Waltenhofen has a lot planned for the day care centre in Hegge. Last March, it bought the building from the church, thus opening up the possibility of expanding the day care centre. As reported, the existing building is to be renovated and a day nursery is to be built on the property opposite. In the course of the change of ownership, a new application for building insurance had to be made. The annual premium is high at 5,000 euros. Treasurer Udo Merk informed about this during the budget discussions in the main committee and also mentioned the reason: next door is the Rosenstüble, a shared accommodation for refugees.
Waltenhofen, like many municipalities in the region, is insured with the Versicherungskammer Bavaria. From the municipality’s main office, which is responsible for insurance, it is said that the insurer had initially calculated the premium for the building insurance at about 900 euros.
In the corresponding contract, which was then sent to the municipality, it had to be stated whether certain buildings, including asylum shelters, were in the vicinity. The amount was significantly increased by the fact that the Rosenstüble is less than ten metres away, according to an employee of the main office.
In the corresponding contract, which was then sent to the municipality, it had to be stated whether certain buildings, including asylum shelters, were in the vicinity. The amount was significantly increased by the fact that the Rosenstüble is less than ten metres away, according to an employee of the main office. (Read also: The annual park ticket for Niedersonthofener See will cost twice as much in future).
The current fee is almost 3,800 euros – more than four times as much. The day-care centre building is divided into two parts. For the part that is not directly next to the Rosenstüble, a regular fee of about 1200 Euros has been set. Taken together, this amounts to 5000 euros, which are included in the budget.
Currently, about 50 refugees live in the accommodation in Hegge, among them many families.
The former owner of the day-care centre building, the diocese of Augsburg, apparently paid significantly less for the building insurance, which includes coverage for fire damage, for example. However, the insurance carrier was also the Bayerische Versicherungskammer.
In response to an enquiry from our editorial office, the diocese’s press office informs us: “The building was previously covered by the collective contracts of the diocese of Augsburg. Due to the large number of buildings owned by the diocese, the insurer can grant more favourable conditions.”
The Bavarian Versicherungskammer does not want to give any further details about the day-care centre building in Hegge. “We are only allowed to give information about concrete contract contents to our policyholder,” it says in a written statement.
In general, the insurance rate is always determined according to the respective risk for the building. The surrounding buildings are important here, as is the loss rate. “The price of a building insurance policy increases, for example, if a riding stable, a restaurant or a discotheque is adjacent. The risk of a major fire in a riding stable is higher because it contains straw and hay.
Regarding the situation with asylum shelters, the Versicherungskammer refers to the German Insurance Association (GDV): “The origin of the people is irrelevant for insurance cover,” the insurer quotes. However, the claims expenditure is significantly higher if houses are only occupied by changing people for a short period of time. This applies equally to tourists, assembly workers, students or refugees. “For example, the fire claims for hotels and guesthouses collected over decades are almost five times as high as for residential buildings.”