By Assemblymember Marie Waldron
It’s always fire season in California. Unfortunately, we’ve had multiple, catastrophic wildfires in our state and region in recent years to prove it. As a result, many homeowners in the 75th Assembly District and throughout the state have had their insurance canceled, frequently due to their home’s location in Very High Fire Hazard Zones.
In many communities identified as high fire-risk by insurers, including areas of Valley Center, Fallbrook, Bonsall, Rainbow, Pala, Pauma Valley, and De Luz, residential insurance has become harder to find, and keep. Many homeowners receiving nonrenewable notices have been forced to seek insurance from other providers at much higher rates.
To discuss this growing problem and to try to find solutions, I recently held a virtual town hall with Deputy Insurance Commissioner Tony Cignarale, along with Rincon Fire Chief Ed Hadfield, who shared his long experience fighting wildfires throughout Southern California.
Here are a few tips that may help you keep your home insured:
• For the California Insurance Commissioner’s Top Ten Tips for Finding Residential Insurance, click Here. Use the Home Insurance Finder tool to locate agents/brokers in your immediate vicinity and beyond, or click here to access the Residential Insurance Company Contact List for a list of insurers that provide homeowners insurance.
• Look Here for insurance companies that offer discounts for fire-hardened homes
• Ask your insurance agent or broker if they are able to obtain coverage in the “surplus lines” market.
• If you are unable to find an agent who can insure you, the California FAIR Plan is available to every homeowner as a last resort
• If you feel that your insurance nonrenewal was unfair, file a complaint with the CDI.
For further assistance, please contact the California Department of Insurance directly at 1-800-927-4357!
Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron, R-Escondido, represents the 75th Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the communities of Bonsall, Escondido, Fallbrook, Hidden Meadows, Pala, Palomar Mountain, Pauma Valley, Rainbow, San Marcos, Temecula, Valley Center and Vista.
