Man renters insurance is hard to find in florida. The backstory for why I finally looked into it is below, but long story short, Metlife seems to be the one that actually really covers firearms. There was no special limitations like most of the places offering coverage in florida. Most limited firearms claims at $2000/incident. That's less than the cost of some individual ones I own. Metlife setup 35k in items with $2500/per item limit and a $500 per claim deductible. High enough to cover any one firearm and should they all get stolen I could as many guns as I have until I hit the $35k limit. A good deal for less than $30/month in my eyes.
Now for the back story,
My house was broken into friday. In a pure stroke of luck (something rare for me), I wasn't feeling good that morning and ended up calling in sick from work. Had I been at work, there is no telling what the punk might have taken. After a short bit involving my cell phone, a 911 call, and my .45, the sheriff's office arrested him and took him away, but I got a call at about 9pm saying that he was released.
Caught in the house by the deputies, with fingerprints everywhere and the testimony of the occupant and neighbors that happened to be home yet he walked within just a few hours. They believe he is responsible for a string of break ins in the area where no one caught him until he met me. He even rode a stolen bike to my house.
I tried to go buy one of the security camera kits today. Couple hundred dollars and you get 4-8 cameras and a dvr. Seems like a good first step right? Nope, somehow there wasn't one to be found within 100 miles of where I live. I checked 6 stores physically after checking online to see that it said I could pick it up today. Every single one was out of every kit they sell. I called others and made sure that people could put their hands on them so that they could hold it for me. Nope, not a single one with a DVR to be found. I'm literally blown away that an area as big as this with as many big box stores as we have didn't have a single one.
So I started to get a bit nervous. Of course I go back to work monday and the house would be unattended. What if the punk tries it again now that he knows what's in the house? I could toss everything super expensive in the truck, but what if the truck is broken into? Man the house getting broken into really makes you twitchy. I feel lots better knowing I now have coverage for such a thing, especially with a vacation coming up.
I have network cameras inside and out of my house. They trigger on motion and email me snaps of what is going on in the area of the alarm.
I got them for about 60 bucks or so on amazon.
Just FYI about Renters insurance and firearms......most, if not all ( I haven't seen any so far) have limitations on firearms when theft is involved, the dollar amount has some variances. Most Renters policies are $2500 for theft of firearms. However, if your firearms are lost because of fire/wind, there is no limitations, except what your limit is for personal property. Some companies will offer an endorsement/rider that can increase the coverage for theft to $5000.
In my opinion, if one has a collection of firearms and wants to protect them, they should consider a Personal Articles Policy which doesn't have that theft limitation and has broader coverages. Just my .02. :)
NRA membership also includes $2500 worth of coverage, if you go through the activation. They offer additional coverage if you want to expand the policy.
Yes, as a Life Member, I use the NRA and the extended policy for my coverages...The extended covers the overages and is underwritten by another company. It used to be Lloyd's of London, its called Arms Care Plus
QuoteWHY YOU NEED ARMSCARE PLUS FIREARMS INSURANCE
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Now just to top it all off, I took my truck to work today and guess what?
Ahole squeezed between the garage door and the tailgate (a very tight fit) and his hoodie zipper put 15+ scratches in it. Only had this truck for 5 months and it's already scratched up. from the handprint on the passenger side I would venture that he was checking for a spare key underneath and did the same on the driver's side.
Gonna be costly to get all those fixed.
That sucks.
You will also probably have a court date. And will go. And will sit for hours. And just before the hearing the perp will cop to a deal and you will feel your time was wasted.
Keep heart. Time wasn't wasted, cause if you don't show, the perp walks. That is why the often won't deal until the day of the hearing.
I had a neighbor who went through all this a few years back. Life will eventually get back to normal. Sorry you are having to deal with this.
I am wondering why when he was in your house and U had a .45 why he made it to the station in the first place?
He used great restraint and handled it well.
He will be back on the street in no time and maybe the NEXT victim won't be so lucky.....and you can take it to the bank there WILL BE a NEXT VICTIM
Its up to the State of Florida to keep him in jail.
Dream on He will be on the street before the deputy finishes the paperwork
Been there, done that too many times
Last October, officers with the Broward Sheriff's Office pulled a car over because of its tinted windows. In the driver's seat was Herbert Smith, a lanky 23-year-old with heavily lidded eyes and high cheekbones. Smith handed one of the officers his license. The cops ran it and found out it was suspended. They then searched Smith, his passenger, and the car and found a magazine full of bullets. The two men were arrested.
None of this was good for Smith, who was on probation. He had completed a two-year prison sentence in 2014 "after racking up eight felonies and four misdemeanors for theft, trespassing, and burglary." After his release he still had four years of probation to complete, during which he could not be in possession of a concealed weapon. Turns out the magazine the officers found was included in that category.
Circuit Court Judge Matthew Destry, who had sentenced Smith in 2012, decided the consequences of Smith's probation violation that next month. The prosecutor requested 13 years, but Brian Greenwald, Smith's lawyer, was hoping for a break. After all, according to Greenwald, Destry "could have been lenient and reinstated Smith's youth offender status and sentenced him to prison for the remainder of his probation."
Destry sentenced him to 60 years in prison.
Everyone—including the prosecutor—was stunned.
1 out of a thousand & will most likely be overturned on appeal anyway U do what U want but anyone who breaks into my house & I am there the only decision I might have to make is One or TWO double taps
You have a absolute right to protect yourself, family and property.
But would you shoot a 14 yo that was unarmed and not a threat?
You would have to live with that.
Quote from: Wolfie on February 04 2016 05:30:01 PM MST
You have a absolute right to protect yourself, family and property.
But would you shoot a 14 yo that was unarmed and not a threat?
You would have to live with that.
Why is age relevant? Make adult decisions, receive adult consequences. Waiting 4 years, just to appease your conscience, results in nothing less than a longer list of victims. Home invasion and cat burglary is nothing to laugh about. They are among the most bold crimes one can commit, almost certainly confirming an irreversible life-long career direction. How much of my 14 year old grandchild's safety would you risk, and inheritance would you spend, on failed rehab programs? I can live with it just fine.
Two to the chest, one to the head
pat
Quote from: erikk on February 02 2016 04:32:36 AM MST
I am wondering why when he was in your house and U had a .45 why he made it to the station in the first place?
1 I wasn't supposed to be home. Having the flu sucks so I was home on a sick day.
2 I had been hurling most of the morning, with the way my luck was that day, I as best I could, made certain that I wasn't in a position where the moment I need to pull the trigger i'm bent over dry heaving.
3 I have no desire to be drug into the inevitable civil suit because according to the parents the kid was a "good boy" You and I know that's not true, but that doesn't mean my wallet and way of life won't take a complete beating in this litigious society we have these days.
4. I don't know florida law well enough to know when it is officially okay to shoot/considered castle law. Is it once he breaks the window? After he crossed the frame? Does he have to be fully in the house? In my opinion what I did was the absolute best way of handling the situation given the circumstances. If I had waited for him to come through the window, maybe he would have seen me in the process of him knocking the rest of the glass out and decided to run. Suddenly, I have a busted window, the kid is gone, and the cops have only a story and description to work with.
The way things played out with me putting a locked door between him and I, I didn't have to get too involved, (read shoot and deal with what comes next) and the kid is now officially in the system. Fingerprints and all. Which as I understand has tied him to a few other break ins. Yeah he might go for another person and end up hurting or killing them. Will I feel bad? Absolutely. Do I regret the steps I took? Not a bit.
As for when he was back out, same night. I got the call that he was in custody from the vinelink service, then a few hours later the call that he was released.
You did the right thing Bruno. Restraint is the sign of a strong man.