Authorities offer tips on homeowners insurance, wildfire protection
Authorities offer tips on homeowners insurance, wildfire protection

1 p.m. Tuesday, May 14 / Online and at 701 Ocean St., Room 525, Santa Cruz California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is expected to speak to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors at their May 14 meeting about how homeowners can get insurance and…
California Insurance Commissioner’s Office to make stop in Santa Cruz County
California Insurance Commissioner’s Office to make stop in Santa Cruz County

Amid an escalating crisis in homeowners insurance both locally and statewide, a representative from California’s Department of Insurance — the nation’s largest state consumer protection agency — will come to Santa Cruz County to discuss recent market shifts and answer questions from county leaders. The…
2 insurance firms agree to collaborate to write California home policies
2 insurance firms agree to collaborate to write California home policies

Tokio Marine America and Mercury Insurance announced Thursday the former’s home policies would transition to the Los Angeles-based firm. As firms continue to pull out of the California market, a Los Angeles insurance company is teaming up with a Texas-based insurer to write homeowners insurance…
City of Scotts Valley hosts wildfire preparedness, homeowners insurance workshop Tuesday
City of Scotts Valley hosts wildfire preparedness, homeowners insurance workshop Tuesday

City of Scotts Valley is hosting a free community Wildfire Preparedness and Homeowners Insurance Workshop on Tuesday, May 14, from 6-8pm at the Scotts Valley Cultural and Performing Arts Center, 251 Kings Village Road. This event is dedicated to educating the public on crucial measures…
Complaints dominate insurance forum
Complaints dominate insurance forum

Legislative remedy seems unlikely A forum organized by San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller last week to address California’s insurance crisis provided a lot of information about increasing costs and decreasing availability of home insurance, as well as an outlet for mounting consumer frustration. The…
Guest Column | Fifth District May Highlights: Community Events, Progress on Key Issues and Budget Talks
Guest Column | Fifth District May Highlights: Community Events, Progress on Key Issues and Budget Talks

May is shaping up to be busy in the Fifth District with several great community events and notable progress on important issues. On May 11, the 27th annual Queer Youth Leadership Awards will be at Scotts Valley High School. This is a special opportunity for…
State Farm denies renter’s claim for roof leak damages
State Farm denies renter’s claim for roof leak damages

A University City man wants moving and displacement expenses during repair work on his home. CBS 8 is Working for You to get answers after a University City man says State Farm denied his claim on a renter’s insurance policy. The man has to move…
Critter care is costly. Does pet insurance make sense?
Critter care is costly. Does pet insurance make sense?

Zoe the cat is 12 years old, and lost an eye to cancer and related complications last year. The total veterinary bill: $25,000. Zoe’s owners, Torrance residents Mike Superstein and Suzanne Erdelyi, paid the full amount because Zoe was uninsured. “I’ve had many many pets…
Sonoma County to talk fire insurance in Tuesday virtual town hall
Sonoma County to talk fire insurance in Tuesday virtual town hall

Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore plans to host a virtual town hall Tuesday at 6 p.m. that’s expected to ignite much interest among homeowners — fire coverage and the lack thereof. “I’m hearing from a number of constituents — insureds with policies being pulled or…
How home insurance companies use drone aerial images to drop policies
How home insurance companies use drone aerial images to drop policies

United Policyholders told CBS 8 there’s been a dramatic increase in reports from customers getting dropped due to aerial images. Home insurance companies are taking inspections to new heights in determining whether to drop coverage or not. In the past, companies would send out inspectors…
Thompson, Huffman Host Press Conference Addressing California Insurance Crisis
Thompson, Huffman Host Press Conference Addressing California Insurance Crisis

Santa Rosa – Today, Reps. Mike Thompson (CA-04) and Jared Huffman (CA-02) were joined by realtors, home builders, agriculture leaders, insurance leaders, and fire survivors for a press conference at Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park in support of H.R. 7849, The Disaster Resiliency and Coverage Act…
Allstate indicates resuming new California policies amid insurance crisis
Allstate indicates resuming new California policies amid insurance crisis

Amid the ongoing insurance crisis in California, Allstate says it could soon resume writing new policies, though the move would come with some conditions. Allstate Insurance stopped writing new homeowners policies in California two years ago but says it may start offering them again if…
Allstate could resume issuing new home insurance policies in CA
Allstate could resume issuing new home insurance policies in CA

Allstate, one of California’s biggest home insurers, could resume writing new homeowner policies if the department of insurance approves rule changes. The company stopped writing new homeowner policies in late 2022 because of wildfire risk and the cost of rebuilding homes. Lenny Higgins of Santa…
Allstate indicates resuming new California policies amid insurance crisis
Allstate indicates resuming new California policies amid insurance crisis

Amid the ongoing insurance crisis in California, Allstate says it could soon resume writing new policies, though the move would come with some conditions. Allstate Insurance stopped writing new homeowners policies in California two years ago but says it may start offering them again if…
Insurance commissioner, Irwin address coverage issues
Insurance commissioner, Irwin address coverage issues

Homeowners are ‘worried and upset’ Area residents concerned about the declining availability of home insurance coverage got an update this month from the regulator tasked with salvaging California’s foundering market. Ricardo Lara, insurance commissioner since 2019, appeared with Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin for an April 4…
Aerial photos are leading to insurance non-renewals
Aerial photos are leading to insurance non-renewals

InsurTech may not be a buzz word at dinner parties, but it sure is in consumer advocate circles. Turns out, “disruptive” is not such a good thing for property owners and home values, especially with climate change in the mix. Today, insurance companies are using…
California insurers must give discounts for wildfire mitigation. Have homeowners benefited?
California insurers must give discounts for wildfire mitigation. Have homeowners benefited?

In 2022, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced he would force companies to offer discounts to people who take specific steps to protect their homes from wildfires. It was part of an effort, he said at the time, to “reward the hard work that California consumers…
Insurers won’t renew some homes, citing risk of earthquake-induced fires. This map shows where
Insurers won’t renew some homes, citing risk of earthquake-induced fires. This map shows where

The magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck San Francisco on April 18, 1906, toppled buildings, brought down power lines and fractured water mains. The front page of the Chronicle the next day read “San Francisco in ruins.” But 80% of the property damage, according to a…