Does Homeowners Insurance Cover ATV Theft?

Your property coverage does not cover your ATV or UTV if it is damaged in an accident. A little electric scooter can be the sole motorized vehicle covered by homes insurance. Even if it was driven off a homeowner’s land, it may be excluded. A separate insurance coverage is required for any additional vehicle, such as a car, boat, or ATV.

Report the loss immediately.

If you need to report a stolen or missing motorcycle, use the non-emergency hotline. Although the police will not be able to recover a single ATV, the police report will allow you to pursue an insurance claim. When you call their hotline, they may come to your home or the scene of the theft to finish the complaint, or they may simply ask you to come to the police station. By that time, you should have all of your ATV documents ready (titles, bill of sale, pictures, description of any identifiers that are unique to your ATV). If your ATV was registered with your local DMV, police enforcement would have an easier time returning it to you if they found it.

Gather footage.

Have any of your neighbors witnessed anything? Is there surveillance footage from the store across the street? What about the shed, garden, or traffic signal nearby? The chances of recovering your stolen ATV would substantially improve if you had good photographs or recordings of the ATV thief and the getaway route they were taking.

Now is also the time to gather documentation such as images of your ATV (it’s always nice to have a clear one of the bike in its present state), registration, and insurance.

Does insurance cover stolen equipment?

Loss of tools, theft of tools, and damage to tools are all covered by tool and equipment insurance. Tools and equipment policies are designed to cover you if your tools are stolen from your truck or off a job site, go missing after you’ve leased them to a crew member, or are vandalized.

What insurance policy covers theft of property?

Theft and break-ins may be covered by homeowner’s insurance. Dwelling coverage, personal property coverage, and other structures coverage are all included in a homeowners policy and can help you recover from a break-in. If your house is destroyed by a covered risk, dwelling coverage might assist pay for repairs.

How much is ATV insurance in Illinois?

Because ATVs are rarely used on state roads, Illinois does not require all-terrain vehicle insurance when off-roading. However, if you use your ATV on any highway, roadway, or traffic right-of-way in Illinois, you are required to have proof of minimum insurance on your ATV. Failure to have insurance on your ATV results in a three-month suspension of your license, a $500 fine, and a $100 reinstatement fee. While ATV insurance rates vary, obtaining coverage for your ATV or UTV will cost you less per year than paying this high tax.

How Much Does ATV Insurance Cost in Illinois?

Because ATV insurance is not a mandatory policy, obtaining accurate information on rates can be challenging. Furthermore, because not all drivers or ATVs are the same, there are other elements that go into choosing an ATV insurance rate. When you speak with a member agent in the Trusted Choice network near you, you can get particular information about your circumstances.

  • The primary operator’s age, gender, and driving history Other ATV users, including their ages, genders, and driving histories
  • Your insurance history (if you’ve filed a lot of claims in the past, your premium may be higher)
  • How do you use your ATV? (For instance, do you use it for business or for pleasure?)

All of these elements come together to get the best insurance quotation for you. In general, you’ll discover fees ranging from $100 per year to $400 per year or more.

While ATVs are not the same as cars or trucks, the coverage provided by an ATV policy is fairly similar to that of a typical auto policy. The following are the essentials:

Bodily injury responsibility pays for the injuries and medical expenditures of those who are injured as a result of an accident in which you are at fault. The lower figure represents the limit per individual in a single accident, while the bigger number represents the limit per occurrence, regardless of the number of individuals involved. If your limits are 15/30/10, for example, no more than $15,000 will be paid for any single person’s bodily injuries, and no more than $30,000 will be paid for all injured parties (the ten represents a $10,000 property damage limit).

  • Property damage liability: This covers any damage you do to another person’s car or property as a result of an accident. Regardless of how many things or vehicles are damaged, this is your per-occurrence coverage maximum.
  • Comprehensive: This covers any damage to your ATV due by fallen debris, bad weather, or a collision with an animal while riding. Your ATV may also be covered under this section of your policy if it is stolen or vandalized.
  • Collision: This coverage protects your ATV in the event of a collision with one or more other vehicles. Collision coverage pays to repair your vehicle or reimburses you for the worth of your ATV if it is totaled.
  • Uninsured motorist coverage compensates you if you suffer a loss as a result of an accident caused by an uninsured ATV operator. Because ATV insurance is not needed in Illinois when riding off-road, this may be the most vital policy to have.

How do I make my ATV theft proof?

  • When camping, remove the valve stems from the tires. This may seem excessive because it will result in flat tires, but if you must leave your ATV alone at camp while you are away, removing the valve stems from two tires and letting them go flat is the quickest way to prevent someone from rolling your ATV away. Of course, when you return, you’ll want to make sure you have an accessible and quick-acting pump to fill the tires. On our Recommended Gear Page, you’ll find an awesome and quick pump that we recommend.

How do I know if my ATV is stolen?

Now that we’ve covered the valid reasons for a seller not having a title, let’s look at the illicit causes, such as the ATV being stolen. That is a huge red flag for me in a state where the vendor should have a title but doesn’t. Regardless of how good a story the seller can spin, it is not a risk I am willing to take, but the risk you are willing to accept is entirely up to you. If you decide to go ahead with the sale, the ideas in this article can help you mitigate some of the risk.

It’s possible that a good burglar got away with taking both the ATV and the title.

Make sure the seller’s name is the same as the one on the title.

While the seller may have a variety of explanations for not putting the title in their name or claim to be selling it for a friend, it is not a risk I am ready to take with thousands of dollars on the line.

Insist on meeting and signing the bill of sale with the individual listed on the title.

Alternatively, demand that the vendor transfer the title to their name before selling the ATV to you.

While a skeptical seller may be hesitant to tell a stranger where they live, insisting on delivering the ATV to your location or meeting in a public place away from their home or company is a significant red flag.

If they don’t want you to know where they live or work, it’s probably because they don’t want you to be able to find them if the ATV is stolen or otherwise damaged.

We propose that you bring a friend with you wherever you go.

Not only is it a good idea to bring a companion while meeting with a stranger for safety concerns, but a friend may see something you don’t.

It’s easy to get caught up in assessing an ATV’s condition and getting thrilled about the potential of purchasing a new one.

Hopefully, a friend will spot any red signals you overlook.

Learn About the Seller and ATV

Get as much information as you can regarding the seller’s identification and the ATV’s history from them. This is especially critical if the circumstance raises red flags. There could be a solid cause for the red flag, so discover out what it is and then determine whether or not you trust it.

There are several compelling reasons why people are eager to sell their ATVs and are willing to accept a lower price.

Divorce and unemployment are two regular situations.

These may be good arguments, but they may not be accurate.

You might be stuck deciding how much you trust the vendor and how much you’re ready to risk, but there are other options available to you.

Check the local court docket, for example, to discover if a divorce case is currently active.

A scam artist will be a slick talker who knows how to respond to all of the expected questions.

To find out if he or she is telling the truth, toss a few curve balls at them and see how they react. Don’t take their explanation at face value; instead, ask some follow-up questions to reveal a part of the tale they hadn’t anticipated, and watch if it surprises them or makes them take longer to respond. Ask them whether they are also moving to a new house if they say they had to sell the ATV due to a divorce. When dealing with a divorce, this is a reasonable topic to ask, but it is likely not something they expect. Another good follow-up inquiry is to inquire about their divorce lawyer. You may say, “Oh, honestly, I have a few acquaintances who are divorce lawyers; perhaps I know one of them. “Do you know who it is?” If they are truly getting divorced, the name will be revealed, but if they aren’t, they will almost surely be caught off guard.

You may also get a good idea about the ATV by asking around in the local ATV community and on internet forums.

If someone’s ATV has been stolen, they’ve most certainly turned to the community and online sites for assistance.

Learn about the ATV you’re looking at so you’ll know what you’re talking about when you ask a question.

Try a few internet searches with the word “ATV” and the make and model of ATV you’re looking at “Look up “stolen” and see what comes up.

If the vendor can’t tell you anything about the ATV, that’s also a red flag.

Ask some questions that only the owner would know the answers to.

For example, inquire about how long that set of tires has been on it, what kind of battery it had (see our article on the many types of ATV batteries to learn how to confirm), any aftermarket parts you notice, and basic routine maintenance that has been performed (check out our article on braking tips for types of maintenance you can ask about).

Check the VIN

The most critical step you can take is to check the VIN on the used ATV, but most riders don’t think about it or don’t know how to do it. There are two ways to check the VIN of an ATV to discover if it’s been reported stolen. You might start by contacting the local police department. Second, there are a few websites that will perform a database search for you. I recommend that you utilize both choices.

How you obtain permission to check the VIN number is something you should be aware of.

Don’t try to outsmart the seller by running the VIN without notifying them.

Tell the seller why you’re doing what you’re doing.

If they aren’t aware of the problem or the resources available, educate them.

Run for the hills if a vendor is concerned about you running the VIN.

The vendor may have a valid reason for not giving you the VIN, such as a winch that must be removed in order to view it, but regardless of what they say, you should check the VIN.

Walk away if they refuse to do whatever it takes for you to check the VIN.

It’s not worth taking the chance.

This will vary depending on where you live, but you may be able to just phone your local police station and have them check the VIN to see if the ATV has been reported stolen.

The benefit of going through your local police department is that they are likely to be aware of any reports that have come in from the region, even if they don’t include a VIN.

If your local agency isn’t as accommodating, don’t be surprised. While some may take your call and respond quickly, others will refuse to assist you unless you bring the car into the department for inspection. Of course, if it is discovered to be stolen, it is impounded. This will make things more difficult, but if a vendor is cooperative and ready to bring it down to the station, you should be able to relax.

Fortunately, there are a lot of websites and services that will check stolen vehicle databases to see if the ATV you’re interested in has been stolen.

Because some of these services are unique, it’s a good idea to double-check a few of the websites just to be cautious.

On different ATV models, the VIN may be located in a different location, but it will always be installed on the frame of the ATV, usually on the bottom left side.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau is in charge of investigating insurance fraud.

Because this is the service used by insurance companies and police departments to report stolen automobiles, NICB is probably your best bet.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) provides a free service to the public to aid in determining whether an ATV or any other vehicle has been stolen but not recovered.

You can also see if a participating NICB insurance provider has reported an ATV as a salvage vehicle.

This is significant since, in most states, a recovered ATV cannot be licensed for highway use due to the possibility of unknown damage.

To use the NCIB’s “VINCheck,” simply input the VIN number and the results will appear.

You are only allowed to check five VINs per day.

911-ATVs have been stolen. The Stolen 911 website will not connect you to the stolen vehicle database, but it is a widely used service that allows ATV owners who have had an ATV stolen to list information about the ATV. Stolen 911 will have the VIN of the stolen ATV indexed by Google, making it easy to locate. While you can look up the VIN on our page, the owner can also provide descriptions and images of the ATV. You might get lucky if the owner posts a prize.

Carfax.

By now, everyone is familiar with the term “carfax.”

It can also be used to look up ATV history.

It can be costly, so see if somebody with a subscription is willing to look it up for you.

I’ve heard of people on Craigslist offering to search up a Carfax report for a small cost, but I can’t endorse it because I’m not sure if it’s legal.

Do ATVs have tracking devices?

ATV GPS trackers are small and portable gadgets. You can take them wherever you want and fit them into any small space. You can keep the tracking gadget in your pocket or mount it wherever on your ATV if it doesn’t have a specific space.

Can you add theft coverage to a contractors equipment floater?

Equipment floater insurance protects your company’s tools and mobile equipment in the event of damage or theft.

It’s also known as contractor’s tools and equipment insurance, and it covers mobile equipment brought to job sites by individuals in the maintenance, repair, and construction trades.

Backhoes, bulldozers, mowers, forklifts, and portable tools are all examples of this type of equipment. Because this type of equipment is rarely housed in the same location and faces particular risks of transit damage and theft, it is not covered by company property insurance.

Floater insurance protects workers from hazards like fire, theft, vandalism, and water damage. It may also cover leased or rented equipment, as well as rental reimbursement and lost business profits.

Is theft covered under general liability insurance?

If he falls on the carpet and breaks his arm, your company could be held liable for medical fees and other losses. That person may also decide to file a lawsuit against you and your company. Any legal fees would be covered by general liability insurance. Injury, theft, or damage caused to another person or business will not have a significant influence on your business or livelihood if you have the correct general liability insurance policy. It’s crucial to remember that worker’s compensation insurance, not a general liability policy, covers employee injuries.