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When Joan Van Kuren of Modesto got a notice from her insurance company stating they would not renew her home insurance policy, she was shocked to learn why. California insurance provider CSAA \u2014 part AAA\u2019s insurance company \u2014 stated they discovered a \u201csubstantial increase in hazards\u201d piling around her home. But they allegedly used aerial images from a drone to find it.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said they [CSAA] flew a drone over the home,\u201d Van Kuren told CBS Sacramento in 2024 of her call with a customer service representative. \u201cIt almost feels like someone\u2019s looking in your windows, you know, when they tell you that they flew a drone over your home and looked at it. It\u2019s like, whoa.\u201d<\/p>\n
When contacted by CBS Sacramento, CSAA denied they used drones to survey covered homeowners, and instead claimed they use \u201cproprietary aerial imagery\u201d of homes to make risk decisions.<\/p>\n
Is digital home inspections the wave of the future? If your home insurance<\/a> company says they want to cut your insurance over concerns, here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n In an increasing number of cases, insurance companies are using eyes in the skies to not only determine the condition of insured homes, but to assess damages once a natural disaster comes through.<\/p>\n Since then, drones are becoming increasingly popular for insurance applications. Information technology consultant Cognizant says drones can improve efficiency and create additional accuracy, lead to closing claims faster, and improve safety for their employees.<\/p>\n Using a drone for an insurance inspection is not illegal in the State of California. ABC 7 San Francisco notes that unless you are using a drone to be a \u201cPeeping Tom,\u201d it\u2019s legal to fly over homes and take videos. Other city and state laws may vary depending on where you live.<\/p>\n Read more: Warren Buffett used 8 solid, repeatable money rules to turn $9,800 into a $150B fortune. Start using them today to get rich (and stay rich)<\/a>\u2019<\/p>\n Insurance non-renewal differs from cancellation. Companies can cancel policies for non-payment or fraud, but non-renewal is a business decision.<\/p>\n No matter where you live, your insurance company must provide you with advance notice of their intention to not renew your homeowners insurance policy and provide a reason why. If you disagree, appeal by contacting their consumer affairs division or filing a complaint with the state regulator.<\/p>\n In any case, now is an important time to start shopping and comparing insurance policies<\/a>. Working directly with insurance providers and insurance agents can almost always help you find new coverage at either a similar price or coverage level, preventing a gap in coverage which could cost even more due to insurance penalties.<\/p>\n OfficialHomeInsurance.com<\/a> takes the hassle out of insurance shopping. In just under 2 minutes, you can explore competitive rates from top insurance providers and save an average of $482<\/a> per year on your plan.<\/p>\n While the odds of your car insurer sending out drones to capture the dent in your bumper are slim to none, you may consider trading up your auto coverage so you can get all your bargain hunting done in one shot.<\/p>\n If that\u2019s the case, you can use OfficialCarInsurance<\/a> to make sure you find the coverage you need to protect your car \u2014 and your finances \u2014 for less.<\/p>\n