Ahomeowner in California claims her longtime insurance provider dropped her after they allegedly used a drone to take images of her property while she was renovating her home.
Joan Van Kuren said she received a notice from CSAA that they were ending their coverage of her Modesto home due to hazardous construction causing clutter in her yard, the furious homeowner told CBS News.
Van Kuren, who says shes used CSAAs home coverage for nearly 40 years, said she has been remodeling her home over the past three years, dishing out over $200k in the process. 5 Joan Van Kuren claims her longtime insurance provider dropped her after they allegedly used a drone to take images of her property while she was renovating her home. KOVR
The homeowner revealed that the work did take forever, but her property needed a drastic update, which included remodeling her kitchen, bathrooms, and driveway.
However, she claimed as the work on her home was nearly complete, CSAA sent her a letter citing hazards they found and unsanitary conditions on her property as a liability.
Van Kuren, who said shes spent around $80k on CSAA home and car insurance over nearly four decades, decided to call the insurance company to clarify why she was being dropped from her plan.
She said they flew a drone over the home, the bewildered homeowner claimed a CSAA representative told her over the phone.
The feeling has now left her feeling vulnerable in her own home. 5 CSAA allegedly sent her a letter citing hazards they found and unsanitary conditions on her property as a liability. KOVR 5 Van Kuren told the outlet that this was the “hazardous” area the insurance company was allegedly referring to. KOVR
It almost feels like someones looking in your windows, you know, when they tell you that they flew a drone over your home and looked at it. Its like, whoa, she told the outlet.
CSAA denied that it flies drones over its customers homes, according to CBS.
However, the insurance company revealed that it uses several sources of information to assess the condition of its clients properties, including aerial imagery captured by third-party, fixed-wing aircraft and satellites, the outlet reported.
Van Kuren claims that CSAA told her that their aerial images showed minimal debris on the left side of her home — the location where the final renovations on her home were being made. 5 Van Kuren, who says shes used CSAAs home coverage for nearly 40 years, has been remodeling her home over the past three years, spending over $200k in the process. KOVR
The Post has reached out to CSAA for comment.
The executive director of United Policyholders, Amy Bach — a nonprofit that provides information and resources about insurance companies and policies in all 50 states — said that when dealing with an issue similar to Van Kurens experience, policyholders should always request the specific images they have used to cancel policies.
Sometimes, these images are blurry, the consumer advocate and attorney told CBS. And so, you know, assuming that the image is showing a damaged roof when it really is just a roof that has a skylight or solar panels. Start your day with all you need to know
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Bach told the outlet that policyholders could ask their insurer to send them the images cited in their policy cancellations, as insurers are not exempt from making mistakes.
For Van Kuren, however, she claims she requested those images, but CSAA has yet to send them.
CSAA told CBS that anyone disagreeing with the companys findings when a policy is canceled may submit photographs and documents contradicting their discovery. 5 The homeowner revealed that the work did take forever, but her property needed a drastic update, which included remodeling her kitchen, bathrooms, and driveway, she told the outlet. KOVR
Insurance companies must also give their clients in California a 75-day notice before canceling their coverage, according to state law.
In New York, insurance companies have 45 to 60 days to notice and explain the reason for non-renewal before it drops your policy.
As for Van Kurens CSAA car insurance, she decided if they were so quick to drop her home insurance policy, she would reciprocate by dropping them as her auto insurer.
The gentleman said to me, Is there any conversation we could have to keep you? Van Kuren claimed a CSAA representative said to her.
I said to him, There is absolutely no freaking way.”
