We’ve partnered with over 400 of Alberta’s best home builders to provide homeowners (like you!) peace of mind when it comes to buying and owning a new home, providing you with mandatory new home warranty insurance coverage on your new home or property through our insurance underwriter, The New Home Warranty Insurance (Canada) Corporation. If you are a policyholder, you can access your Home Warranty Insurance Policy from our secure Homeowner Portal.
While your primary post-home possession relationship is likely with your home builder, you can file a claim with us as your New Home Warranty Insurance Policy provider at any time, at no cost to you! We’re here to assist you in your homeownership journey and pride ourselves on our track record of responsiveness and approachability.
Alberta’s New Home Buyer Protection Act requires that all new homes built in Alberta to have new home warranty insurance coverage to ensure that homebuyers receive mandated protections. Government legislation outlines what is and is not warrantable, meaning that our approach is objective and transparent. Our interests are only with our policyholders (homeowners), and we’re committed to fairness and integrity in all claims matters and our general conduct.
In very rare cases, and under very specific circumstances, policyholders may need to appoint an agent to make warranty insurance-related claims, provide proof, and make decisions on their behalf. In those cases, as detailed in Alberta’s Insurance Act, the reason for appointment and verification of identity are essential. Assignments and associated claims not meeting these criteria and requirements are likely to be denied. Our goal is to protect policyholders from these threats.
It’s important to remember that The New Home Warranty Insurance (Canada) Corporation (NHWICC) welcomes inquiry from policyholders who are uncertain about making a claim; have questions; or require assistance in submitting a claim, all free of charge.
Third-party warranty interference
Third-party warranty interference for both single-family and multi-family homeowners and home builders in Alberta is a growing — and concerning — trend. These third parties are sharing false and inaccurate information with homeowners regarding new home warranty claims and the legislated claims process. Further, these interfering parties promise redundant home warranty claims services and promising compensation via home warranty policies unavailable to New Home Warranty Insurance (Canada) Corporation policyholders. This intervening activity is causing confusion and delays for home and property owners with potential and ongoing claims, and worse, it is creating unnecessary concern among policyholders.
Many of their service claims are not only misleading, but they are also inaccurate. For example, these third-parties claim that their up-front, pre-work inspection fee will be fully reimbursed to the home and property owner by the new home warranty provider via their existing New Home Warranty Insurance Policy. This is patently untrue for the Alberta New Home Warranty Program Group of Companies and the New Home Warranty Insurance Canada Corporation, which underwrite our policies. Expressly, and very clearly, consulting fees of this nature are excluded in the Home Warranty Insurance Policy:
- LOSS OR DAMAGE EXCLUSIONS
Any loss or damage resulting from the following is excluded from home warranty insurance coverage:
(t) any professional fees, including legal, consulting, or medical costs.
This means that homeowners and condo corporations are highly unlikely to see reimbursement for those fees and would be well-advised to consider the policy limitations.
We assure you that we’re taking this matter very seriously and are taking action to reduce this interference.
What you can do
Contact us at 1.800.352.8240 or by email at contactcentre@anhwp.com
If you’re concerned about a third-party’s service or approach, consider filing a consumer complaint.
Document and save communication that is related to interactions with third parties and seek legal counsel.
File a claim with us as your warranty provider — we’ll work with you to provide an understanding of what is and is not warrantable and why. You can view your current policy and file a claim through our secure Homeowner Portal, at no cost to you.
We encourage you to maintain open, collaborative communication with your builder and to work through any issues or concerns as they arise, with the knowledge that you can initiate a claim with us at any time. We help all parties maintain open, collaborative communication and are focused on performance and accountability.
We review issues through our claims process to determine if they’re warrantable under Alberta’s New Home Buyer Protection Act. If the report finds warrantable defects, we’ll work with the homeowner and an accredited representative (usually the builder) to fix and resolve the issues. If a homeowner disagrees with a decision and wishes to contest it, other claims resolution options are available, including section 519 of the Insurance Act.
We’re here for you
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter, your policy, how to file a claim, and additional resolution options, please contact us at 1.800.352.8240 (Monday to Friday, 8 am – 5 pm MT) or by email at contactcentre@anhwp.com.
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