What Those Moving from Atlanta Should Know about the Valuation of Their Possessions.
The valuation of goods being trucked in any relocation of a person, family, or business from Atlanta to another location – or from anywhere to anywhere – is stringently regulated by the federal government.
Yes, in most cases, your moving company is legally liable for any loss or destruction of your personal items at any time during the haul. It’s also liable for loss and damage while its crews are handling your household goods in fulfillment of any other Atlanta moving services you chose. Such services should be noted on the bill of lading: packing, unpacking, disassembly and reassembly, for instance.
There are, however, limits to your moving company’s liability. Those limits are established by the federal Surface Transportation Board’s Released Rates Order. You can obtain a current copy of it here.
The crucial thing is, know what options are accessible to you for the safeguarding of your household goods. And know your Atlanta moving company. Just because a mover makes it known his business is “fully insured and bonded” is no pledge that your belongings themselves are automatically covered. In that regard, your local mover being related to a preeminent national van line is no promise that you’re protected either. In both situations, you may be forced to acquire added third-party liability insurance. Your mover could offer to sell it to you, but he’s not legally required to do so. Ask questions when you first meet in order to learn exactly what’s necessary.
Don’t lose sight of this when you’re checking out your choices here in Atlanta: Two different degrees of moving-company liability are relevant to interstate moves – Full Replacement-Value Protection and Waiver of Full Replacement-Value Protection, or Released Value.
If you choose to go with a Waiver of Full Replacement-Value Protection, or Released Value, you will, of course, receive minimal liability protection. But you’ll pay nothing for it. What this degree of protection does is limit your mover’s liability to no more than 60 cents per pound, per article. Certainly, that wouldn’t provide you with enough of a reimbursement to replace any piece valued at more than 60 cents per pound! Things like stereo equipment, gym equipment, computer hardware, and computer software are therefore considerably more at risk. That’s something to mull over before you sign on the dotted line!
You may, however, have one more option: your existing homeowner’s policy. Re-examine it and consult with your insurance agent to discover if there’s anything in it pertaining to coverage of possessions during a relocation. If so, you may find the minimum level of mover liability coverage – Released Value – satisfactory.
Just make sure you’re fully apprised of what measure of protection your moving company is including in his quote: Full Protection or Released Value. That way, you should be fully prepared for just about anything your move throws at you!
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