California Homeowners

Californians are faced with massive home insurance rate hikes, abrupt insurance non-renewals, or have been forced to buy a costly bare-bones insurance policy of last resort from the FAIR Plan.

Many have invested time and tens of thousands of dollars in home improvements and brush clearance to make their homes more resistant to wildfires, but insurance companies have ignored those efforts.

They are calling on lawmakers to ensure that every Californian who does the right thing and protects their home from wildfire has a right to buy affordable, comprehensive insurance in California. These are their stories.

Read the Stories of California Homeowners

JAMES & KELLY DUARTE

James, a retired senior living in the quiet town of Lucerne in Northern California, never imagined that simply staying insured would become a luxury he could barely afford. At 65 years old, he lives with his wife, Kelly Duarte, who is 59 and still working. The couple resides in...

GEORGE BRAUE

Getting basic information about how insurers arrive at wildfire risk ratings that can send premiums to stratospheric levels has been impossible for homeowner George Braue. George lives in Orinda, a small town in the East Bay Hills.  Braue’s 2,500-square foot home used to be insured for wildfire and liability by...

JOE K

The last 15 months were pretty stressfull for Joe K. He wasn’t sure if he would have insurance for his home, or whether he could afford it.  He already faced a double whammy from his home insurance company Farmers. First, the company said it would non-renew him because of his roof,...

FRANK EGGER

Frank Egger’s home insurance story mirrors many others whose home insurance policies were non-renewed and who faced the CA FAIR Plan as the alternative. But he gained some insights into why so many people in Fairfax may be being non-renewed.  Frank is a former seven term Mayor of Fairfax, a...

NATALIE S

Natalie is calling out home insurers for raising rates but not giving homeowners and their communities credit for the work they have already done, and continue to do, to mitigate against wildfire. Natalie lives in Novato, the largest city in Marin County on the southwestern, mountainous side of town. She...

MAYERLY VANEGAS LARRETA

Mayerly Vanegas Larreta is exasperated because she is not getting any detailed answers as to why her home insurance premium went up 57% between 2023 and 2024. She and her brother own a condo their parents live in in Alhambra, ten miles from downtown LA. It’s 1,400-square feet, on a hill...

MAGDA MOLINA

In the end, Mercury Insurance made Magda Molina and her husband, Nathan Prevost, spend almost $8,000 for nothing. And all it bought them was a one-way ticket to getting dropped from their home insurance plan.  The past year has been an incredibly frustrating journey down the insurance rabbit hole for...

LINDA DANNELS

FAIR Plan insurance premiums are rising so much that some people have made the hard choice to drop the wrap around policies bought to cover everything besides fire. That means accepting the risk of paying out of pocket that others might not be willing, or able, to do.  That’s what...

MAUREEN O’CONNOR

Maureen O’Connor knows what it feels like to have her home insurance non-renewed not once but twice.  The first time she managed to get it reinstated, but the premium rose nearly 60%. The second time the insurer notified her that she would be non-renewed, her agent did not follow...

MICHELLE GRADNIGO

Michelle Gradnigo is a retired Army lieutenant colonel and health care administrator who moved from Germany to Paradise, CA, in October 2021 for a job at a nearby clinic serving veterans. At first, she rented. Then in February 2022 she bought a 2,400-square foot house on three acres and...

ANN MITCHELL

Last year, Ann Mitchell paid Farmers a $3,467 annual home insurance premium. Upon renewal last July, and without any warning, her premium nearly quadrupled to $12,149. She’d been with Farmers for more than 25 years and had multiple car insurance policies and a business policy with them. Her agent...

RENEE PASQUINELLI

Renee Pasquinelli has a mantra when it comes to insurers using black box catastrophe models to sweepingly rate California properties as high wildfire risk. It’s one size does not fit all. Renee is a retired California Department of Parks and Recreation senior environmental scientist. She’s got 30 years of experience...

SUSAN C

After speaking with her elected representatives, her home insurance company, and contacting the California Insurance Department, Susan still has no answers justifying why her Farmers home insurance premium jumped 83% this year. Instead, she sees California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara making it easier for insurers to raise rates and...

MARK BURTON

Mark Burton is the poster child for obscene AAA home insurance premium hikes in recent years. The latest hike came to $14,601 for his home insurance premium covering July 2024 to July 2025. He would have had to pay $22,632 if he didn’t have other insurance policies with the...

EVAN CERVANTES 

Evan Cervantes lives in a heavily residential area with busy streets in Sunland in a house on a 5,000-square foot lot.  He has a busy road on one side, neighbors on two sides and an empty hill lot in back with a few trees and some brush. He and...

BRUCE BRESLAU

Bruce Breslau is a communications professional who lives with his husband in the California West community on the historic Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth. It’s got 290 units and its homeowners’ association (HOA) was recently slammed with the double whammy of Farmers Insurance terminating the community’s home insurance and...

GIGI BANNISTER

California homeowners are not just facing losing their comprehensive home insurance and being forced onto the CA FAIR Plan for wildfire coverage.

FRAN LANCASTER

Fran Lancaster, a retiree living in Poway outside of San Diego, has had Farmers home insurance for 20 years and has never filed a single claim.

KAREN LOBER

Karen Lober says she feels screwed by her home insurance company.  She bought her house on a mountain in Colfax in 2019, and State Farm insured it for the first year for $783. Then, she got a letter from State Farm that she was nonrenewed with no explanation.  “The...

JENNIFER DENICOLA 

If California homeowners want to know what might be in store for them when renewal time comes around for their home insurance policies, Jennifer DeNicola is the poster child for what they might face. And it isn’t pretty. Jennifer owns a house in Calabasas with a Homeowners Association (HOA). She...

Insurance Videos

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KTVU-SF (FOX) - San Francisco, CA: Insurance Department Investigation
02:37
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KCBS-LA (CBS) - Los Angeles, CA: Home Insurance Crisis
05:32
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KCAL-LA - Los Angeles, CA: KCAL News Special: Home insurance Crisis
07:04
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KCAL-LA - Los Angeles, CA: KCAL News Special: Home insurance Crisis
09:59
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KGTV-SD (ABC) - San Diego, CA: Homeowners To Get Surcharge For LA Wildfires
02:48
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My 58 - Sacramento, CA: State Farm Looking To Raise Rates
01:05
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KGO-SF (ABC) - San Francisco, CA: State Farm Proposes More Insurance Rate Hikes
02:53
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KOLO (ABC) - Reno, NV: Home Insurance Rate Hikes From State Farm
02:32
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KMPH-FRES (FOX) - Fresno, CA: Looking At Process For Rate Approvals
07:48
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KGTV-SD (ABC) - San Diego, CA: State Farm Approves For Insurance Rate Hike
02:06
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KCBA (FOX) - Monterey, CA: Insurance Rate Hikes
02:17
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KTVU-SF (FOX) - San Francisco, CA: State Farm Gets Okay To Raise Rates
05:17
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KXTV-SAC (ABC) - Sacramento, CA: State Farm Rate hike Approved
04:05
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KNTV-SF (NBC) - San Francisco, CA: Judge Backs State Farms 17% Rate Hike
00:57
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KRON-SF (MyTV) - San Francisco, CA: State Farm Approved For Emergency Policy Rate Increase
02:19
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KPIX-SF (CBS) - San Francisco, CA:State Farm Emergency Rate Hike Approved
00:49
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Spectrum News 1-Los Angeles, CA: Insurance Agencies Want To Impose Surcharges on Homeowners
04:18
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KGO-SF (ABC) - San Francisco, CA: Insurance Hotline Part 2
03:01
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KGO-SF (ABC) - San Francisco, CA: Insurance Hotline Part 1
03:02
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KTLA-LA (CW) - Los Angeles, CA: Eaton Fire Victims Call Out State Farm Insurance
03:35
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KXTV-SAC (ABC) - Sacramento, CA: Insurance Surcharge Lawsuit
00:43
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KCBA (FOX) - Monterey, CA: Group Sues To Block Insurance Surcharge For LA Wildfires
00:41
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KABC-LA (ABC) - Los Angeles, CA: Consumer Group Sues To Block Insurance Surcharge
00:34
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KGO-SF (ABC) - San Francisco, CA: Lawsuit Over Fair Plan Bailout
00:31
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KOVR-SAC (CBS) - Sacramento, CA: Fiery Insurance Fight
02:05
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KTVU-SF (FOX) - San Francisco, CA: State Farm Hike Decision Expected In Weeks
00:38
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Spectrum News 1, CA: Consumer Watchdog Sues To Block Insurers From Adding Surcharge After Wildfires
00:23
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CW Litigation Director, Will Pletcher's Closing Argument At CDI State Farm Hearing
17:28
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WDAM (NBC) - Hattiesburg, MS: State Farm Questioned Over Rate Hike Proposal
02:37
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KBVU (FOX) - Eureka, CA: State Farm Rate Hike Hearing Day 2
03:00
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KNTV-SF (NBC) - San Francisco, CA: State Farm Proposed Interim Rate Hike
02:49
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KCAL-LA - Los Angeles, CA: State Farm Rate Hike Hearing
00:54
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KTTV-LA (FOX) - Los Angeles, CA: State Farm Requests Emergency Rate Increases
02:14
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KXTV-SAC (ABC) - Sacramento, CA: State Farm Rate Hike Hearing
03:29
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KCRA-SAC (NBC) - Sacramento, CA: State Farm Rate Hike Request
01:09
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KPIX-SF (CBS) - San Francisco, CA: State Farm Argues For Rate Increase
05:02
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KFMB-SD (CBS) - San Diego, CA: State Farm Promises Refund If Rate Too High
02:45
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KRCR-CR (ABC) - Chico/Redding, CA: State Farm Rate Hike Hearing
03:02
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KNSD-SD (NBC) - San Diego, CA: Hearing Over State Farm Request For 22% Rate Hike
01:10
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KTTV-LA (FOX) - Los Angeles, CA: State Farm Requests Emergency Rate Increases
02:26
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KNBC-LA (NBC) - Los Angeles, CA: Hearing On State Farm's Emergency Rate Hike Request
03:00
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KABC-LA (ABC) - Los Angeles, CA: State Farm Asking For Emergency Rate Hike
02:42
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Spectrum News 1 San Fernando Valley: Los Angeles, CA State Farm holds Hearing To Raise Rates
04:35
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KTVU-SF (FOX) - San Francisco, CA: State Farm Argues For insurance Rate Hike
03:20
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KGO-SF (ABC) - San Francisco, CA: State Farm Asking To Increase Rates Up To 38%
02:59
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KNTV-SF (NBC) - San Francisco, CA: State Farm Makes Case For Rate Hike
03:28
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KCBA (FOX) - Monterey, CA: Decision Expected On Raising Insurance Rates
00:53
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KMPH (FOX) - Fresno, CA: Hearing Centered Around State Farm's Request For A $921 Million Rate Hike
01:48
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KABC-LA (ABC) - Los Angeles, CA: State Farm Rate Hike Hearing
02:00
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KABC-LA (ABC) - Los Angeles, CA: Homeowners Problems With Insurance Adjusters
02:41

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