Halloween is upon us. While most of it is just fun, many areas of the country have a tradition that Halloween is preceded by "Mischief Night" or "Goosey Night", which is given over to pranks and vandalism, some of it extensive and costly to repair. Is vandalism covered by your insurance?
Stomping out a burning paper bag you discover on your front steps after the doorbell rings and finding out there's dog poop in it: That's a prank.
Getting eggs thrown at your car or house: That's vandalism, and damage from eggs is a bigger ticket item than you'd think, simply because it's so destructive at the molecular level that the paint has to be replaced. There's often permanent discoloration. Trying to match the paint color is sometimes impossible. That means a new paint job for the car or the house, or new siding if it's damaged vinyl. Not cheap.
Most standard homeowner insurance policies cover vandalism. Call your agent, and, of course, if you don't like the answers you then get from your insurance company, call a public adjuster.
But don't forget that sometimes a little prevention is better than any cure. Damage from eggs usually requires the eggs to be in place a few hours. It costs you nothing to park your car in the garage, nothing to check it last thing at night if you have to park outside, and nothing to shine a flashlight over your house before bed time to see if you've been "egged."
Now if they turn over your outhouse, that's another story. Fortunately, teenagers committing serious Mischief Night vandalism are not particularly inventive: eggs, spray paint, toilet paper in your trees, that's about the extent of the usual bag of tricks.
Good luck making it through Halloween. Next time we talk about when "No" from an insurance company really means you just have to try harder.
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