Marysville Closed

[soquel]

Oh No! :( This is the Marysville MX park newsletter that was sent to me. Marysville is located in central California. Their website is www.marysvillemx.com

Riverfront OHV Park is
Closed until further notice

7-15-02
I received a Shut Down Notice from the City of Marysville today
directing me to close the Off-Highway Vehicle Facilities to the
general public and to cease any use of the OHV Facilities until
further notice is provided by the City.

This is because we cannot obtain the required insurance at any price.
It is just not avail­able because of the 9-11 terrorist disaster and
the fall of the stock market. The insurance companies can no longer
invest the premiums and make money. All the insurance companies that
were involved in outdoor recreation coverage are either no longer
involved in it or are reducing their exposure. We have the same
insurance that most other tracks presently have, but it does not meet
City requirements. It may not affect Private tracks that want to run
without much insurance or State Parks since they are probably self
insured.

This is a nationwide problem. All the tracks are in trouble. It is
not just OHV that is in trouble. It involves all types of extreme
recreation including river-rafting, kayaking, and guide service etc.

The events of September 11 helped put an end to the available
insurance, at least for the foreseeable future. An insurance industry
already experiencing acid reflux with every drop of the Dowwent on an
all-Tums diet when the World Trade Center fell. After peaking at
$336.3 billion in 1999, the industry saw its net worth fall to $289.6
billion by the end of 2001, according to the Insurance Information
Institute. The insurers who backed the WTC spread their risk through
a worldwide network of reinsurers, so nearly every insurance company
will pay a little piece of the estimated $50 to $70 billion that add
up to the largest property claim in history.

The upshot is a stingy insurance market, which immediately affects
high-risk ventures.

We think we will still be able to run the races as scheduled because
that is a separate policy, but have to close for the practices. The
City is reviewing our race coverage at the present time.


Regretfully,

Charlie Sexton

 

[treefinder]

Sad to see slimebag insurance companies using a national tragedy to end recreational coverage. There was an article in the paper a few weeks ago about how they had raised insurance rates to ballparks and that fans should expect to get this pa$$ed on to them.

Which would all be well and good if it were not for the fact that just about every insurance policy written EXCLUDES acts of terrorism or war.

 

[Skid Jackson]

We are in the apartment business and our insurance is up for renewal this september. remember those warnings the fbi gave out about terrorist blowing up an apartment complex. What do you think our insurance company though of that!! We are now in the high risk catagorey and may have problems getting certain kinds of coverage. Not to mention that what insurance we do get is gonna cost a bloody fortune.

 

[justql]

Thats scary. Our park is insured by the city. I hope we don't esperience the same issue. :|

 

[IrishEKU]

I'm just happy that the OHV area that I ride at currently is owned by the State/Federal Govmt. You just have to sign a waiver to all medical and injury claims and ride. According to the paperwork that I have read these parks can't be closed unless there is a constitutional review under the 14th Ammendment(I belive this is the one that applys Federal Laws to States?....I am still a student so all of you Law folks out there reprimand me if I am wrong. Please be nice..... :) ) I am sorry that this is happening to all of the private owners. Insurrance(sp) companies shouldn't be able to bail on people that are out to follow their love. We all pay premiums to do what we like. If that means riding in whatever form they should cover. I don't want to get into what happened last year (God Bless Them all) but riders shouldn't suffer just because we participate in a high profile and dangerious(sp) sport.

Whew.....Where is the Tylenol?

 

[Whoops]

AAHHGGG!!!!

First it's the greenies, now it's the insurance weenies. Marysville is a great little track and all of us that used it are going to miss it greatly. Something will have to give sooner or later. Dirt bike sales are reaching record levels and riding areas are vanishing in proportion. There's trespassing, confrontation, and litigation in the future for our sport.

Whoops