Yes, it is possible for insurance companies to obtain claim history on
any property as well as the claims history of a household (i.e. they
search name as well as the address of the property). To my knowledge,
no home is completely uninsurable. You may have to pay a higher
premium to get insurance through a state plan, but you can still get
insurance. (For instance, Illinois has the 'Fair Plan'. Should an
applicant be turned down by three different insurance companies, they
can apply for insurance under this plan.)
Also, allowable claim record ratings (the number of claims w/in a
household) can vary from one insurance company to the next. That
which is okay to one company may not be to another. I know some
companies will not write new business if the applicant(s) have
sustained any loss within the last three years. Some companies will
allow one forgiveable loss (or claim) while other companies will not.
Every state has a Director of Insurance whose office is responsible
for regulating insurance producers in that state. You may want to
check out the website for the Department of Insurance in California,
(John Garamendi, Insurance Commissioner). There is some great
information on that site as well as consumer offices you can contact
if you need to.
http://www.insurance.ca.gov/docs/index.html
(sorry, it's late and I'm not getting it to make this a quick link for you.)
I hope this helps. I know insurance can be daunting, but never be
afraid to ask your agent questions about your policy. There may be
gaps in your coverage you didn't know existed because no one explained
what your policy actually covers you for. I wish I could help you
more, but I don't know California insurance laws so I can't tell you
what the "rules" are. It would behoove you to check out the website
and to contact your agent directly with regards to that issue.
Good Luck!! |
