The Insurance Family Blog

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

A California man could face life in prison after breaking the states three strike law. The law was intended for violent and dangerous felons who re-offend once they are released from a previous sentence, in turn to find themselves back in jail soon enough. This could be one of the first times someone is convicted under the California three strike policy for a white collar crime.

Timothy Barnett, 47, was arrested this past April and charged with 23 felony counts including theft to the elderly, identity theft, and real estate fraud. He previously served 5 years in a state prison in the 1990’s for scamming homeowners out of tens of thousands of dollars with a foreclosure rescue scam. The most recent charges come from Barnett allegedly convincing 5 people to sign him titles to their homes.

Barnett was arrested again in 1997 for burglary charges, which fall within the three strikes law. In that case, Barnett was accused of talking his way into people's homes, offering to refinance their mortgages, and diverting property or loan proceeds to his own accounts.

Prosecutors had charged him with burglary because he met with his victims in their homes. Under California law, a person can be convicted of residential burglary for entering someone's house with the intent to commit a felony, even if he or she enters with the homeowner's permission.

His attorney Winston Kevin McKesson believes prosecutors have crossed the line in seeking a life sentence . "His whole thing is he told the truth; he's at peace,” says McKesson . "He gave them a chance to live in their homes three more years. He satisfied his end of the bargain; they didn't satisfy theirs.... These people knew what they signed and at the last minute they came in and said they didn't know."

Barnett has been behind bars since April in lieu of $2.2-million bail, but has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is next scheduled to appear in court Sept. 10 for a pretrial hearing. No trial date has been set.

Be protected with California Home Insurance in the event that someone tries to steal your identity or the rights to your home.

In a positive move for honest California Insurance agencies, the California Legislature has approved a bill that will allow the CA Department of Insurance (DOI) to better investigate insurance fraud trends in an attempt to reign in a problem that costs the state tens of millions of dollars a year.

According to a story on ClaimsJournal.com:

“…it would authorize the DOI to convene meetings with insurance companies to discuss specific information concerning suspected, anticipated, or completed acts of insurance fraud and would protect a person sharing information pursuant to that authorization from civil liability for libel, slander or any other relevant cause of action, according to the bill text.”

Basically this law would protect whistle-blowers and other who may suspect insurance fraud but not have the necessary evidence to back it up. Rather than requiring a person to put their reputation on the line and risk being sued, the bill would allow the DOI to investigate to determining if fraud is happening.

Honest, law-abiding California companies and agencies suffer because of the misdeeds of an unscrupulous few, and we’re hopeful the bill gets signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger.

If you suspect CA business insurance fraud at your workplace or elsewhere, it’s important to speak up. Especially with the new health care/insurance reform, there are many people selling fake health plans or using their insurance license to collect on phony Medicare claims. Especially with elderly folks, it’s always important to make sure they’re working with a reputable insurance provider.

If you’re unsure of an insurance provider's legitimacy, we’re always glad to help you shop around to find the right plan for any of your California personal property or business insurance needs.

The California Department of Insurance issued a release yesterday proposing the question whether or not Californians are prepared in the case of wildfire. Steve Poizner, California Insurance Commissioner, advised all local homeowners to proactively prepare for fires and other potential disasters by conducting a home inventory and updating their California home insurance policies.

" Today marks the eve of the one year anniversary of the Station fire, and we learned many lessons from that experience, but none more important than the fact that wildfires can strike and destroy in the blink of an eye, and we have especially seen this happen over and over again in Southern California," said Poizner .

" That's why I want to encourage all homeowners to prepare themselves today for potential wildfires. Waiting for a fire to erupt before conducting a home inventory and reviewing your insurance policy means you could get burned twice - first by the fire then by trying to recover your losses. These are concrete steps all Californians can take today to protect their homes and belongings."

Commissioner Poizner also offered the following tips for conducting a home inventory:

· Using a household digital camera and a Home Inventory Guide from the California Department of Insurance, catalogue your possessions and document their values. Photographs of household goods are especially helpful when an item is difficult to describe on paper, or if a purchase receipt cannot be obtained.

· Label photographs with information about each item.

· If a video recorder is used, commentary about each item should be included.

· A copy of the inventory and supporting documentation, such as receipts and model numbers, should be stored in a safe place, such as a safe-deposit box, work office, or a relative's house.

· These records should also include financial documents such as insurance policies and mortgage information.

Here at Sutherland-Schaffer we are prepared to help you with all your Southern California Fire Insurance needs, and prepare you for such disasters.

California restaurant owners have many resources at their food-serving fingertips, just by becoming a member of the California Restaurant Association.

Becoming a member is easy, and once you are a member you have their web services available 24 hours a day in addition to other useful tools. The California Restaurant Association acts as an advocate, legal advisor, information source and networking tool for their members. The Restaurant Membership provides a wealth of resources to run and grow your business and will promote your success both on a daily basis and over the long-term.

The CRA website has links to experts sharing professional expertise and a hotline available for any industry related question, or during a crisis. They also supply labor law advice, along with links to helpful documents and websites related to the industry.

Additionally, CRA members have access to discounts on several industry products and services after becoming a member. From natural gas, to email marketing solutions, to payroll options, there is a list with links ready for you to start saving on.

ServSafe education is always important for your new employees. The CRA offers education, tips, and seminars to keep your staff up to date on the most current rules and regulations while working in a restaurant.

They also offer California Restaurant Insurance Services. They know essential ingredients including yourself, your business, your employees and your customers can be protected and benefit with the correct coverage.

Real estate professionals and prospective home or commercial property buyers have unique insurance needs. For this reason Sutherland-Scherff has created a program designed to meet the specific needs of realtors and land owners no matter what the size of the deal or the type of property. Even with a glut of foreclosures, the real estate market is highly competitive and the difference between success and failure often hinges on timing and how quickly realtors can get information processed. To help California realtors, Sutherland-Scherff goes the extra mile to ensure information is provided in a timely and helpful manner. How do we do it? Three ways:

• Immediate attention to rush escrows
• We will go to your client’s home, business, or where ever it is most convenient for them
• Available to meet with individual realtors or at company meetings to help in any way we can

We’re not just about getting the business and moving on, we’re genuinely concerned with forging a mutually beneficial partnership that will allow our insurance agency to help your real estate business over the long haul. Why are we a good partner? Our goal is to make realtors look good in the eyes of their customers, and we have very type of insurance needed to ensure properties are properly covered from all types of risk. Whether it’s California home insurance, renters insurance, flood insurance, dwelling/fire, earthquake or even umbrella coverage to add an extra layer of security, Sutherland-Scherff can protect. Beyond the home/commercial property buyer, we also understand business insurance for real estate offices, so you can shop for clients and yourself at the same time. We can insure any property, brush, vacant, no updates, previous claims, course of construction and offer free brush checks on all properties. To show our appreciation, we also give $25 gift cards for all properties written, a nice token to pass along to new California homebuyers in the process of furnishing.