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…
MADE TO PAY I was stripped of my homeowner’s insurance after an ‘invasion of privacy’ – I was spied on and then hit with $14k bill
MADE TO PAY I was stripped of my homeowner’s insurance after an ‘invasion of privacy’ – I was spied on and then hit with $14k bill

HOMEOWNERS are being dropped by their home insurance after insurers admit to using aerial drones to scout properties and roofs looking for flaws. Bob Emerick, a resident of Mount Pleasant, Pennslyvania says he received documents from Travelers Insurance indicating that his policy would be dropped…
Drones May Determine Whether You Get To Keep Your Property Insurance Policy
Drones May Determine Whether You Get To Keep Your Property Insurance Policy

Drones are used for so many things now, and that includes checking to see if your home meets policy requirements. But not everyone is happy about that. Amy Bach with consumer advocacy group “United Policyholders” says a lot of people are losing their insurance this…
Key questions to ask when shopping for homeowners insurance
Key questions to ask when shopping for homeowners insurance

If you haven’t shopped around for homeowners insurance, experts say you should You’ve heard it pays to shop around for homeowners insurance rates, but price is only part of the equation. Policies vary depending on coverage limits, deductibles and exclusions. Here are some key questions…
Insurance companies are using drones to inspect homes
Insurance companies are using drones to inspect homes

If you’re a homeowner and you notice a drone flying over your house, it might be your insurance company checking to see if your home is meeting policy requirements. Insurance companies are using drones to take images of homes to avoid insuring high-risk homes and…
A “Flood” of Uncertainty; Massachusetts SJC Finds Policy Term Ambiguous
A “Flood” of Uncertainty; Massachusetts SJC Finds Policy Term Ambiguous

The highest court in Massachusetts recently held that term “Flood” and the associated phrase “surface waters,” as used in two all-risk insurance policies, is ambiguous in the context of water that accumulated on a parapet roof and rooftop courtyard, thereby negating the insurers’ attempt to…
Insurance expert weighs in on Missoula storm aftermath, claims process
Insurance expert weighs in on Missoula storm aftermath, claims process

With severe damage throughout the Missoula area after last week’s storm, some citizens may be wondering how much the repairs will hurt their wallet. Fallen trees on homes and caved-in fences are currently a common sight in Missoula, and insurance companies are receiving countless insurance…
Is this the solution to California’s soaring insurance price due to wildfire risk?
Is this the solution to California’s soaring insurance price due to wildfire risk?

In the past several years, homeowners across the state have been either burdened with extremely high insurance premiums or have struggled to find coverage at all. Wildfires have sent California’s homeowners insurance market into crisis and the situation is only getting worse. So far, 2024…
11 Investigates gets homeowner’s insurance reinstated for family almost dropped due to aerial images
11 Investigates gets homeowner’s insurance reinstated for family almost dropped due to aerial images

A local man from Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County, reached out to 11 Investigates at a loss for what to do and just days away from having his homeowner’s insurance dropped. Bob Emerick was upset and angry and told 11 Investigates, he was left with few…
Home insurance experts say changes coming for California’s insurance crisis — with key tips for consumers
Home insurance experts say changes coming for California’s insurance crisis — with key tips for consumers

LOS ANGELES, July 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Important regulatory updates, coming by end of year, plan to provide homeowners insurance options to consumers, according to a panel discussion this week hosted by the Center for California Real Estate. Panelists offered important tips on specific actions…