Insurance says we have to remove trees?

Question

We just got a call from our homeowners insurance (which we have had for 5 years) telling us we must clear all our trees within 200 feet of our house! We have many trees, none of which touch the house. We live in a rural Northern California county that has not had any wildfires for some time and I just drove to town and noticed hundreds of houses with trees touching the houses!

My question is, is it legal for an insurance company to drop you if you have never made a claim and refuse to remove 200 year old oak trees that are at least 15 feet from the house? And we don't even own up to 200 feet, but they say we have to clear anyway. We have planted firs at least 75 feet from the house and have pears and other fruit trees. This is a major insurance company and I think they took such a hit in southern cal that they are trying to get rid of policies!

Answer 1

If you don't want to remove the trees - then start talking to other companies. Just because one is requiring this - does not mean they all are.

In the mean time- go and meet with your agent and see if there is anything he/she can do to help you.

Answer 2

Start getting quotes from other insurance companies. That is ridiculous!

Answer 3

It is legal.. Every be company have different underwriting guidelines and it could that thats one of them.  Most insurance companies do random inspections to make sure your house still qualifies /meets requirements.  There is a lot of policies out there, you may want to talk to your agent. He may be able to write your policy with another company.

Good luck to you

Answer 4

You made a couple of points--but the insurance company can do what it is doing.

The insurance company is not looking to cancel policies.  They actually want the premiums to replenish their reserves -- especially if they paid out a lot of claims (as you say).  Also remember that Lake Tahoe is in Nor Cal, and there were fires there too within the last couple of years (not just in So Cal).

The insurance company (however) can decide there are risks that do not fall within their underwriting guidelines -- especially if there is a high likelihood that their decision will result in adverse selection of risk.  Their options include: choosing not to underwrite the risk at all; ask the insured to mitigate the risk (such creating a fire break as they are now);  increase premiums commensurate to the risk.  In this case they are asking you to create a fire break.

You state that you are in a rural area.  As such, it is not reasonable to compare your situation to those in town, as you did.  Access to infrastructure, such as fire hydrants, and the firefighter response times are different.

There is a point in your favor.  You cannot trespass onto another person's property to cut down their trees.  And if the trees are on public land (or private land), some municipal governments have rules concerning the preservation of old growth trees.

You other option is to shop your policy with another carrier.