A deductible is a portion of the claim that you are responsible for that is indicated on your policy declaration statement. We are responsible only for the amount by which the loss or damaged caused by any of the Insured Perils exceeds that amount of the deductible. Your adjuster will advise you on the application of the deductible. Please do not send a cheque to Mutual Fire Insurance for your deductible.

Replacement cost means the value of property on the date of loss or damage, or the lower of repairing the property with materials of similar kind and quality or new articles of similar kind, quality and usefulness without any deduction for depreciation.

Actual Cash Value means that insured property will be replaced with something of like, kind and quality less an allowance for depreciation based on its condition at the time of the loss, age and normal life expectancy.

In order to obtain replacement cost, the items must be replaced. Otherwise, actual cash value is paid. We have specific vendors that can assist in the replacement process and can help facilitate settlement for like, kind and quality. You are not obligated to use these vendors, and may choose where to replace your property. It should be noted that if you were to replace the items elsewhere for a higher cost than what was quoted to us by our vendor, we will only pay out what was quoted to us. Our vendors are also able to bill Mutual Fire Insurance directly, helping you to minimize your out-of-pocket expenses.

In certain cases, we may ask you to replace the item and submit the receipt for reimbursement.

We realize that certain items will be harder to substantiate than other items, and we will take that into consideration. We ask that you provide us with as much documentation as possible. Proof of purchase can include original purchase receipts, invoices, bills, appraisals, warranty and manual information and photographs. If the item was a gift, please list the name of the giver along with a contact phone number.

Yes. A requirement of the policy conditions requires you to report all theft, vandalism and burglary to the local police.

We will strive to process your claim as quick as possible. The sooner that we receive the information requested from you, the quicker we can process your claim.

The role of the independent adjuster is to gather information about the loss and to make recommendations to the insurer in regards to settlement. An adjuster is obligated to make full disclosure to you in regards to the coverage available.

Your claim should be presented by you within a reasonable amount of time. Legally, your claim will be statute barred one (1) year from the date of loss. Recently, Court decisions have amended the proscription date to (1) year from the date of substantial presentation of your loss to the company. We can confirm the recorded date for you.

The Proof of Loss form is a legal document. By completing the form, you are confirming that you experienced a loss and are formally listing the details of that loss. By endorsing the form, you are agreeing that you have been indemnified for your loss. Once we receive a signed and completed Proof of Loss form, we will issue payment to the appropriate parties. The form acts as confirmation that you agree those parties (such as a contractor) should be paid.

Only a qualified restoration contractor trained and certified in fire, water and smoke damage restoration should perform emergency services.

The contractor will contact you and come to you home. When the contractor calls you, he will ask you a few questions in order to determine the crew size and the amount of equipment needed. Attendance will be confirmed at that time; however, you should expect the contractor to attend at the earliest opportunity.

When a contractor is involved it is important to note that the contract of repair is between the contractor and the policyholder. This means areas concerning workmanship are issues between the policy holder and the contractor.

As well, invoices from the contractor are generally directed to the policy holder in care of our office, and once received, payment can be issued. To protect each party's interests, cheque's are either requested jointly payable to the Insured and contractor or directly to the contractor upon the authority of the insured.

Moulds will grow when there is moisture and nutrients. Moisture accumulates within the home when there is not enough ventilation to expel that moisture. Prompt action in controlling the amount of moisture in your home following a water damage loss through the emergency drying process will prevent mould growth. If mould does grow as a direct result of an insured loss, then your policy will respond to the removal of the mould.

We wish to assure you should a catastrophic event such as an earthquake or major windstorm occur, Mutual Fire Insurance is prepared. We have procedures and policies in place that are triggered in the unfortunate event of a catastrophe.  Be assured that we will help you with the claims process. Please be patient as claims will be assessed and responded to on a priority basis.  For additional information on catashtrophe planning and the Provincial Emergency Program, please click here.