey Producers Association ? If you are, then for 50 bucks you can have insurance on your beekeeping activities thru the association group coverage plan. If you aren't, then you should be.

When our policy came due on the property here, we went to the same agent that provides the coverage for bchpa, ended up with much better farm coverage, at a substantially lower rate than with the previous insurer.

 

[ABruce]

Further to grozzie2 comments, I strongly suggest adding the fire fighting rider. The cost of fighting a forest fire can be charged back to you, and with the dry conditions the insurance add on is a good value.

 

[grozzie2]

Further to grozzie2 comments, I strongly suggest adding the fire fighting rider.

I agree, but, if and only if, you take your bees up into the bush, or place them on other folks property. If you keep them all on your back lot, and never take them elsewhere, the fire fighting rider isn't much good, and turns the $50 invoice into a $150 invoice. FWIW, I do have the firefighting rider on my policy. Her on the island, logging companies wont let you put bees in the log patches for the fireweed if you dont have the fire fighting extra rider.

 

[WBVC]

Who are you insured with and which underwriter? I ask as being a farm within the city of Vancouver is somewhat of an oxymoron and I had a heck of a time finding someone to insure our home as it was on a farm.

it's not separate, but a rider to the home owner's. product liability wasn't specifically mentioned in the rider, so i asked for and received a written letter from underwriting confirming that it was included in coverage. liability coverage under the 'business pursuits' rider is also extended under my umbrella policy.

 

[WBVC]

No...I don't believe I am. I have a farmers ID card but don't think I believe I belong to the BCHPA. I will check that out along with their insurance and will see the broker can get us better home/ farm insurance. The run around I got last year was...we can't insure you as a farm because you are within city limits, we can't insure you as a single family dwelling because you are a farm!

Aren't you a member of the BC Honey Producers Association ? If you are, then for 50 bucks you can have insurance on your beekeeping activities thru the association group coverage plan. If you aren't, then you should be.

When our policy came due on the property here, we went to the same agent that provides the coverage for bchpa, ended up with much better farm coverage, at a substantially lower rate than with the previous insurer.

 

[WBVC]

For or me I don't think it is much of a concern in a major city.

Further to grozzie2 comments, I strongly suggest adding the fire fighting rider. The cost of fighting a forest fire can be charged back to you, and with the dry conditions the insurance add on is a good value.

 

[sqkcrk]

How exposed are you? Can you afford product liability insurance to cover your exposure? How likely are you to need insurance against the exposure?

No, I have not been sued. I dare say, neither has anyone else responding here today. I have never had a home fire, but I have insurance.

I do not have an LLC and my accountant thinks the trouble of having one and maintaining one is not worth my time and money.

 

[JohnBeeMan]

I have my home owners insurance from State Farm. I added a liability policy from Farm Bureau that just covers my honey bee operation. I only sell from my front door but if a customer gets sick or stung there is always a threat of lawsuit. Protection is cheap compared to the risk.