CALIFORNIA – California Department of Insurance (CDI) commissioner Ricardo Lara announced January 9th that he is issuing a mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance non-renewals and cancellations.
The commissioner’s bulletin provides a one-year protection for people living in or near the ZIP codes affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles County.
During this time, insurance companies cannot cancel or refuse to renew their home insurance policies, even if their property wasn’t damaged by the fires.
Residents can go to the Department of Insurance website to see if their ZIP code is included in the moratorium.
Consumers should contact the Department of Insurance at 800-927-4357 or via chat or email at insurance.ca.gov if they believe their insurance company is in violation of this law, or have additional claims-related questions.
Stop any pending non-renewals
To help wildfire-affected areas, Lara also asked insurance companies to stop any pending non-renewals or cancellations for properties near the fires, even if they’re not covered by the required moratorium.
This includes non-renewals issued up to 90 days prior to January 7, but taking effect after the start of the wildfires. This freeze on canceling or not renewing policies will last six months to help affected communities recover.
In addition, Lara asked insurers to give people in wildfire-affected areas more than the 60 days they already get by law to pay their home insurance.
Workshops for survivors
CDI is hosting free two-day insurance support workshops on January 18 and 19 in Santa Monica and January 25 and 26 in Pasadena to help survivors understand their insurance policies and the claims process. They will also provide information about available resources for rebuilding and recovery.
This workshop is open to all those impacted by the recent wildfires. Call 800-927-4357 to schedule a one-on-one appointment with a Department of Insurance expert.
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 commissioner Ricardo Lara announced January 9th that he is issuing a mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance non-renewals and cancellations. ){kind=link}