BY MICHELLE KIM
The Dunbarton couple who braved a blazing barn to save their 11 horses thought they had gotten through the worst of it.
But Sheri Nuanez and fiancé Keith Bernard recently discovered the insurance policy they took out to cover such events won’t pay for the cost of sheltering the horses until the new barn can be built in the spring, leaving the couple to scramble to protect their herd against the oncoming winter weather.
At the center of their dilemma is a “loss of use” clause in their policy with the Concord Group that their insurance agent initially explained would pay up to $60,000 to house and provide for the horses until the new barn could be built, said Bernard. The clause covered their residence and “other structures,” which were defined as the barn, the arena and the garage, Bernard said.
The Concord Group is covering the replacement barn. But it says loss of use doesn’t apply since Nuanez and Bernard didn’t live in the barn. That doesn’t make sense to the couple.
“When we purchased the policy, they knew we didn’t live in the barn or arena,” said Bernard.
They talked to a claims manager and then the vice president of claims and were told the Concord Group had never come across a claim like theirs.
But, said Bernard, “I can’t imagine we’re the only ones in this situation. They do write policies for other horse owners.”
Concord Group Claims Manager Mike Percy of the Bow office would not comment on the case or on the clause in general but did say a reporter’s call was the first public inquiry his office had fielded about the case. A call to the president of marketing was not returned by press time.
The couple have filed a claim with the New Hampshire Bureau of Insurance.
“We’re out of options, for the most part. We just need help,” Bernard said.
By law, horse owners must provide at least a three-sided shelter from Nov. 1 to April 15, said Bernard. Eight of their 11 horses are older horses, from 14 to 19 years of age, and some have been rescued from rougher previous lives at race tracks or breeding mills.
They have received numerous offers of help from people all over New Hampshire and beyond to board one or two horses. But, because many of those situations would still require the couple to take care of the horse, it wouldn’t be practical for Nuanez and Bernard, who both commute to Boston for work, to try and do that with 11 horses scattered across the state, said Bernard.
The couple have purchased a $24,000 prefabricated temporary shelter that’s supposed to arrive Nov. 15, using an emergency line of credit from their house. After the prep work and installing stalls, Bernard estimates the total cost will be about $60,000.
He said they would be happy to split the expense with the Concord Group.
“We pay our premiums on time. We’re told we’re covered. And when we need it to be covered, we’re told they don’t have to cover it,” said Bernard.
“As the saying goes, they have ‘deep pockets but short arms.’”