Unregulated tech tools are costing more people their policies.
The 1915 three-bedroom craftsman bungalow on Alameda’s west end was showing its age when Evan Phillippe and his wife bought it in late 2008 for less than the asking price. It was just weeks after the housing bubble had burst spectacularly. “We rolled the dice and got damn lucky,” said Phillippe. “And I’ve stayed here ever since.”
The yard was overgrown; the carpets were untacked and pulled back. But the roof was still in fighting shape. Phillippe got a close look at it every year when he ambled up a ladder to hang the holiday lights. So he was surprised when a curt letter arrived this fall from Liberty Mutual, the company that had insured the house for 16 years, citing “algae/mildew/mold/moss.” Just like that, effective February, Phillippe’s home would be uninsured…