Insurance companies are moving to a fire prevention model, which puts the onus on homeowners to improve their properties and is leading to many insurance cancellation letters. We have three recommendations that can help Oak Park residents prepare for a potentially bad situation with insurance:
- If you have received a cancellation letter, reach out to United Policyholders (UP) — This is a non-profit group that was formed more than 40 years ago to help homeowners with insurance issues. We recommend you watch this one-hour video (yes, it’s long but very informative, especially if you are at risk of cancellation) and reach out to UP if needed. You can also go to the organization’s website United Policyholders (uphelp.org) for many useful resources.
- Contact an insurance agent —A knowledgeable agent often has access to plans not listed on the internet and can help guide you through the cancellation challenge, which is especially important now. A high-quality plan is more important than ever. You may have a good agent yourself or reach out to one of the agents on the UP webinar, or talk with friends and neighbors regarding a good agent. Go to the California Department of Insurance Web Page here to get a list of companies and brokers in your area.
- If you have not received a letter, get a free Home Wildfire Assessment —While these assessments are not guaranteed to address all of the issues that a specific insurance company might raise in a cancellation letter, an assessment is free and will provide recommendations for many if not all of the issues an insurance company will flag. It’s best to address any such issues before you get a letter. CLICK HERE for your free Assessment.
You can also contact us at our website, www.opfsc.org, with any questions.
