atv liability

The snow is gone, finally, and the time is right for getting out your old ATV and riding it through the woods. No need to take out a separate policy because the liability is covered by your homeowner - right?  Wrong!   On the old homeowner form all terrain vehicles (ATVs) were automatically insured by the owner's homeowner policy as long as it remained on the owner's property.  But then two things happened: 1) the revised homeowner form excluded vehicles, including ATVs, required to be registered by DMV and 2) the NY DMV required ATVs to be registered.  Talk about a perfect storm!  In short even if you never plan to ride your ATV on a public highway it still must be registered and that requirement alone excludes it from the new homeowner form. This coverage gap could effect your personal umbrella policy and leave you vulnerable if you cause injury or property damage.  The solution is to register the vehicle and take out an ATV liability policy.  Call me if you have questions.