Acquiring homeowner insurance policies in California has grown increasingly challenging. State Farm and Allstate, citing wildfire risks, have ceased writing new policies, while others have imposed limits on new customers. In an unexpected twist, several homeowners have been informed that AAA is declining to renew their longstanding policies, with no wildfire-related grounds.
The homeowners were taken aback upon discovering that aerial imagery from aircraft and satellites was being utilized to scrutinize their properties. The reasons for AAA’s policy cancellations ranged from perceived yard clutter to an unconventional water-saving measure – the draining of a swimming pool.
In a prior encounter, CJ Sveen from Oakley spoke with reporters when AAA had just notified him of their decision not to renew his homeowner insurance. According to AAA, debris and hazards in Sveen’s yard were observed through images.
Sveen expressed his displeasure, remarking, “Apparently they have some pictures and they noticed clutter. I find that offensive. How dare you judge me because of my stuff!”
Sveen defended his yard, asserting it served as his workshop and posed no hazard. He stated, “There was no chance to mitigate, clean up, do anything, it was just, you’re fired.”
Another individual affected by the policy non-renewal was George Nadeau from San Rafael, who was informed that his roof had “exceeded its useful life.”
“I think obviously that their drone surveillance was bogus,” Nadeau said. “And that’s crazy. We have one of the best-maintained residences in the neighborhood. And we’ve kept very good care of our roof!”
Nadeau provided invoices to demonstrate that he had installed a new roof on his home seven years ago and had recently invested $4,000 in an upgrade. He also furnished photos of the finished roof.
“We’ve lived in this house for 50 years and have maintained our roof in a very effective way. So to have an insurance company telling me that I’m not doing my job is a little bit annoying,” Nadeau said.
Despite his appeal to a local agent, the company upheld its decision. According to Nadeau, the agent candidly mentioned that the company was seeking reasons to discontinue homeowners’ policies in the area. Feeling like a victim of an unjust situation, Nadeau urged for consideration given their years of responsible citizenship.
AAA cited yet another perplexing reason for not renewing Marilyn Smith’s policy. The couple had chosen to drain their swimming pool as a water-saving measure during a drought.
“I think I was in so much shock, I couldn’t believe it,” Smith said. “I mean, we were both in shock. Because the pool is empty. What’s that got to do with canceling your home insurance?”
The decision to empty the pool came about as their grandchildren had grown up and moved away.
“We decided well, we don’t use it, you know, the kids have moved to different states… that saves us on maintenance… and then just the water, because it does evaporate, so you have to be putting water in there every couple of days… and that’s not a small little pool. Water was becoming very expensive,” Smith said.
Now, they utilize the vacant pool as a greenhouse for cultivating potted tomatoes and lettuce. However, AAA’s notice claimed that the pool exhibited “deferred maintenance.”
After receiving the surprising non-renewal notice, Smith engaged in discussions with agents who explicitly connected the rejection to the vacant pool in their Oakley backyard.
“She just flat out said because the pool was empty, Smith said. “I don’t understand what their problem is. Because you empty a pool and you’re saving on water.”
At present, Smith and her spouse utilize the unoccupied pool as a makeshift greenhouse, cultivating tomatoes and lettuce. The denial caught them completely off guard.
“I think I was in so much shock, I couldn’t believe it,” she said.
“I mean, we were both in shock. Because the pool is empty. What’s that got to do with canceling your home insurance,” Smith continued.
The senior homeowner shared that their decision to empty the pool was a response to the escalating expenses associated with constantly refilling it after their family members relocated.
“We decided well, we don’t use it you know, the kids have moved in different states… that saves us on maintenance,” she revealed.
She went on to explain the escalating costs, “You have to be putting water in there every couple of days… and that’s not a small little pool. Water was becoming very expensive,” she conveyed to the news outlet.
CSAA Insurance Group, AAA’s parent company, responded: “CSAA Insurance Group has provided homeowners insurance to AAA members in Northern California for more than 40 years. Over that time, we’ve helped thousands of AAA members recover from home damage and disasters. To continue offering industry-leading insurance coverage, we must periodically evaluate our exposure to risk… CSAA Insurance Group evaluates many sources of information to assess the condition of properties we insure, including third-party proprietary aerial imagery captured by fixed-wing aircraft and satellites…”
Consumer advocate Amy Bach of United Policyholders highlighted how insurance companies are leveraging new technologies like drone surveillance to identify potential risks. “Insure tech tools are scaring insurers,” Bach said. “It’s just very easy now for them to put a customer in the discard pile based on this tech information that they’re using and buying. So far it’s not really helping the consumer.”
However, there’s a silver lining. After an extensive search, Sveen, Smith, and Nadeau managed to secure new, more affordable policies through military channels. Additionally, AAA reinstated Nadeau’s policy after reviewing the photos of his well-maintained roof.
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