Car Insurance

[kindell]

What is the name of your state? Ohio

I had car insurance from 4/28/06 to 10/28/06 I missed a payment in June I had it renstated June 23, 2006. In the mean time I got a speeding ticket and they are trying to suspend my licences for no proof of insurance, I got the speeding ticket on June 22. Some one told me that I should have at least 1 mounths coverage if I missed a payment is this true or not? or did I not have car Insurance? They tried to say I falsefacted the insurence card too I did not I asked my insurance agent for a copy of it. she made a few mistakes and whited things out. I asked the courts to speake to the Insurance agent. But they still charged me. Can Any one tell me the Law on this?

Thank you for your time in this matter.

 

[seniorjudge]

What is the name of your state? Ohio

I had car insurance from 4/28/06 to 10/28/06 I missed a payment in June I had it renstated June 23, 2006. In the mean time I got a speeding ticket and they are trying to suspend my licences for no proof of insurance, I got the speeding ticket on June 22. Some one told me that I should have at least 1 mounths coverage if I missed a payment is this true or not? or did I not have car Insurance? They tried to say I falsefacted the insurence card too I did not I asked my insurance agent for a copy of it. she made a few mistakes and whited things out. I asked the courts to speake to the Insurance agent. But they still charged me. Can Any one tell me the Law on this?

Thank you for your time in this matter.

When you go to court, bring irrefutable proof of insurance with you.

 

[moburkes]

What is the name of your state? Ohio

I had car insurance from 4/28/06 to 10/28/06 I missed a payment in June I had it renstated June 23, 2006. In the mean time I got a speeding ticket and they are trying to suspend my licences for no proof of insurance, I got the speeding ticket on June 22. Some one told me that I should have at least 1 mounths coverage if I missed a payment is this true or not? or did I not have car Insurance? They tried to say I falsefacted the insurence card too I did not I asked my insurance agent for a copy of it. she made a few mistakes and whited things out. I asked the courts to speake to the Insurance agent. But they still charged me. Can Any one tell me the Law on this?

Thank you for your time in this matter.

If your policy cancelled PRIORto 06/22, and you then got your policy reinstated on 06/23, then you were not covered by your insurance policy. The 30 day rule that people seem to confuse has to do with ADDING A VEHICLE to your policy. If you are currently insured, for liability only, for example, and you purchase another vehicle, that vehicle is insured on your policy for 30 days for the same coverage (liability only). There is no grace period for a late payment. What makes you or anyone else think that the insurance company will insure you for free? Then everyone would simply let their policy lapse, wait 30 days, then pay again, let it lapse, wait 30 days, then pay again, wait 30 days...
Get the picture?

SJ gave you the correct advice, but you won't be able to prove it in court that you had coverage, because you didn't. And what was your insurance agent doing whiting out an insurance card? They're ready to lose their license for you? They probably didn't, you probably tried to, but it didn't work.

 

[justalayman]

If your policy cancelled PRIORto 06/22, and you then got your policy reinstated on 06/23, then you were not covered by your insurance policy. The 30 day rule that people seem to confuse has to do with ADDING A VEHICLE to your policy. If you are currently insured, for liability only, for example, and you purchase another vehicle, that vehicle is insured on your policy for 30 days for the same coverage (liability only). There is no grace period for a late payment. What makes you or anyone else think that the insurance company will insure you for free? Then everyone would simply let their policy lapse, wait 30 days, then pay again, let it lapse, wait 30 days, then pay again, wait 30 days...
Get the picture?

QUOTE]

Two situations that may come into play, moburkes, that maybe you could advise on.

Many insurance payment plans set up payments like; pay 9 monthly payments on a 12 month contract. That would mean that at anytime during the payment period, you would actually be ahead of the current months payment. How would this play into a situation such as this?

Next, without hunting for the posts, I have read, even here, that an insurance company has to notify you of a pending cancellation with a stated period before the policy is cancelled. If they fail to do this, you are still covered if within your contracted policy period.

Since the policy is actually written for a specified contractual period( e.g. 1 year) that non- payment for a limited period would not neccessarily render that contract void unless stated otherwise within the contract. The insurance company would be correct to bill for the entire period or until the policy was cancelled by either party per the contract.

 

[moburkes]

Two situations that may come into play, moburkes, that maybe you could advise on.

Many insurance payment plans set up payments like; pay 9 monthly payments on a 12 month contract. That would mean that at anytime during the payment period, you would actually be ahead of the current months payment. How would this play into a situation such as this?

It only comes into play for the actaul cancellation date. Since you are "paid ahead" (usually called a "cancel carry" date), your insurance company may not decide to cancel that policy until close to that date. So, if your policy goes from Jan 1 to Jan 1, and you are paid to June 1, but you are due for your April payment, 1 company may say if you don't make your payment by May 1, then your policy will cancel. When the policy cancels, they will owe you back the unearned premium minus any cancellation fee. Another company may say if you don't pay by June 1, then your policy will cancel, and you may owe them money because of the cancellation fee.

No company is required to offer a grace period. The only thing they are required to offer, and its usually based on state law, is a certain number of days notice for the cancellation. For example, they may be required to send a June 1 cancellation notice 10 days prior.

Next, without hunting for the posts, I have read, even here, that an insurance company has to notify you of a pending cancellation with a stated period before the policy is cancelled. If they fail to do this, you are still covered if within your contracted policy period.

Companies generally don't make the mistake of not giving the required notice. Its all automated, and some companies will send the notice 12 days prior instead of 10, just to make sure there are no issues (and to make their customers believe that they are the nicer company). And legally, they are only required to send the notice to the address that they have on file. So, if a person has moved, and has notified the post office, but not the insurance company, and the mail is late because of that, the insurance company is not responsible.

Since the policy is actually written for a specified contractual period( e.g. 1 year) that non- payment for a limited period would not neccessarily render that contract void unless stated otherwise within the contract. The insurance company would be correct to bill for the entire period or until the policy was cancelled by either party per the contract.

This has more to do with the cancellation penalty, than anything else. Sometimes its a simple $50 fee, other times its 10% of the unearned premium. Some states regulate it, and other states allow each insuranace company to do their own thing.

 

[justalayman]

Thanks moburkes. Those were exactly the answers I was looking for . Very concise and complete.

 

[moburkes]

Thanks moburkes. Those were exactly the answers I was looking for . Very concise and complete.

No problem.