California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal to inflict a 4.8 percent statewide surcharge on all CA Home Insurance and commercial property insurance premiums for fire suppression efforts was not fulfilled.
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If outside power fails, what damage can that cause and to what extent can that potential financial loss be protected? Is your food covered for spoilage? Do you have adequate protection in the event of a liquor liability claim? Are you properly protected from a claim arising from a delivery of food? These are just a few of the questions you should think about.
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Topics: Business Insurance, restaurant insurance
Most of us purchase a homeowners insurance policy to protect our home in the event of a fire, wind, theft or liability claim. We would be devastated if we lost our home in a fire, especially if we did not have insurance to cover it. But what about earthquakes? In an article in the Los Angeles Times titled “Earthquake experts see the ‘Big One’ getting bigger” they write that a “recent report suggests the southern San Andreas [fault] could rupture from Monterey County to the Salton Sea” and could “end up being bigger than earthquake experts previously thought”. A basic homeowners policy does not cover earthquake damage but coverage can be purchased as an endorsement or a separate policy. Clients often ask us…..Do I need it? Is it affordable? Is it worth purchasing? What does it cover? I hope to answer some of these questions for you.
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Topics: Home Insurance, Earthquake Insurance
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Topics: Flood Insurance
Legislation recently signed by Governor Schwarzenegger now mandates that all California insurers are now required to disclose cancelation penalties with an application for insurance.
The law previously stated that if a policy was canceled, rejected, rescinded, or surrendered, that the insured person under the policy was entitled to the return of their premium. The new law (AB2404) which will be in effect as of January 1, 2012, is requiring that any policy including a provision to refund a premium, including the assessment and cancelation fees, now must disclose in writing that it intends to do so. The disclosure must be written and sent to the new policy owner within 5 business days of purchase.
According to Steve Young of the general council for Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West, the law was changed to prevent an insurer from trying to impose a short-rate cancelation penalty that would not equal the administrative costs fined to the insurer as a result of policy cancelation.
The bill also authorizes the Insurance Commissioner to postpone a market conduct exam that is scheduled at least every five years for insurers. The exam can be postponed up to three years.
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The law previously stated that if a policy was canceled, rejected, rescinded, or surrendered, that the insured person under the policy was entitled to the return of their premium. The new law (AB2404) which will be in effect as of January 1, 2012, is requiring that any policy including a provision to refund a premium, including the assessment and cancelation fees, now must disclose in writing that it intends to do so. The disclosure must be written and sent to the new policy owner within 5 business days of purchase.
According to Steve Young of the general council for Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West, the law was changed to prevent an insurer from trying to impose a short-rate cancelation penalty that would not equal the administrative costs fined to the insurer as a result of policy cancelation.
The bill also authorizes the Insurance Commissioner to postpone a market conduct exam that is scheduled at least every five years for insurers. The exam can be postponed up to three years.
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The Los Angeles Times reported this morning that an
analysis of L.A. County crime data shows which California communities have the most and least property crimes per capita.
Compared with violent crimes, property crimes tend to be more diverse geographically due to the fact that they are usually clustered around shopping areas, business, and high traffic streets. The crime data showed that the communities with the most property crimes included some places that also had be victims of serious violent crimes, including Chesterfield Square in South L.A, Rancho Park, Westchester and the Fairfax district.
Communities with the fewest property crimes were mostly wealthier areas such as Hidden Hills, Rolling Hills, Bel-Air, but also included Chinatown near downtown and some Northern Los Angeles Communities.
The full list of property crimes by LA City can be found at the Los Angeles Times Website.
Be sure to keep your neighborhood and family safe by having proper California Homeowners Insurance if you reside in an area found to be heavily targeted for property crimes.
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Compared with violent crimes, property crimes tend to be more diverse geographically due to the fact that they are usually clustered around shopping areas, business, and high traffic streets. The crime data showed that the communities with the most property crimes included some places that also had be victims of serious violent crimes, including Chesterfield Square in South L.A, Rancho Park, Westchester and the Fairfax district.
Communities with the fewest property crimes were mostly wealthier areas such as Hidden Hills, Rolling Hills, Bel-Air, but also included Chinatown near downtown and some Northern Los Angeles Communities.
The full list of property crimes by LA City can be found at the Los Angeles Times Website.
Be sure to keep your neighborhood and family safe by having proper California Homeowners Insurance if you reside in an area found to be heavily targeted for property crimes.
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Topics: Home Insurance, Property Insurance
A start up electric car company in Santa Monica, California announced on Tuesday that they will start taking deposits for their new four door sedan, and start delivering the cars in December.
The Coda, the name of the sedan, will be priced at $44,900 will be competing with other electric models that are due out this year. All buyers will be eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit and $5,000 California tax rebate, which brings the price down to $32,400. Coda said it will be eligible for carpool-lane access through 2015.
The all-electric Coda will have a 90- to 120-mile range, depending on driving speed, weather and other factors. The cars will be built in China and based on a design licensed from Mitsubishi but is greatly modified by the Coda company.
People interested in purchasing the electric sedan can visit www.codaautomotive.com. CODA is collecting refundable $500 deposits if you want to reserve a car. Coda plans to offer a three-year or 36,000-mile warranty on the vehicle and a battery warranty of eight-years or 100,000 miles.
The company plans to sell directly to consumers with show rooms to be placed in Santa Monica and the San Francisco Bay Area. Will your California Auto Insurance go down from buying an electric car? Contact Sutherland-Scherff Insurance today for more information on how today’s changing technologies will affect you insurance.
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The Coda, the name of the sedan, will be priced at $44,900 will be competing with other electric models that are due out this year. All buyers will be eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit and $5,000 California tax rebate, which brings the price down to $32,400. Coda said it will be eligible for carpool-lane access through 2015.
The all-electric Coda will have a 90- to 120-mile range, depending on driving speed, weather and other factors. The cars will be built in China and based on a design licensed from Mitsubishi but is greatly modified by the Coda company.
People interested in purchasing the electric sedan can visit www.codaautomotive.com. CODA is collecting refundable $500 deposits if you want to reserve a car. Coda plans to offer a three-year or 36,000-mile warranty on the vehicle and a battery warranty of eight-years or 100,000 miles.
The company plans to sell directly to consumers with show rooms to be placed in Santa Monica and the San Francisco Bay Area. Will your California Auto Insurance go down from buying an electric car? Contact Sutherland-Scherff Insurance today for more information on how today’s changing technologies will affect you insurance.
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Topics: Auto Insurance
According to officials, actress
Ricki Lake’s beach front rental home in Malibu burnt down early Saturday morning suffering irreparable damages. The 911 call came in around 7:30 am. When police and firefighters arrived on scene, they found Ricki, her two sons, and family dog safely outside, but the house engulfed in flames.
"It appears that she was refueling some sort of portable heater when a couch caught fire and that set the whole house ablaze," said Lt. Rich Erickson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department's Malibu/Lost Hills Station.
Firefighters contained the fire in about 20 minutes, but not much was left of the beach front property. Later Ricki commented that she was trying to refuel an indoor heater and accidently set the couch on fire. She was able to remove boxes of clothing and move her cars before the home was fully engulfed. The direct cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Hopefully Ricki has California Renters Insurance, which can help devoid costs of damages to a property that a person is renting.
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"It appears that she was refueling some sort of portable heater when a couch caught fire and that set the whole house ablaze," said Lt. Rich Erickson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department's Malibu/Lost Hills Station.
Firefighters contained the fire in about 20 minutes, but not much was left of the beach front property. Later Ricki commented that she was trying to refuel an indoor heater and accidently set the couch on fire. She was able to remove boxes of clothing and move her cars before the home was fully engulfed. The direct cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Hopefully Ricki has California Renters Insurance, which can help devoid costs of damages to a property that a person is renting.
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Topics: Home Insurance, Property Insurance, Renters Insurance
The fiery gas line explosion in a San Bruno, California neighborhood is a stark reminder of how fragile our infrastructure can be. With varying reports on the amount of confirmed dead, our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to those families who were affected by the tragedy. Google has created a map of emergency response centers to help those in need.
It’s easy to take for granted simple things like electricity, clean water and even our own homes providing shelter as we pursue materialistic objects or entertainment, but a catastrophe like this should give us all pause to reflect on what we value most and how it can be protected.
By all accounts, it seems there were no major warning signs and the fire just erupted from a gas line completely unexpectedly. While a major investigation is underway, there will be many questions as to what led to the explosion and why it wasn’t avoidable. Suburban life rarely gets interrupted by these types of events, so the microscope is on state officials to prevent this from happening again.
There will certainly be questions raised about California fire insurance; including who’s responsible for paying property claims and the level of liability Pacific Gas and Electric Co. have in this ordeal. Sutherland-Scherff has representatives available to answer questions about California dwelling fire, home, or umbrella insurance policies that provide protection and help for people affected by disasters who may be displaced or at risk for huge property losses.
Some photos from this disaster can be seen at the link below.
San Bruno, CA Fire Pictures - via MSNBC.com
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It’s easy to take for granted simple things like electricity, clean water and even our own homes providing shelter as we pursue materialistic objects or entertainment, but a catastrophe like this should give us all pause to reflect on what we value most and how it can be protected.
By all accounts, it seems there were no major warning signs and the fire just erupted from a gas line completely unexpectedly. While a major investigation is underway, there will be many questions as to what led to the explosion and why it wasn’t avoidable. Suburban life rarely gets interrupted by these types of events, so the microscope is on state officials to prevent this from happening again.
There will certainly be questions raised about California fire insurance; including who’s responsible for paying property claims and the level of liability Pacific Gas and Electric Co. have in this ordeal. Sutherland-Scherff has representatives available to answer questions about California dwelling fire, home, or umbrella insurance policies that provide protection and help for people affected by disasters who may be displaced or at risk for huge property losses.
Some photos from this disaster can be seen at the link below.
San Bruno, CA Fire Pictures - via MSNBC.com
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Topics: Home Insurance, Property Insurance
As technology advances so does the way you can pay for parking in California. The City of Los Angeles has been experiencing problems lately with parking meters malfunctioning. As a result they will start installing new meters that take quarters and credit cards as early as this week.
The LA Times reports that about half of the 40,000 parking meters in the city will be replaced, and drivers will be expected to start paying once they are in place. “ Until all the meters are replaced, drivers who find a spot at an old, broken meter will not get a ticket”, says Sean Anderson, a spokesman for the CA Transportation Department. But drivers who park at a new meter that is down will receive a ticket, though the new meters should rarely malfunction .
“That is unlikely to happen,” says Anderson. “With the new meters, you don’t have the reliability issue. There is a less than 1% chance they are ever down”.
Parking next to a meter is less expensive than paying for a parking ticket, a tactic the transportation department is using in hopes people won’t disobey the laws. With meters now taking credit cards, “I didn’t have any quarters,” will not be an understandable excuse.
Don’t let parking tickets pile up, your California Auto Insurance policy could be affected if your license is suspended due to too many violations.
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The LA Times reports that about half of the 40,000 parking meters in the city will be replaced, and drivers will be expected to start paying once they are in place. “ Until all the meters are replaced, drivers who find a spot at an old, broken meter will not get a ticket”, says Sean Anderson, a spokesman for the CA Transportation Department. But drivers who park at a new meter that is down will receive a ticket, though the new meters should rarely malfunction .
“That is unlikely to happen,” says Anderson. “With the new meters, you don’t have the reliability issue. There is a less than 1% chance they are ever down”.
Parking next to a meter is less expensive than paying for a parking ticket, a tactic the transportation department is using in hopes people won’t disobey the laws. With meters now taking credit cards, “I didn’t have any quarters,” will not be an understandable excuse.
Don’t let parking tickets pile up, your California Auto Insurance policy could be affected if your license is suspended due to too many violations.
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Topics: Auto Insurance
