Monterey County homeowners dropped by insurance companies

The number of Monterey County homes considered at risk to fires may be on the rise. Some Prunedale homeowners have been told they’re being dropped from their insurance providers.

Several years in a row, devastating fires have have rolled through California. One consequence of those fires is a bump in insurance providers dropping clients in areas considered at a high risk of fire.

“Sometimes, companies do change their mind and they’ll go in and revise,” Allstate insurance agent Roger Soell said. “They’ll say they want to get off these risks and you’re going to see more of that with the recent wildfire seasons.”

One Prunedale resident posted on Facebook that she was one of the latest dropped. Diana Mecredy received a notice of non-renewal from her insurance provider, and it says her home is in a catastrophic wildfire exposure area.

Soell says Prunedale is not a common area for homeowner coverage to be dropped. That is more prevalent in Carmel Valley and near Highway 68.

Still, many homes are surrounded by brush and bound by open fields.

“We try to keep it as clear as possible,” Prunedale resident George Smith said. “I’m surrounded by oak trees and everything else.”

And fires are something Prunedale homeowners are thinking about.

“If the fire breaks out, you don’t have time to do anything, so you have to get everything done prior,” Prunedale resident John Stuschk said.

Depending on where you live, you may do everything right and still lose your insurance.

“In most cases, they haven’t [done anything wrong]. It’s just geography where they live,” Soell said.

Soell recommends if you get a nonrenewal notice, make sure to contact your agent and see if another company will take the risk, and make sure to do that as quickly as possible.

If another insurance company won’t take you, another option is California FAIR plan, which provides insurance as a last resort.