WWTBAM Bored

Article in a recent Farm Journal focusing on agricultural thefts.

A section on nut thefts in California contained this interesting little gem.

"Most nut thefts aren't covered by insurance. Packing a gun ensures coverage, but a fictitious pickup translates to a voluntary surrender of goods."

FTR-a load of nuts is worth $150,000 to $500,000.

I think you've got your facts wrong Spock. This article covers pretty much the same subject:

“[Theft is] having a big impact on businesses and people are concerned,” said Roger Isom, president of the Western Agricultural Processors Association, representing the local industry.

“We have never experienced this before and in many cases, we don’t have insurance for such events - the policies we have will cover thefts but only if it’s at gun point. If it’s done through fictitious paperwork, the insurers will say you gave the goods away voluntarily and didn’t do enough to protect yourself. We are telling people to do due diligence on load transports. Interrogate the driver, verify the paperwork.”

The thefts that are occurring are when the thieves take the nuts from the shipping area using false documents and stolen trucks or license plates. It's theft by deception rather than theft at gunpoint. No one is hijacking nut trucks going down the highway; they don't have to. And insurance doesn't cover this type of theft, only the more traditional armed robbery.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04 ... ut-thefts/

As far as homeowners insurance is concerned, this is what I've been able to find:

1) Most insurers don't ask whether there are firearms in the house.

2) Damage or theft is covered, subject to policy limits. People with gun collections will probably get separate riders to cover the collections.

3) Accidental injury due to firearm discharge is covered subject to policy limits.

4) Intentional injury including shooting an intruder probably will not be covered. Some insurance companies sell a specialized type of policy commonly called a self-defense policy that does cover justifiable use of a firearm in self-defense.

5) In general, having a firearm in the house does not raise or lower the basic homeowners inurance rate (unless a personal property rider is added for the value of the gun or guns).