Thurmont's
insurance renewed
By James Rada Jr.
News Editor
THURMONT,
Md. – It turns out Thurmont is insurable after all. Less
than a week after being told that its insurer of 10 years would
not renew the town’s liability insurance policy, Cincinnati
Insurance has reversed its decision.
“I wasn’t
given a specific reason, but when we review a policy we look
at the characteristics of the account, the account history
and the future outlook,” said Cincinnati Insurance spokesperson
Joan Shevchik.
The original
notice of non-renewal, which was sent July 17, cited the number
of accidents involving town and police vehicles as the reason
for the cancellation.
“That may
be the only reason they gave, but I don’t think anyone
in their right mind will believe that a $3.5 million court
award didn’t have something to do with it,” said
Thurmont Mayor Martin Burns.
He was referring
to the jury award in June to seven Thurmont families who had
their basements flooded with sewage in a 2003 sewer backup.
The town is in the process of appealing that decision.
Though she said
she didn’t know the reason the insurance cancellation
was rescinded, Shevchik said rescinding cancellations “isn’t
that typical.”
Burns recognizes
that, too. “I said, frame it and put it somewhere safe,”
he said. “Come September 2, I don’t want them
saying the rescinding was a mistake.”
The town had
already started shopping around for a new insurer, but Thurmont
had used Cincinnati for the past decade because it provided
the best price for the lowest premium.
“They’ve
been good to us,” Burns said. “I’ve never
had any problem with them before and I don’t have a
problem with them now.”
The new insurance
policy will be effective until September 1, 2008.
