Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
Jellylorum, Thu Dec 19 2019, 09:34AM

Listing of zip codes in which the insurance commissioner says policies cannot be cancelled until December 5, 2020.

[Click Here]

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
Jellylorum, Thu Dec 19 2019, 09:39AM

I am hearing that if you do go with California Fair Plan, it comes with consequences.

You, the policy holder may be required to make your property very fire safe. You may be asked to rebuild decks, remove trees large and small, etc.

Your neighbors, even if NOT policy holders, may also be required to comply with things like tree and brush removal.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
rlyans, Thu Dec 19 2019, 03:06PM

Yes your right. Gives us another year...
I’ve been working with and waiting for the insurance commissioner’s office to update the easy fires zip code. I was told 92314 and 92315 would be up soon. It was up finally this morning. Yeah! Gives us another year.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
Deb Doodah, Fri Dec 20 2019, 08:25AM

Here is some information that you might find helpful regarding insurance on the mountain. My husband is in the insurance industry (not selling) and we have a place on the mountain - so he keeps close tabs on the information as it comes out.

This is the moratorium for not nonrenewing policies in the effected burn areas. Keep in mind I do believe the moratorium is good for one year.

This part is key, meaning anyone in the listed zips who have been sent notices of cancellation or nonrenewal because they live near a fire area, those notices have to be rescinded.

In addition, all admitted and non-admitted insurers writing residential property insurance in the state of California must offer to rescind any notices of cancellation or non-renewal issued since the Governor’s October 11, 25, or 27, 2019 Declarations, respectively, and offer to reinstate or renew the policies in place at the time of Declaration, if any such notices of cancellation or nonrenewal were issued on or after the date of the Declaration, were due to wildfire risk, and the properties are located in ZIP Codes identified by this bulletin.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
BBL n 805, Sat Dec 21 2019, 09:26AM

Well here's some first hand experience with this...We have had Travelers for years and received a non-renewal notice in October. We've been shopping for our options to place a new policy at the end of this month when AMAZINGLY our zip is added to the list of "protected" policies. Yeah!

Not so much.

Travelers has agreed to "renew" the old policy at $4,100.

It was $1,300 last year.

Gee thanks Travelers.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
Jellylorum, Sat Dec 21 2019, 10:02AM

An issue I ran into years ago:

My mortgage is set up with PITI. When I received a cancellation notice, they informed me that if I didn't find coverage on my own, they would purchase it for me. I didn't want to find out they signed me up with Lloyds of London, so found my own coverage.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
Deb Doodah, Sat Dec 21 2019, 10:12AM

My next question to my husband was about rates and this is what he said:

So rates insurance companies charge must be approved by the state, unless they are a non-admitted carrier. Anyway, so the increases people are seeing were approved by the Department of Insurance, they were not just implemented by the insurance company. They probably had rates approved because they suffered substantial fire losses in those areas and so this is a means for them to remain solvent as well as stay in the state.

The Dept. of Insurance, DOI, wants to make sure they protect the public hence the moratorium on not cancelling policies for reasons of fire. Included in that protection is making sure the insurance companies remain solvent for if they are not they will not be able to cover losses of any kind that they are responsible to pay. If they do not have the money to cover losses then the state steps in to cover them. To recover their monies the state will then mandate a CIGA surcharge, California Insurance Guarantee Association, be collected from insureds who have that type of insurance. So if Company A becomes insolvent due to homeowner losses the state will mandate each insurance company doing business in the state collect a specified surcharge from each of their clients. This maybe something like $1.50 for each homeowner but that would include us even though we are not with Company A. It is best someone living in an area susceptible to fire to be charged a higher amount for it is unfair to make others in low fire risk areas cover the costs.

Sorry for the long windedness but people need to understand that it may seem unfair for an insurance company to charge more for a home in Big Bear than Chino Hills but it is also unfair for their coverage to be subsidized by others in non-hazard areas.

Jelly - I know this doesn't address your issue directly, so I will see what he says about the giant increase you received.


Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
Airport Razz, Sat Dec 21 2019, 10:34AM

Are we still paying that special 'fire tax' for living in Big Bear still or did that finally get removed?

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
Jellylorum, Sat Dec 21 2019, 12:17PM

That fire tax we were paying to the state tax office, for CalFire - $135-175 per year, was suspended almost 3 years ago. That was the bill we used to receive from the state each year at the end of March.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
ArchJohn, Sat Dec 21 2019, 01:13PM

Thanks for posting; this is a good update to the thread on this subject from last year: [Click Here]

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
rlyans, Fri Jan 03 2020, 04:47PM

Got my renewal policies from foremost this last week for another year. They only increased by about $20. Hoping they don’t non renew next year...

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
RH_Runner, Sat Jan 04 2020, 07:03AM

Just received our renewal from The Hartford. About a 10% increase.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
BBTennis, Tue Jan 14 2020, 04:51PM

Does that mean that iIf my house is withing the lsited zip codes, THEY HAVE TO RENEW?
Because we just got a letter of NON-RENEWAL FROM Travelers.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
Deb Doodah, Tue Jan 14 2020, 04:59PM

Yes if your house is within the zip codes listed they cannot non renew you However that doesn’t mean they won’t raise your rates.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
BBTennis, Wed Jan 15 2020, 10:21AM

Thanks for the clarification!

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
ArchJohn, Tue Jun 23 2020, 02:01PM

Resurrecting this long dormant thread: We just had an inspection on our house by Hartford. Seems they are requiring more than what CALFIRE requires, for example the neighbor has a tree that their branches hang over our garage. Hartford says no branches can hang over the structure. Tree trimmer says if he cuts the branches it would kill the (neighbor's) tree because there's so many of them (branches). Has anyone encountered this before?

And what is the latest news on the renewal of the policies?

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
Airport Razz, Tue Jun 23 2020, 10:48PM

Yes, and one never got settled, the people sold the cabin before anyone made a big stink. Another did trimming with fingers crossed, tree didn't die, yet. Used to be just had to keep trimmed away from structure, now there is imaginary infinity line shooting up into the sky which nothing can overhang into. Need to talk to neighbor and hopefully get them on your side. Legally it can get messy. Might also have heart to heart with insurance company. A few years ago Allstate said I was responsible for removing 2 dead trees that weren't even in my yard or my neighbors. One was 4 houses down the street. Also had fight about firewood and wood fence. I had to store my firewood 30 ft away from structure, which was impossbile on my lot with how house and garage are arranged, but the neighbors pile 15 ft away on other side of a wood fence was OK. Had the inspector standing in the yard and asked him 'Well, now what'. And just how was I supposed to comply with the BS regulations. He almost had ananeurysm, but still only got 'I'll have to get back to you'. Got a retraction a week later. Who is in charge of this rodeo??????

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
K&DBigBear, Fri Jul 03 2020, 08:13PM

Here's one I haven't seen before. We just received a Notice of Nonrenewal of Homeowner's Insurance.
Reason for nonrenewal is: Increase in Property Hazards Beyond What is Normally Accepted. This notice is to advise you that a non-renewal notice was issued for the following underwriting reasons:
*Log, earth, underground and "do it yourself" homes, additions or other structures on the residence premises are ineligible: "Dwelling is Log Home" in addition,
*Dwellings with wood, wood pellet and coal stoves are ineligible: "Dwelling has a Wood Stove" Our home is a log sided home, not a full log. So, is everyone with a wood burning fireplace going to receive one of these notices? What a crock!

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
CoyotePass, Fri Jul 03 2020, 10:39PM

Did you purchase the policy through an agent? They need to go to bat for you if you did. What the insurance company is saying is that you have a log home and a wood stove, neither of which you have. Your agent needs to communicate with their underwriting department and explain that to them. The people who do the drive by inspections aren't always very astute and they frequently error when it comes to wood stoves. They assume if they see a metal chimney it's a wood stove instead of a fireplace. Fireplaces aren't an issue but wood stoves are with many insurers. Likewise with the log siding. Log siding isn't an issue, but many insurers will not insure true log homes, particularly if they believe it's a kit home.

If you purchased the policy directly you need to call them and explain that they made a mistake and insist on an inspection while you're present, and allow them to see that you do not have a wood stove. You don't have to just accept their notice, you can fight it particularly since they are wrong. Fighting it and keeping the insurance is far easier in the long run than trying to find another company.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
cricket, Sat Jul 04 2020, 09:13AM

We switched to fair plan and farmers rider. Nationwide was being ridiculous. Non renewed, then after expiration date came and went tried to send me a bill for renewal saying they decided not to enforce their woodland fire policy where they were basically cancelling us due to neighbors trees and four foot weeds. I told them if they were this bad when I did not have responsibility, and my property is perfect, I felt if something were to ever happen I wohld be in court five years try ing to make them rebuild my house. Good riddance to bad rubbish!

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
K&DBigBear, Thu Jul 09 2020, 09:29PM

Thank you for your input. Our Agent is batting for us and in discussions with the Insurance Company. Fingers crossed it is resolved quickly


Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
ArchJohn, Sat Sep 05 2020, 08:25AM

Just got our renewal from Hartford, 33% annual increase

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
AudioGuy, Sat Sep 05 2020, 03:18PM

I'd guess that the increases in fire rates and non-renewals of policies are probably going to be the biggest cause of mass amounts of people being forced to leave the rural areas and to move back to the megalopolis areas.

Y'all really need to take a look at the mounting evidence for deliberate geoengineering, and the mounting evidence that a good number of more recent wildfires (especially NorCal) do not seem to be of natural causes (or even true wildfires at all as the news portrays them), and start connecting the dots...

Welcome to the new norm. This will probably get much worse over the next 10-20 years in all likelihood.



Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
Mountainlover, Sat Sep 05 2020, 06:11PM

We got our renewal notice, of course with our annual bump in premium. Then not long after we received a letter that said we have new “out buildings” on our property. I immediately called our State Farm agent who was out of the office. I spoke with his assistant and told her we have not added anything to our property that we have a detached garage but we bought house with it. She went on to tell me that the notice was actually for our trees, which we had cut last year due to the County notice we received even though our house is in Big Bear Lake. Anyway, she said that our trees need to be 10’ off the ground!! I said the county only says we need 3’. She said if we don’t comply and send in pix by Sept 30 we won’t be renewed for NEXT year. Our landscaper finds this ridiculous. I’m waiting for our State Farm agent that insures both houses for us and family members to call back and go to bat for us.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
rlyans, Thu Oct 08 2020, 10:17AM

Just got a non renewal from Formost again. Hope the insurance commission will go to bat for us again. Anyone know who is writing up in BB now? This is such a pain and financial hardship...

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
Airport Razz, Thu Oct 08 2020, 11:50AM

Try this guy - John Murphy - Allstate 714-843-0501 a072462©allstate.com Tell him Big Bear Dave sent you his way. Will go to bat for you and has been fairly sucessful writing policies up here and saving owners some cash. He has been taking care of my insurance needs now for over 30 years.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
rlyans, Tue Oct 13 2020, 07:36AM

Thanks Airport Razz. I’ll give him a call if we can’t get our policy renewed.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
DefJelly, Sun Nov 01 2020, 04:37PM

Removed because this site is ran by nannies. You lost another set of eyes SCM.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
moco, Mon Nov 02 2020, 10:01AM

USAA is writing policies, if you have access to that.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
RH_Runner, Mon Nov 02 2020, 12:38PM



Same with us.


Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
rlyans, Thu Nov 12 2020, 05:24PM

Just got a letter from the department of insurance today saying that insurance companies have to renew policies that are next to fire areas. I have Formost and they just renewed my 2 policies for one more year.. yeah
I’m sure I’ll have to go thur this again next year..

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
ChateauJeff, Wed Oct 06 2021, 08:06PM

Just got my termination letter from Travelers due to being in a high risk fire area. I’m in Upper Moonridfe.

Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
ChateauJeff, Wed Oct 06 2021, 08:15PM




Re: Homeowner's Insurance & Fire Hazard Issues
rlyans, Sat Oct 09 2021, 04:01PM

A year later and also just got a cancellation letter (again) from foremost. Anyone have any ideas if anyone is writing up here. I really don’t want to have to raise the rent on my tenants.