Insurance policies don’t cover homes damaged by landslides in Pittsburgh

March 01--Beth Butler never thought about checking with her insurance company to be sure her home and belongings would be covered in the event of a landslide.

She learned the hard way that they were not.

A slide on Sunday destroyed Butler's home on Greenleaf Street bordering Pittsburgh's West End, and her Allstate Insurance policy does not cover the loss. She and her husband, Charles, were able to save personal belongings such as documents, family photographs and smaller items including jewelry and knickknacks, but lost everything else.

Allstate had provided comment as of Wednesday evening.

"It was an exclusion and I was unaware of it," Butler said, adding that she assumed the company would have advised her on the type of coverage she needed based on the location of her home. "Maybe I'm a little bit too trusting of people."

Insurance companies typically exclude damages caused by floods and earth movement, including landslides, sink holes and mine subsidence, from homeowners policies, according to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. It said that type of coverage can be purchased at an additional cost.

Mine subsidence insurance is offered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Consumers can purchase flood insurance through some private companies and the National Flood Insurance Program.

David Buono, the insurance department's consumer liaison, said Pittsburghers -- particularly those living on the city's steep hillsides, should contact their insurance agent to find out what is covered. If landslides are excluded, an agent can advise whether the company offers that type of coverage through a rider.

"Consumers have to first understand their policy," he said. "Then you kind of build out from there. You just need more money."

Mayor Bill Peduto said 17 people, including Butler and her husband have been displaced over the past week from 12 homes in Spring Hill, Garfield and Duquesne Heights because of landslides. He estimated the city spent a "couple million dollars" on landslides in recent weeks, including geotechnical studies, worker overtime and contracts with companies to remove debris.

The mayor said city and state officials are working to make sure essential needs -- temporary housing, food and clothing -- are available for the displaced residents. He said it's unclear whether they will be allowed to return to their homes.

Peduto said city officials were aware that landslide insurance is limited, but it hasn't been an issue in recent years.

"We just haven't had in recent memory a time when we had landslides occurring all over the city," he said.

State Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline, said he and state Sen. Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, are considering legislation that would require insurance companies to offer landslide coverage. They're also seeking funds to help with homeowners costs, but he noted that would be difficult.

"Even if we find a pot of money it's still going to take time," Fontana said. "There's not going to be immediate relief. We're trying to find a way to give them some hope that there's something positive that will happen at the end of it all."

Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-765-2312, bbauder@tribweb.com or on Twitter @bobbauder.

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