The Hidden Risk: How Mold Coverage Gaps Leave Homeowners Vulnerable
The Hidden Risk: How Mold Coverage Gaps Leave Homeowners Vulnerable

As a journalist with over 20 years of experience in the legal and insurance sectors, I’ve seen firsthand how the complexities of insurance coverage can catch homeowners off guard. One of the most surprising gaps in coverage involves mold—a problem that is becoming increasingly prevalent…
California implements plan to speed up reviews of insurance price increases backed by Newsom
California implements plan to speed up reviews of insurance price increases backed by Newsom

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara bypassed the Legislature on Friday to implement a plan to speed up California’s review of price increases for home and automobile coverage. The proposal, which stalled for months after it was hastily championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, is meant to soothe…
Homeowner: Insurance Company Looked in With Drones
Homeowner: Insurance Company Looked in With Drones

A California homeowner said her longtime insurance provider used drones to spy on her property, then refused to renew her policy after spotting “hazardous” construction debris and “clutter” in her Modesto yard. Joan Van Kuren told CBS News she had been renovating her home for…
Woman Has Insurance Canceled After Company Flew Drone Over Her House
Woman Has Insurance Canceled After Company Flew Drone Over Her House

A woman who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on home renovations had her insurance canceled after the company flew a drone over her house and cited unsanitary conditions. Joan Van Kuren from Modesto, California was furious after receiving a letter from CSAA dropping her…
Assistance centers opening for Park Fire victims
Assistance centers opening for Park Fire victims

Tehama County, in conjunction with local, state, and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations, will host a local assistance center for individuals, families and businesses affected by the Park Fire. The event will be held inside the Red Bluff Community Center, 1500 S. Jackson St. According…
Homeowner claims insurance company used drone to spy on her property before dropping her from plan: ‘No freaking way’
Homeowner claims insurance company used drone to spy on her property before dropping her from plan: ‘No freaking way’

A homeowner in California claims her longtime insurance provider dropped her after it allegedly used a drone to take images of her property while she was renovating her home. Joan Van Kuren said she received a notice from CSAA that it was ending its coverage…
Homeowners angry: eyes in the sky and AI lead to lost insurance coverage
Homeowners angry: eyes in the sky and AI lead to lost insurance coverage

Customers are angry with insurance companies not renewing their home coverage after using drones to inspect their properties. Sometimes unfair decisions are based on incomplete or inaccurate information. California woman Joan Van Kuren spent over $200,000 to remodel her home when her insurance policy was…
Maui Remembers: West Maui to close Aug. 8 in observation of one-year mark since wildfires
Maui Remembers: West Maui to close Aug. 8 in observation of one-year mark since wildfires

In observance of the one-year mark since the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires, the Office of Recovery-West Maui in Lahaina Gateway will be closed on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. The office will open Friday, Aug. 9, for a condensed schedule from 8 to 11 a.m.…
Tehama County Evacuation Center is closing tomorrow
Tehama County Evacuation Center is closing tomorrow

In less than 24 hours, the Tehama County Evacuation Center in Los Molinos will be shutting down. Red Cross Shelter manager, Mahogany Coward, says that typically there has to be 10 people or more to keep a shelter open. Only three people are using the…
Office of Recovery-West Maui will close Aug. 8; other agencies provide schedules
Office of Recovery-West Maui will close Aug. 8; other agencies provide schedules

n observance of the one-year mark since the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires, the Office of Recovery-West Maui in Lahaina Gateway will be closed on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. The office will open Friday, Aug. 9, for a condensed schedule from 8 to 11 a.m.…
A new center opens to assist Butte County fire victims
A new center opens to assist Butte County fire victims

Help for Park Fire survivors will be available in one place for a few weeks. The Local Assistance Center is here to help anyone with financial assistance, home rebuilding or even counseling. Fire victims can show up to the new local assistance center anytime between…
Fire recovery assistance center opens in old Chico 99 Cent store
Fire recovery assistance center opens in old Chico 99 Cent store

For the next two weeks, people impacted by the Park, Thompson, and Apache fires can visit a newly established local assistance center. The center, situated in the old 99 Cent store along Pillsbury Road in Chico, opened Monday morning to a long line of impacted…
Home insurance canceled in Berkeley? Here’s what to do
Home insurance canceled in Berkeley? Here’s what to do

If you own a house in the Berkeley Hills, you’ve probably gotten one already or are dreading the day it will arrive in your mail: a notice that your home insurance provider will not renew your policy. Insurers are increasingly pulling away from writing policies…
Exclusive: Can California’s FAIR Plan handle a huge wildfire? Here’s what insurer’s president says
Exclusive: Can California’s FAIR Plan handle a huge wildfire? Here’s what insurer’s president says

How much money does California’s FAIR Plan have available to pay insurance claims if a huge wildfire were to cause billions of dollars in damage to homes and businesses? In an exclusive interview with the Chronicle, FAIR Plan President Victoria Roach for the first time…
Guest Blog: Navigating My Safe Florida Home Program
Guest Blog: Navigating My Safe Florida Home Program

I noticed my neighbor had just replaced her windows and not only did they look nice, but also strong.  To my surprise she told me she had been motivated to make the changes due to a State Program that reimbursed her for two thirds of…
Allstate in midst of requesting 34% insurance rate hike
Allstate in midst of requesting 34% insurance rate hike

Allstate has asked the state to approve an average 34.1% homeowners insurance rate hike for this year, the Department of Insurance confirmed Thursday. The rate hike request, filed in April 2023, was initially for 39.6%. But Consumer Watchdog, a Santa Monica-based consumer advocacy group, petitioned…
Be pro-active to get a fair payout on a totalled car
Be pro-active to get a fair payout on a totalled car

If you’ve been in an accident and an insurance company declares your car a total loss, we recommend making sure their valuation and settlement offer are accurate and fair. Earlier this year a District Attorney in Northern California sued two major insurers and two software…
California woman’s home insurance dropped after drone view reveals clutter, unsanitary conditions during renovation
California woman’s home insurance dropped after drone view reveals clutter, unsanitary conditions during renovation

A Stanislaus County woman said her home insurance company of nearly 40 years abruptly canceled her coverage over what it spotted from a drone’s view high above her property. Joan Van Kuren of Modesto reached out to CBS Sacramento and the Call Kurtis consumer investigative…