[MassHistPres] YES, THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM

[Leo]

This discussion makes me think of a conversation I had almost 30 years ago
with my insurance agent (who is also my cousin).

It was during our discussion of 'replacement value' of the house. He wanted
to make me aware that given the existing formulas for determining
replacement value, where insurance companies calculate such metrics as
square footage, form etc., in the event of a catastrophic loss, I would in
no way be getting a replacement for what I currently had, which was a
historic house made up of historic materials and constructed using early
19th- century methods.

He mentioned there were in fact policies around that would literally move
another old house to your site in case you lose your house. He also
mentioned (I think) you could stipulate it was built using certain
materials and methods, but this was all going to cost you. Chubb Insurance
I believe offered such policies.

Is it possible this in any way is affecting insurance companies' decision
to stop covering historic houses? Have they just decided it's not worth a
discrepancy in value that they confront with each application? Or is their
a higher level of loss associated with older homes?

This is terrible news to hear. Hopefully it can be turned around somehow.

Leo Greene
Andover Preservation Commission

On Tue, Jul 1, 2025, 8:35 AM michael.weishan--- via MassHistPres <
masshistpres at cs.umb.edu> wrote:

> Hello folks!
>
> Yes, this insurance coverage issue is a huge problem. I live in an
> historic home in Southborough, and have three times over the last five
> years been denied coverage. Each time, this is a huge hassle, and twice I
> have had to switch carriers at increased cost simply because I have a date
> marker on my home. (Southborough has no historic district regulations.)
> This is a deadly dissuasion on the part of insurance companies for historic
> preservation, and really needs to be addressed on a state wide level. I get
> that the insurance industry is suffering huge losses due to climate change.
> Boo hoo. Stop insuring 10-million dollar houses on ocean sand dunes, and
> leave owners of historic houses 20 miles inland at 500 feet of elevation
> without a single claim in 30 years alone!!! Seriously! Historic homeowners
> are not the problem/solution, and we need some legislation that says it is
> illegal to discriminate against owners of historic homes simply because
> they live in an old house.
>
>
>
> Michael Weishan
> President, Southborough Historical Society, Southborough MA
> www.southboroughhistory.org
> 617.633.3136
>
> The Southborough Historical Society is a 501(c)3 U.S public
> charity dedicated to expanding and updating the humanities in Southborough
> and beyond. Your contributions to the Society are deductible to the extent
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> Today's Topics:
>
>   1. Re: Home insurance on NR listed properties (Joyce Anderson)
>   2. Re: Home insurance on NR listed properties
>      (Steinitz, Michael @ SEC)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2025 07:46:04 -0400
> From: Joyce Anderson <jabanderson at gmail.com>
> To: "Johnstone, Michelle" <JohnstoneM at worcesterma.gov>
> Cc: Masshistpres <MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu>, Thomas P Kokernak
> <tom at brookstation.net>, Larry Todd <singdt45 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Home insurance on NR listed properties
> Message-ID: <01BB2A04-2762-4F63-9F45-36EF71012E32 at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> Hello Michelle,
> We had a case in Princeton where the exact same thing happened to someone
> living in a house on the National Register of Historic Places in East
> Princeton. I know the owner of the house tried to convince his insurance
> company that there were no restrictions but I do not know what the outcome
> of the conversation was. I would certainly be happy to look into it if you
> would like. This is certainly going to hurt commissions who work so hard to
> seek NHR listings for properties.
> Joyce Anderson
> Princeton Historical Commission
>
> On Jun 27, 2025, at 2:17 PM, Johnstone, Michelle via MassHistPres <
> masshistpres at cs.umb.edu> wrote:
>
> Happy Friday, Preservationists 😊
>
> Here in Worcester, we have been noticing an uptick in complaints from
> owners (particularly new buyers) of NR-listed buildings related to their
> inability, in some cases, to find an insurance company to cover them at
> all, and in other cases, rates being exorbitantly expensive (like in the
> $400/MONTH range). Is this something that a lot of you are seeing in your
> communities as well? I’m not sure what it is about National Register
> listing that has become their sticking point, because the NR is an honorary
> program only under most circumstances.
>
> Does anyone know of any insurers that regularly provide insurance
> regardless of NR listing, and at a reasonable price? Also interested in if
> anything is being doing to address this issue.
>
> Best,
>
> Michelle H. Johnstone
> Senior Preservation Planner
> Executive Office of Economic Development | Planning & Regulatory Services
> Division
> City of Worcester | 455 Main Street, Rm 404, Worcester, MA 01608
> P: 508-799-1400 x31410
> C: 774-622-0695
> E: johnstonem at worcesterma.gov <mailto:johnstonem at worcesterma.gov
> <johnstonem at worcesterma.gov>>
> www.worcesterma.gov <http://www.worcesterma.gov/>
>
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>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2025 14:04:02 +0000
> From: "Steinitz, Michael @ SEC" <Michael.Steinitz at sec.state.ma.us>
> To: "Haley, Ben @ SEC" <Ben.Haley at sec.state.ma.us>,
> "masshistpres at cs.umb.edu" <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Home insurance on NR listed properties
> Message-ID: <3abe536c7ff549bbb0e99918f6f21ab6 at sec.state.ma.us>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> Every week or so we are contacted by another historic homeowner who has
> gotten a notice of cancellation from their insurer.  Some insurers appear
> to  have discovered the MACRIS database, and seem to be dropping policies
> if they find a record there, regardless of whether or not there is a
> National  Register designation.  So in addition  to the memo on National
> Register properties, MHC has also prepared the attached memo regarding
> properties in the statewide Inventory in relation to insurance to help
> those property owners in responding to their insurer’s concerns.   Again,
> this is a national issue, exacerbated by a very challenging property
> insurance environment, with historic properties in general already being
> considered less desirable to insure, and insurers looking for any ways to
> reduce their exposure to perceived  risk.
>
> Michael
>
> Michael Steinitz
> Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer
> Director, Preservation Planning Division
> Massachusetts Historical Commission
> 220 Morrissey Blvd
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/220+Morrissey+Blvd+Boston+MA+02125?entry=gmail&source=g>
> Boston MA 02125
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/220+Morrissey+Blvd+Boston+MA+02125?entry=gmail&source=g>
> 617-727-8470
> 617-727-5128 (fax)
> michael.steinitz at sec.state.ma.us<mailto:michael.steinitz at sec.state.ma.us
> <michael.steinitz at sec.state.ma.us>>
>
> From: MassHistPres <masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu> On Behalf Of Haley,
> Ben @ SEC via MassHistPres
> Sent: Monday, June 30, 2025 9:13 AM
> To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Home insurance on NR listed properties
>
> This is an issue occurring across the country with increasing frequency. A
> couple of years ago the MHC developed the attached memorandum to provide to
> property owners and/or insurance companies. The National Trust hosted a
> webinar on the subject in 2024 (see
> https://savingplaces.org/stories/insuring-historic-properties-qa<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/savingplaces.org/stories/insuring-historic-properties-qa__;!!O9h35Ks8fCsF!GuxRb8N9Zr_j_UEuMwZfIz-Y4i93B3Em9tGTC-HKfaXpA9E9bp3_fZsvPoHKz6mVBu3vhpALEOUFi3AG0q3mpt9M-7Y3jJ2ODiYx9g$>
> ).
>
> Ben Haley
> National Register Director
> Massachusetts Historical Commission
> 220 Morrissey Blvd.
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/220+Morrissey+Blvd.+Boston,+MA+02125?entry=gmail&source=g>
> Boston, MA 02125
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/220+Morrissey+Blvd.+Boston,+MA+02125?entry=gmail&source=g>
> Ph: 617-727-8470
> Fax: 617-727-5128
> www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc<http://www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc>
> ben.haley at sec.state.ma.us<mailto:ben.haley at sec.state.ma.us
> <ben.haley at sec.state.ma.us>>
>
> Please be advised that the Massachusetts Secretary of State considers
> e-mail to be a public record, and therefore subject to public access under
> the Massachusetts Public Records Law,M.G.L. c. 66 § 10.
>
> From: MassHistPres <masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu<
> mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu <masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu>>>
> On Behalf Of Johnstone, Michelle via MassHistPres
> Sent: Friday, June 27, 2025 2:18 PM
> To: MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu<mailto:MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
> <MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu>>
> Subject: [MassHistPres] Home insurance on NR listed properties
>
> Happy Friday, Preservationists 😊
>
> Here in Worcester, we have been noticing an uptick in complaints from
> owners (particularly new buyers) of NR-listed buildings related to their
> inability, in some cases, to find an insurance company to cover them at
> all, and in other cases, rates being exorbitantly expensive (like in the
> $400/MONTH range). Is this something that a lot of you are seeing in your
> communities as well? I’m not sure what it is about National Register
> listing that has become their sticking point, because the NR is an honorary
> program only under most circumstances.
>
> Does anyone know of any insurers that regularly provide insurance
> regardless of NR listing, and at a reasonable price? Also interested in if
> anything is being doing to address this issue.
>
> Best,
>
> Michelle H. Johnstone
> Senior Preservation Planner
> Executive Office of Economic Development | Planning & Regulatory Services
> Division
> City of Worcester | 455 Main Street, Rm 404, Worcester, MA 01608
> P: 508-799-1400 x31410
> C: 774-622-0695
> E: johnstonem at worcesterma.gov<mailto:johnstonem at worcesterma.gov
> <johnstonem at worcesterma.gov>>
> www.worcesterma.gov<
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.worcesterma.gov/__;!!O9h35Ks8fCsF!BTD_4i2UwH8wqiZ2PYbjUOIcaP5n1gjqo7XnErlfUT9jgJgnE1n3niOwsivRYvS-VUfuJCLuff3BNdAqUqxeu1OkP5_xM6Pc$
> >
>
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