Insurance company drops customer saying a 'drone' took photos of clutter in yard

[@josephs3973]

"We prefer the business model where we collect premiums forever, never pay a claim, and drop customers once we've milked enough money from them."

[@Yutani_Crayven]

Indeed. And it's stretching the word "business" to its breaking point.

[@neilkurzman4907]

So you believe the insurance company should keep ensuring him even though he has an obvious fire risk in his backyard

[@ErickIsBeowulf]

@@neilkurzman4907 the reason insurance exist is to protect the house in an accident not to judge a persons things, stop bootlicking

[@iceonthesun8880]

​@@neilkurzman4907if you pay, they are obligated to provide the service or pay you the money back. Otherwise its stealing.

[@debbiehenri345]

@@neilkurzman4907 Every house, with or without a few stacks of tyres outside, 'is' a fire risk. I look around the room I'm in now and it has wooden furniture, several bookshelves from the ground to the ceiling and 2 sets of curtains from ceiling to floor. Never mind the rugs and wood burning stove. That's a room 'filled' with flammable materials. This particular insurance company 'looks' at this man's tyres and an old car that almost certainly doesn't have any fuel left in it (which makes it safer than a new car), and deems them dangerous. Yet what do they see when they observe wooden fences, trees, dry grass, the presence of a barbeque and other wooden structures like a garage or shed in other customer's gardens? All these are a fire risk. The next customer on their list might be a manic prepper with 300 gallons of highly flammable fuel stacked neatly and covered by a tarp, this in their tidy and well-maintained garage surrounded by nicely planted Petunias and a well-mown lawn. They wouldn't know. Thing is - this particular customer could have had 'all' these 'risky' things inside sheds/garages, and the insurance company would never have known. But plenty of other people 'do' have things just like this - and much, much worse besides - in their garages, sheds and homes. Never seen a 'Hoarders' programme? They can be neat on the outside, and filthy to the point of downright dangerous on the inside. Hoarders have been killed by their habits. Their homes are the worst of fire risks. Insurance companies should not judge by what they see in people's gardens, unless they have better knowledge than what can be filmed from a drone. They should go round there, if they were unsure. Talk to him, reason with him, advise him. Don't cut him off like that. Instead they are acting like a Homeowner's Association.

[@nhansen197]

I find this disturbing. Just the idea that an insurer is actively spying on people looking for excuses to cancel on them is really sketchy.

[@godbyone]

Dems. Cry. Save democracy but Cali is commie

[@khookimpoh6718]

Gt

[@beerrox711]

TBF filling a claim will get you that type of scrutiny. This however is the first “preemptive” investigation for renewal I have ever heard about…

[@rockon8174]

Hopefully he can recover ALL the money he paid them!!

[@jlms69]

Insurers can drop you off any time. Why the spying?

[@lauralangham9657]

Never filled a single claim in 15 years - that right there describes how ridiculous home insurance is. You pay and pay and pay and pay but then out of the blue they cancel you for no good reason.

[@Jean-ni6of]

I would not consider doing business with CSAA Insurance Group.

[@DeathlordSlavik]

@@neilkurzman4907 No they didn't.

[@redrustyhill2]

​@@neilkurzman4907bootlicker

[@ronarprefect7709]

I say cancellation for anything but nonpayment should result in a default judgment against the insurance company so they have to pay back the premiums minus any claims or some percentage of the premiums paid over the years. I also say that they should never have redefined who owns the airspace over private property. It used to be recognized that it belonged to the land owner and couldn't be invaded like that.

[@dennisyoung4631]

And, they have your money….

[@truraza]

They backtracked when they realized they probably used an unlicensed employee to fly the drone.

[@Zegeebwah]

You probably nailed it

[@John-pp6xy]

At the end they brought up why it’d be legal, but I thought most states had laws saying even if youre licensed, you cannot fly over ANY building unless it’s private property and you’re given permission

[@MaxC_1]

@@John-pp6xy that'd be rather idiotic. Like what, drones cannot fly over cities or basically any urban location is a no fly zone? Well good luck stopping people from doing so. As for existing laws, it's extremely varied over states, some states it is fully legal to fly drones over private property and take footage as long as it's not entering limits of trespass or nuisance. Other states you need permission to fly over private properties else considered trespass. Also rules vary based on whether it's a "Flying for work" and "licensed" or "flying for fun" along with the size of the UAV in question.

[@jmichaelaiton9715]

@@John-pp6xy They should be reported to the FAA. If they get fined by the FAA, it's not going to be pretty!

[@John-pp6xy]

@@MaxC_1 so you say it’s idiotic then repeat what i said lmao

[@haetienne]

Let’s be honest They aren’t assessing risk, they are looking for any way possible to drop coverage

[@pinoy0125]

Or increase premium based on the hazards

[@AB-vc7ox]

How quickly people forget that any industry that corporate America is involved in is ALWAYS about money and profit. The benefit to customers is much smoke and mirrors to obscure that it’s all about maximizing profit.

[@JohnSmith-ti9uq]

It's all about the solar panels on the roof. Insurance companies are spooked by them all of a sudden. They just used the junk as an excuse because penalizing people for green energy in todays political climate is bad PR.

[@MB-hz7wm]

Exactly. Insurance companies and banks can become over leveraged in this market (home, cyber, bank, health....).

[@pinoy0125]

@@AB-vc7ox greed of capitalism always leads to the government taking over the services also known as socialism. This is the result of the tax cuts initiated since the Eisenhower years

[@jamiepatterson1214]

It was nice of them to name the insurance company. Bad publicity gives that company lots of coverage, pun not intended.

[@michaellicavoli3921]

Very, very good pun!

[@DemPilafian]

Bad publicity? You mean *GOOD* publicity! Let the risky customers go off and sink the poorly run insurance companies while the safety conscious customers of the well run insurance company benefit financially with lower premiums.

[@DemPilafian]

@willrivers1819 You're free to start up your own insurance company if you think you're smarter than them. Or maybe they'll hire you for your outstanding business knowledge. *Good luck!*

[@nuclearblackhole]

​@@DemPilafianDrop the meth.

[@dandre3K]

​@@DemPilafiangoofy comment

[@LegendaryInfortainment]

Thank you for letting homeowners know that terminating insurance provided by CSAA probably is an exceptionally good idea.

[@redbloodedbutterfly]

Excellent point. It's creepy as hell that they spied on him.

[@williamlyons3947]

The letter says AAA insurance!

[@DoronBond]

@@williamlyons3947oh shoot!! good catch!! daaaannnngggg

[@LeahB31]

@@williamlyons3947It’s the same company. CSAA is used in Northern California and AAA in Southern California, but AAA and CSAA are the same company.

[@KA317S]

All insurance companies are starting to do this. They're on the hook for untold amounts of money and have every right to protect their interests but conducting inspections which is clearly stated in the policy agreement. He violated his policy by having a junked up yard plain and simple.

[@TTOS69]

Insurance reform needs to happen fast. They're getting super rich by barely paying out. Car and home insurance are absolutely ridiculous nowadays.

[@Islandcitymedia]

😂 barley paying out my ass in 7 years I have had 3 cars stolen and 1 hit by driver let turn on red arrow. The total I paid for those vehicles was $3600. Insurance paid out over $17k. Mostly because I know how to shop for the right car. So I hot the best deals

[@exaltedalpha2610]

@@Islandcitymedia Auto is pretty streamlined. They typically dish out what ever the ACV is of vehicles, especially in theft or wrecks. Homeowner policies is where people get ripped off.

[@stevenmorookian8676]

@@Islandcitymediaon the flip side there’s way more people that have given into insurance and never filed a claim. Of course insurance companies forget about every Penny you paid them

[@exaltedalpha2610]

@@stevenmorookian8676 Deny, ignore, and gaslight. They make it super frustrating for the homeowner to the point where they don’t follow through with the claim either.

[@angie99656]

We need to just make it a public service that's covered by our taxes. Government has to step in whenever there's a really big disaster anyway so we're just subsidizing these hangers on they're just partying on our money in the long run why should we fund their lifestyles?

[@cdv130]

If you're denied credit, by law you're entitled to know why - this insurance denial should be no different. I hope the insurance company gets sued and compelled to disclose the evidence

[@BeaulieuTodd]

But the entire story was about why! 😂

[@TaxMan1776]

​@@BeaulieuToddbased off of what? Their word?

[@TaxMan1776]

​@@BeaulieuToddgo get your booster

[@MapleBar777]

​@@TaxMan1776the insurance company literally told him why. Albeit, they were stupid and hyperbolic reasons, but they provided their reasons.

[@tmayorca8770]

​@@MapleBar777but no evidence

[@javaskull88]

For heavens sake, give homeowners fair warning of what is considered a risk BEFORE beginning this creepy surveillance action.

[@DudeSoWin]

The risk is that he will be a strong war asset in the coming fight against Smart homes and AI robots.

[@kerryedavis]

@@DudeSoWin Hmm, is that customer perchance named John Connor?

[@DudeSoWin]

@@kerryedavis Have you seen the robots patrolling the streets of China? The drones of Australia? The Smart homes in Canada have already killed. The next generation of prisons in Australia and Sweden are frightening. There was an incident in Japan where a robot killed a couple Engineers.

[@The_Great_Darino]

As someone that has been in insurance for about 20 years, I know insurance companies will inspect a home, then send out an underwriting letter advising the homeowner if there is a deemed risk onsite with a time limit, (roughly a month or two) to rectify the situation. I ALSO know that 90% of homeowners I have dealt with do not read the notice, or think it is junk mail and throw it away.

[@teebob21]

@@The_Great_Darino HOW DARE YOU cancel a policy 60 days after you give 60 day notice of required action!

[@arthurfidas7254]

If insurance companies can just cancel their policies at a moments notice then we should have the right to opt out of mandatory insurance. Why pay thousands for insurance if when you finally need it they won’t insure you?

[@kenc2257]

You, personally, may be fine with no homeowner's insurance. However, if someone is holding a mortgage lien on your property, that person/bank (financial institution) might insist on homeowner's insurance, ostensibly to protect their investment.

[@HobbyOrganist]

@@kenc2257 That's one reason why I paid my house off in 5 years, it was THE thing I put every extra dollar on every month, I paid the mortgage off in full and got rid of the insurance both in 2005

[@brent4073]

You are able to opt out of mandatory insurance.. whenever you want too, just own your home and you dont need insurance.

[@TheSouthIsHot]

Homeowner's Insurance also protects you from liability, not just comprehensive coverage.

[@arthurfidas7254]

@@TheSouthIsHot but how does it protect you from anything if your insurance provider has the ability to drop you at a moments notice? They could just cancel your policy before they have to shell out any money

[@marshonmellows]

The government say you have to have insurance, but the insurance doesn't want to insure you. Makes sense

[@DefectoPerfect0]

That's how you lose your house and it gets gobbled up by investors who have rich buddies in the insurance business

[@johnburwell6609]

Insurance isn’t mandated by the government. It is required by mortgage holders in most cases.

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

Government also dictates the contract terms in many places. I blame government.

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

​@@johnburwell6609Why wouldn't a mortgage company require insurance, the risks are real.

[@Shreddittrading]

Thats only liability insurance when driving a car

[@TheHugsvilleHorror]

As someone from Florida, I've had 4 insurance companies cancel on me in a year and a half. I've had 7 insurance cancerizations on two rental properties also in Florida. I have never made a claim. I am currently paying over 15k a year for 3 houses that are just normal well kept homes. They want your money, they don't want to pay when you need them, and they don't want to take on any risk what-so-ever.

[@Jean-ni6of]

I would not consider doing business with CSAA Insurance Group. Further, I would require notification of other companies history in dropping customers.

[@dennisyoung4631]

Yes, this is *PREDATION.*

[@paperburn]

do you have solar?

[@mcbewild]

in all honesty...no one really wants to insure anything on the coast or around water like Florida. Its pretty much a guaranteed loss.

[@TheHugsvilleHorror]

@@paperburn No.

[@thomasklein4265]

The fact that the insurance company issued no "order to cure" tells you that they wanted to cancel him no matter what, probably red lining certain areas, which is against the law.

[@PeugeotRocket]

It's illegal if they are actually doing it based on race or other prohibited criteria but they are still allowed to redline based on legitimate risk factors. This is according to the FHAct.

[@ScreamingEagleFTW]

sounds personal ... he must have spoken the truth online or something and was targeted politically.

[@deamontana596]

They have a reputation for redlining areas if risk goes up, and canceling whole areas. If his house was suddenly considered to be in a high fire risk area, they probably cancelled everyone in the area for made up reasons. They do this every year in Florida right before hurricane season.

[@ScreamingEagleFTW]

@@deamontana596 exactly. it should be illegal

[@PeugeotRocket]

@@ScreamingEagleFTW No, they are private companies. They should have every right to cease coverage if they deem the risk too high.

[@Jason-rn4jk]

I had a man knocking on my door, trying to look inside the windows, and attempting to unlock my driveway gate from an unmarked vehicle. I had no idea until I called my insurance agent that they went out for a policy overview of the yard. They had my number on file…why not just call instead of trying to gain access to my backyard?!!

[@Suds649]

It’s called spying. Kind a like your parents did to you when you were a child . It was wrong then and it is wrong now. Trust is hard to come by nowadays.

[@KA317S]

So your saying you had a stranger trying to open gates and look in windows and you called your insurance company and not the police? 🤔

[@pierrex3226]

Lol, that's how you get shot in certain parts of the world!

[@zachm241]

In California, it's illegal to enter a person's property without consent. If the employee succeeded, you could press charges for trespassing. An employer cannot impose/coerce an employee to break a law. It is illegal to solicit another person to commit a crime. Either the employee needs to file legal action against their employer, or the employee is complicit with the crime and should receive legal action.

[@KA317S]

@@zachm241 Yeah that's not how trespassing laws work bud. You first have to be trespassed from a property which is a warning before you can be arrested for trespassing.

[@CruelViper88]

He didn't even get a chance to speak to any one, No chance to clear out what the insurance deemed "a hazard". As it normal should go is like this: "Hi I'm insurance [X] We like to inspect your property for hazards, as per our policy to inspect once every [Y] years of insurance" Insurance company deems certain assets in his backyard to dangerous, please remove/store elsewhere. You got [Z] weeks to comply, else we have to cancel the insurance. Home owner removes items, insurance makes a second checkup...succeeds. And we can go on. But this is just ridiculous, from 1 photo they deemed this guy a lost cause. And goodbye. And the fact they keep hiding the proof of evidence makes me suspicious they are actually infringing on some legal boundaries.

[@lcfflc3887]

It's robbery.

[@vw8886]

And then the homeowner moves the stuff back.

[@ColinTherac117]

@sailesh9684 Insurance is not a regular business like a restaurant. It is a politically entrenched entity that preys on people's fears in order to extort money on a regular basis and then use every means of lawfare to refuse to pay out when they are supposed to.

[@DS-wl5pk]

It has to be illegal for them to take action like this in the manner they did. At the very least, something that should be overturned as it has to violate some consumer law

[@keldon1137]

Its pretty simple what happened, they dont want to provide insurance in fire zones with climate warming up heavily and more and more fires happening.

[@ciara7172]

There needs to be laws against this. This is so incredibly backhanded and dishonest.

[@scottstempmail9045]

@@palapaquete2 Free Enterprise means nothing when insurance companies are allowed to collude. In most states, switching home insurance is not something lightly done.

[@jillionairess]

@@palapaquete2 Speculate much?

[@wjuice2020]

Ya’ll voted for this. Now deal with it 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@gymkhanadog]

@@evilhippie666420 The same way as being in someone's private airspace is a felony. The news host was only partly right.

[@MaNameizJeff]

Insurance companies are free to protect against high risk users just like anyone else. I'll tell you what, if the car was housed in a garage and the tires actually had covers on them, he probably would not be in this mess. a mess.

[@Letsgo44444]

They are policing their customers. This is actually sickening

[@bobbarker1798]

The new Third Reich right here in our "democracy." Book banning, censorship, can't teach historical truth in schools, women can't make decisions on their own bodies and how many children they have and now insurance companies spying on us. Not looking good. And half the country thinks a dictatorship is just fine.

[@AyyoShyGurlTv]

Without consent or warning!‼️

[@user-zu5do6ri6r]

​@@jsmith-u5i Why do you so freely back theft?

[@fanuvgamez8754]

@@user-zu5do6ri6runderstanding the law, and backing it, are 2 different things.

[@TeaInTheMorning-we2kh]

This is bad enough but I could see a day where car insurance companies make it a requirement for all customers to have a gps tracker installed in their vehicle in order to get service.

[@Terrackhimself]

Well I wonder if insurance companies will not mind me just walking into their offices and looking through their files.

[@quademasters249]

You can't do that but you can video them through their windows and video their cars in the parking lot. Anything you can see from a public space is fair game. Same for this drone view of the property.

[@cathynewyork7918]

This is a silly comment. The insurance company used a drone to find risk at their customer's property. You going into their office has nothing to do with looking for an insurance risk. Silly you.

[@Terrackhimself]

@@cathynewyork7918 Not true. The insurance company could be violating the law. Maybe their break room is unsanitary and needs to be corrected. There could be expired food in the fridge. An employee could be being mistreated. All of those are not only insurance risks (because they need insurance to operate as a business), but it could be violating the law. What if they are mishandling the files, and causing harm to customers? Silly you.

[@cathynewyork7918]

@@Terrackhimself Your suggesting that the homeowner go into the insurance company offices in retaliation for them filming his property is silly. The homeowner had a junk pile in his yard that was a fire hazard, and probably kept his house that messy as well. Legitimate to cancel his insurance. SILLY of you to suggest he go into their offices. Much smarter for him to stay home and clean his yard so he can get new insurance. Silly you. Live in the real world.

[@Terrackhimself]

@@cathynewyork7918 No I am suggesting that if the insurance company can justify what they did, then their customers can justify it for the same reasons. Until we know what is going on behind those office doors, they can be just as suspect. For someone who like to call people silly, you still seem to be missing the point. The insurance company used a drone to look into his yard behind a privacy fence. So, if they can justify violating the privacy of their customer, then I suggest the customer can violate their privacy. Do you understand yet?

[@LikeBlowingintheWind]

This behavior needs to be illegal. And the CEO needs to go to jail.

[@Zebra.Lionfish]

It is, at least it is in Australia, we have privacy laws that stop strangers snooping into your property unannounced and drone laws that forbid anyone flying over populated areas. Even our electricity meter reader must give something like min 7 days warning that they are visiting. I'm not sure if America even has laws from what I see everywhere online.

[@BestMods168]

​@@Zebra.LionfishUS laws are written to favor big businesses. This is the result of lobbying. You can only blame the people for not voting for someone to help the people. They continue to fight over left vs right wing politics and not what really matters.

[@angelcelis9090]

Nothing illegal about flying drones this isn’t a communist state.

[@Mrcaffinebean]

Well only part of this makes sense. It should be illegal. But it’s not presently illegal you can’t put someone in jail for it.

[@darylhenry9595]

This is what happens when Americans refuse to vote 3rd party. Both sides of the duopoly work for corporations, not the people. Yet the people refuse to withhold their votes

[@darkshadowsx5949]

that's not only an invasion of privacy but they're also turning into an HOA which they have no jurisdiction on. i would demand my money back from them. they were never going to pay a claim to begin with. total scam.

[@quademasters249]

It's not technically an invasion of privacy. Anything you can see from a public place is fair game to be looked at and video'd. You have to make you own privacy with fences and covers. This guys issue is he turned his yard into a junk yard.

[@deadpool1966]

​@quademasters249 how would they know if they have the correct property. If i google my address it shows my neighbors an my address is between 2 cities

[@quademasters249]

@@deadpool1966 Maybe note the street name and house number? It's not like the drone operator is many miles away. I imagine they parked in the neighborhood and drive the drone over the house. They could have parked in front of the house and launched it. I was looking at a relatively expensive drone. Claimed range is 2 miles but, it depends on lots of factors.

[@teebob21]

You don't get your money back when your insurance term ends. That's not how it works. They sent him a notice of Non-Renewal, which means his term was up.

[@lpmoron6258]

@@deadpool1966 one man's junk is another man's treasure! What right does anyone have to make that call. It's not like it was pulled off trash and blown out tires. They looked usable to me.

[@mikecumbo7531]

Anyone think that the insurance company found out that their drone operator or sub contractor didn’t comply with FAA rules and regs, that is why they tap danced on where the pictures came from? I hope that tv station knows the rules.

[@digiquo8143]

@@BuildTheFutureYouWant a half decent drone only costs like 200 bucks. Strap a GoPro to it and you have a cheap, mobile surveillance camera.

[@DoronBond]

I just took a FAA drone course and have been awarded my Part 107 sUAS license and There are no FAA rules against a drone flying over someone’s house in this case , or generally for that matter unless there are residents standing outside in their yard, then by law you have to alert them, and in certain cases obtain a waiver to cover yourself. Its more of a courtesy to alert nearby residents but not required by FAA per say.

[@wendybelworthy]

@@DoronBond we've been saying since the 1970s that "Big brother is watching you". Even more so now. 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@DoronBond]

@@wendybelworthy whatever that mean 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@sammyhoy7838]

​@@DoronBond Read the book 1984.

[@Fickji]

My dad lost his insurance due to "weeds" in the yard. It was ornamental grass and sunflower stalks next to a patio he built. The guy showed up unannounced and trespassed without permission to get into the backyard. Dad cleared it out and they still wouldn't reinstate the insurance. So he said fine and signed up with another company. For a cheaper price. I swear some house insurance is like cable companies. The longer you're with them the worst the service and rates become. And the only way to get better coverage is to shop around every so often.

[@luigivincenz3843]

what was the name of the insurance co which canceled?

[@qx4n9e1xp]

You might be on to something. Every time I switched auto insurers, my coverage got better, yet, rate somehow got cheaper.

[@coop6951]

100% true, loyalty in the insurance business is completely one-sided. The only time you get the benefits and the nice guy attitude from the company is when they want to get you as a customer. That’s why I get new car insurance every year Sometimes it changes by hundreds of dollars.

[@jessicaberry87]

This is beyond disturbing and even feels like an infringement of privacy.

[@alwaysOverthinking-cl5tz]

Travelers claimed significant damage to our roof and demanded we replace it within 35 days right before Christmas in New England. Roofer said they were full of shit but they refused to reconsider. We talked to a broker and ended up saving a couple hundred a year with a new company. I reported the incident to our Department of Insurance and got basically the same useless response. The whole system is a scam.

[@luigivincenz3843]

Yup. They all defend themselves.

[@SewingBoxDesigns]

Same thing in California. Back in the 70s my uncle was told his guaranteed 15 year, still perfect and very expensive roof needed to be replaced because the CITY had a ten year limit on all roofs! Some roofing company paid a bribe, bet on it.

[@markrahm6900]

@@SewingBoxDesigns If I don’t get an official confirmation from the city that such a ridiculous statute actually exists, I’m gonna be calling a BS on the guy that’s trying to enforce it. If it’s a real thing, have the city council investigated for extortion and racketeering.

[@botone8614]

Same happened to us last year in California. A complete scam

[@McTaco]

Same thing happened to us.

[@1mezion]

This is disturbing, and a violation of privacy they should pay him back the 15 years of money he paid

[@dilatedvision7014]

That’s funny. pay him back??😂 they wouldn’t even pay if something actually happened

[@mattypants]

Why pay him back? He paid them, they provided a service. They decided to no longer provide the service and in turn no longer request payment. This is how literally everything on the planet functions.

[@mattypants]

@@jsmith-u5i no one understands common sense anymore. It's all irrational emotional responses to absolutely everything. Only an irrational person would think even though you were given 100% of the service you paid for the entire time you paid that you're somehow entitled to a refund. These are the same people that eat an entire pizza then go to the restaurant and demand a refund because it was "not edible".

[@erikwilliam1254]

Had a house insurance that tried to drop us over a swimming pool. Was an above ground pool that would have taken a water truck to fill it in a day. Their issue was that the walls were leaning in. We had the pool set up for winter, which we would drain about three quarters of the water, and the walls would lean in. When the pool was full, the water was actually what held the walls up. Even after explaining, they insisted it was an issue. When did home insurance start being run by HOA

[@larrywigmore1243]

There should be laws set into place to protect homeowners from being dropped from their policy when they always paid the premium and never made a claim. Laws that would make insurance companies pay back a percentage to the customer so they would have the money to get a new provider.

[@jjc4577]

We saw this attitude from insurance companies that tell you that if you put a telemeter in your car you can get a discount. What it really was was a way for the insurance company to build evidence for cancellation of anyone that is in the wrong actuarial column, but was not classified as a risk by the actuary.

[@anonymousplanetfambly4598]

NEVER allow an "insurance company" to spy on you in any manner whatsoever. The reduced fee they offer to get you to install one is simply a ploy.

[@chipsammich2078]

I did it.. worst 90 days of driving in my life.. saved $4 on my bill (not joking).. Eventually I hit a deer and my son hit a deer within 2 years of each other.. Dropped us

[@TeaInTheMorning-we2kh]

Only a matter of time before that's a requirement to get insurance. The internet age has made us get so damn used to being spied on that I doubt most people would even bat an eye.

[@pandorin2348]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🫵

[@WldFlwrNBrmstks]

My insurance company keeps sending me emails to install one on our car and I haven't out of sheer laziness...sounds like my laziness has paid off!

[@nels_on8307]

We built our home in 2012, we have always paid more for the best home owner’s coverage. Not a single claim until Aug. 2020 when a rare Deracho (Land Hurricane) hit almost the whole state of Iowa. It was a constant battle with insurance agents over the contractor estimates ( and per them we got multiple) We pay so much money to guarantee our homes or automobiles are covered and when we DO need it, they fight you tooth and nail!

[@anonymousplanetfambly4598]

*Derecho. Sorry you're having so much trouble, but it echoes the problems I've had with supposedly the "best" homeowner's coverage company in my state - State Farm. They make it such a pain to deal with them and their deductibles, we only have insurance for catastrophic loss. We simply don't call them for small stuff up to $20k (thousands over our deductible), it's not worth the hassle.

[@klausschwab6808]

yea they are crooks what ddi you expect and ontop of that they make billions. its all govt lobbying to give them power over you.

[@bomboy7]

we got a new roof thanks to the derecho :) I heard Cedar Rapids looked like a war zone for months tho! I’m in dsm.

[@Luis-ck4fq]

It's cus they are lgbq

[@exaltedalpha2610]

Always go with a public adjuster when dealing with insurance companies. Insurance companies will always try to cut corners, and not pay for what they are responsible for.

[@rubendominguez1778]

We too had our insurance canceled (non-renewal) due to "clutter" in our yard here in Galt California. When we asked Farmers Insurance for specifics they sent us a blurry drone picture that was at least a year old. We could tell because our pool had the old cover on it that we got rid of after last summer. We could not get anywhere with Farmers, they were set on canceling us. It was so frustrating and now we have nothing good to say about Farmers Insurance. By the way our agent could not get anywhere with the parent company either and has been wonderful in finding us a new policy with a different company.

[@TheFrenchPug]

So, they want us to believe they're spying on all of us with drones? That's a huge undertaking to go home by home. Yours must have been off Google Earth if it was an old picture.

[@iceonthesun8880]

People should just start calling insurance agents and waste their time pretending to want coverage only to say "nah, nevermind" after wasting 2 hours of their time. No calls at place of business....go down there and waste their time in person.

[@LA_HA]

​@@iceonthesun8880 The OP just said their agent was great. It's the parent company they're angry with. Or did I misread it?

[@Green.Country.Agroforestry]

Ours was State Farm - but my agent informed me that the pressure was coming from the underwriting company .. not sure who they are. I recommended that they find different underwriters, because its beginning to sound like Black Rock.

[@filanfyretracker]

@@Green.Country.Agroforestry I mean a hedge fund like Black Rock would not surprise me, those companies are all scumbags. Maybe they want to somehow drive people from homes so they can buy them with a different company they own and turn them into expensive rentals.

[@user-um8zt2ke8o]

So if a random neighbor used their drone to spy on neighbors it's illegal, right? But if a company does it with no warning, expectation, and no proof of damage or issue, it's......okay? What? How? How is flying a drone over someone's private property to gain information without their knowledge legal?

[@teksight9714]

Sounds like they lost a good customer. He's a do it yourself type of person who probably does all the maintenance on his house and doesn't need to pull like a roof replacement scam.

[@webfactorysolutions]

That's exactly the opposite of what an insurance company wants, you made electrical changes to your house and that caused a fire? Yeah you're not covered, should have used a licensed electrician from the start

[@jt8251]

The dude installed his own solar panels and wired them into the public utility grid. That's a pretty bold strategy, Cotton.

[@tjmarx]

You appear to have misunderstood the business model of insurance. They do not want to ever pay anything. DIY maintenance is not maintenance, it's risk, it directly increases the likelihood of a claim being submitted. Similarly, all of that debris and clutter directly increases risk. An insurance company wants nothing to do with such people. Insurance companies only wanr to deal with people who do everything the right way through licenced contractors whom can be sued by the insurer if they do shoddy work. The kinds of customers insurers want are the kind of customers whom likely will never submit a claim, ever, no matter the length of time they remain a customer. DIY people should come up with their own personal DIY insurance fund.

[@firebirdude2]

Some of the WORST customers are DIY. I've seen some much rigged together BS from homeowners thinking they can DIY, it's crazy.

[@dzerres]

Think of all the rats and mice living among those tires and in that Corvair. I'm glad he's not my neighbor.

[@TheCactusjack1]

Interesting. I had trees removed from my property. Some were close to the home and had to come out for a new ATT septic system, mandated by county law that required this special system, others were just overgrown and a fire hazard. The property had not been cleared in many years. When I asked my insurance if they could give me a discount for doing the work I was told no. Even though the fire risk was significantly reduced, I still pay the same rates. But if they snoop around with a drone they can drop you. We need to revolt against this BS

[@leadboots72]

Find new insurance. The risk mitigation you did should absolutely lower your rate

[@nukepuke932]

"We need to revolt against this BS" As I've said to people peddling this same sentiment for other issues: You first.

[@TheCactusjack1]

@@nukepuke932 Why are you bringing other issues into it. That makes no sense at all. Insurance companies are doing quite well and yet they want to spy with drones and drop peoples' policies for "clutter in yard".

[@Shteven]

If you can, shop around to a different provider. You can almost always get a better rate by switching to someone else after renovations, your current insurance doesn't give af because they're already getting your money. Source: Property inspector. (Also yes, outside clutter can give you a worse rate, it's a question most companies ask on a survey.)

[@hook-x6f]

Some of the homeowners in this video should have been asked about any past claims paid out. Too many claims and forget it.

[@Mike-qm7ry]

What's scary is he can lose his home over not being insured. California homeowners are SCREWED

[@MarkovianMan]

Not just in California, it's also a huge problem in Florida and elsewhere.

[@JBoy340a]

AAA has nationwide branches that write insurance.

[@fastmankim1]

It's so funny cause California home owners voted for that 🤓😁🤣

[@johnspurrier0001]

"You'll own nothing and be happy."

[@scottgust9709]

not the illegals in tent cities though

[@noogman]

This is just another example of our government working for business, industry and Non-Profit groups and not the people.

[@JLF32]

I think its time to get some legislation going on these insurance companies.

[@Celeste-bi4bf]

Exactly!

[@brendak7781]

Each State has an insurance commissioner you can contact

[@anneb889]

I’m sure their lobbyist and making donations to the politicians, so the average guy will keep getting screwed.

[@DarqJestor]

Regulation is why the insurance companies are threatening to leave. They want to be deregulated so they can do whatever they want to maximize profit and then they'll agree to stay. They don't care about consumers, only investors. Capitalism at its finest. (Edited a bit since the intended sarcasm wasn't getting across).

[@DarqJestor]

@@777trader8 I agree, we should not let them run wild. I was trying to imply that they are just threatening to leave in order to force states to deregulate them and let the do whatever they want.

[@PerfectoKiss]

F the insurance company. I was in the same situation when they said I had stuff on the side of the house when I was remodeling a room. All they had to do was to call and ask why I had a staging area instead of just coming to a direct assumption.

[@rickwilson478]

Exactly !!!! Nothing corporations do anymore is based in reality. The ridiculous amount of access that corporations have to " information " is misused , misunderstood, and abused. It is outrageous and infuriating to deal with.

[@tmayorca8770]

They're idiots

[@rogde5985]

Imagine if you were in the middle of a project when they decided to take pictures and judge you out of context…with no way to appeal…

[@SynthiaVan]

My HOA did that to me twice. Once during an oil change they drove by and photographed my car on ramps in my driveway. Other time I built a piece of furniture and was staining it, and they said I had "trash and debris" which really pissed me off. They send the letters to my landlord who passed the fines on to me, plus a little extra, no appeals. Been here 5 years, but I'm moving in a few months because of stuff like this.

[@ejohnson3131]

Something must be going on if insurance companies are dropping customers and banks are hardly lending money at high interest rates!

[@economicprisoner]

Unmitigated climate change. By my estimate: we have about 7 years to phase out fossil fuels. Every year we delay takes 2 years off of the transition time (due to how "carbon budgets" (to constrain global warming to 1.5C (1/3 of an XKCD "ice age unit")).

[@Rill_1]

​@@economicprisonerYes lets blame our economic woes on climate change, rather than the obvious problem of a failing fiat currency.

[@phillhuddleston9445]

People should fly drones right outside the insurance companies window and video the office workers especially the supervisors who are likely making these decisions. Use telephoto lenses if possible and post the results online. I had an insurance company deny me for having a sand box and little tykes toys in my back yard when my kids were little, these were the little plastic cars that kids would either pedal or push themselves along with foot power. I had never had insurance with that company and it still pissed me off a bit, had they dropped me after years it really would have pissed me off.

[@mobius4897]

Lol get a whole group of drones and fly them round their houses 😂

[@darkstorminc]

Especially the really loud ones. Make sure to drive them nuts lol

[@mangos2888]

Does your kiddie sandbox impede firefighter access in the event if a fire? Better yet, do those toys hold hazardous chemicals that can start on fire and blow onto the house? Cause if so, you should probably remove them yourself 😂. What a liability!

[@borountree4539]

Then organize drones shows to protest the company!

[@KA317S]

Did you not hear the last part of the video where the reporter explains that what your suggesting is illegal to do with a drone?

[@machineman6498]

Car guy respect for still having your first car. And I recognize the waver in his voice when he tells people about it. 45 bucks at Autozone for a cover every 2 years goes a long way. I also recognize the car parts in the yard thing and wish him the best.

[@catwoman2596]

Car covers hold moisture and you and up with rust and mold. The main thing is to keep it on concrete.

[@JohnSmith-xu7ev]

​@@catwoman2596 Doesnt matter, it will rust on concrete as well. Concrete holds moisture and its just as bad

[@crosslink1493]

Maybe they don't like that its a Corvair, the "dangerous at any speed" car made infamous by Ralph Nader. Its was a rear suspension problem that GM fixed in later models before cancelling the model entirely due to bad press. It wasn't a bad vehicle for a small car.

[@WhereOceansMeeet]

My money is on the solar panels. A lot of homeowners insurance companies are dropping people over that and for pretty much no good reason. More greed!

[@sladesurfer]

we were insured by State Farm for 29 years. A pipe Burts in the bathroom and flooded the kitchen. State Farm sent their own guy to assess the damage and did the repair. After the repair was done. They cancelled our insurance. almost 30 years of paying monthly and filed 1 claim. They have no problem collecting money from us for 29 yrs then when it comes to actually use our insurance, they grudgingly paid and dropped us

[@deborahgeorge3238]

This happened to my sister. She took insurance with the bank her mortgage is with. They were flooded twice due to faulty dam management in Queensland Australia, and this last premium they were advised they were no longer going to cover them. They still haven’t fixed foundation issues from the first flood.

[@Animallovercomedian]

Does she have any recourse? The company would still be expected to fix the issues from the first flood right? I’m not familiar with Australian law

[@deborahgeorge3238]

@@Animallovercomedian well they are still fighting with them over it. They had a second smaller flood that didn’t go into the house that they paid for, but the foundations are still an issue.

[@Zebra.Lionfish]

Yep a common insurance scam sadly. Homes here in my hometown are still abandoned since the massive 2022 NSW floods we had. No estimates came back for anyone until a year later for a select few. Others were just turned down even though they have been paying their insurance their whole lives so were forced to just evacuate their home. Now funnily enough you cannot get flood damage cover on any home or car insurance in the area. They'll only cover the scenarios that will never happen for a much much higher premium. "Due to inflation"

[@jayman021187]

Yeah same with my brother from the 2011 Ipswich floods. Suncorp screwed them bad and said they weren't covered for flood damage, only storm damage. Damn criminals.

[@deborahgeorge3238]

@@jayman021187 same flood with my sister. Combank ins.

[@redbloodedbutterfly]

I'm so glad the homeowner went to the press with this. It's beyond creepy that he was spied on when he hadn't even filed a claim. This lets other homeowners know to drop CSAA asap. I hope the homeowner is able to find decent insurance quickly.

[@rayfridley6649]

Homeowner needs also to retain an attorney. Sue the insurance company!

[@sprockethead2047]

They didn't find "clutter", they found solar panels on his roof. Many insurance companies are dropping customers who have solar panels. If the panels get damaged, they are expensive to replace, and if the house ever needs a new roof due to hail damage, the solar panels have to be removed and then reinstalled after the new roof is on, which really drives up the cost of a new roof.

[@thedevilsadvocate5210]

the roof will leak with solar panel installation

[@westrim]

Hail storms being frequent and intense in the Bay area, of course.

[@OOICU812]

Wait. Then there’s really no such thing as a “free lunch?” 😳

[@imzjustplayin]

@@westrim This sarcasm will be lost on many.

[@Qingeaton]

It's more of the "green raw deal"

[@trickytroll2990]

Insurance is such a scam. They can cancel you, deny payments, overcharge you & it's illegal not to have it.

[@MrYfrank14]

My insurance company did the same to me but sent me the google earth photos they used and gave me 30 days to remove the debris and said it was a liability if anyone walking through my yard got hurt on the debris. I sent them photos to show them one pile of debris was an old hand dug well. They were looking straight down at the well cover. So it looked like plywood or a pallet. Second pile was like in this guy's video, all useful stuff but not being used right now. It is in the backyard in a section that is uneven and rocky so I let grow wild and let the animals have it. Property next to mine stores his stuff there because it is also rocky and uneven and he lets it grow wild. Behind the area is the rear of a commercial property that is required by the town to have have trees and bushes as a privacy screen between my property and theirs, so they let it grow wild. I showed the insurance company that nobody is going to be walking throught there and if the did they would get hurt on my neighbor's property long before they reached my property and they backed off. Half the country keeps a yard like this guy does. As long as it is not attracting rats or stinks or you needgoigle earth to see it, why do insurance companies think it is a liability?

[@babblesp1367]

Because they can. Nobody is stopping them. Same reason why they’re doubling homeowners insurance to begin with-because nobody is stopping them.

[@astarte66]

We had state farm drop us the day after a heavy hail storm that did considerable damage to our roof. Their reason for dropping us, because our roof was damaged and needed repair. Photos revealed damage to the roof from hail damage after a “catastrophic storm”. So they still had to foot the bill to replace it even though we had to get new insurance.

[@ublade82]

Scum of the earth

[@anonymousplanetfambly4598]

Sounds about right...

[@Surannhealz]

This happened to my co-worker as well. He got a call while at work saying a drone saw tools sitting in the backyard and it was unacceptable risk and that his coverage was canceled. He was not happy that day.

[@HeronPoint2021]

in the USA (i'm in Canada) I can see an expensive drone getting a 410 over/under shot and hitting the backyard! Come and get your camera! It's littering my back yard and causing a fire!

[@TechnoGeek18023]

I mean a lot of them use wifi signals to communicate, those can be overwhelmed on the same channel and jammed. @@HeronPoint2021

[@BlanBonco]

this is the real "deep state" actual government usually already overwhelmed

[@tantraman93]

Take the money...then drop the policy...sounds typical to me.

[@LP-hs6yz]

That didn't happen. He had coverage for years when the place was trashed. Insurance did a recent exterior assessment and dropped the policy. They did this also in the interest of other policy holders to control rates and risk. It is good business practice.

[@marcelo-ramos]

​@@LP-hs6yzIF the place was trashed I would agree. It's not and somehow they are not required to prove it was.

[@SoberOKMoments]

Years ago I read of a couple who got so angry after filing an insurance claim and being denied funds by the company they had been paying for years, they quit that company and began a program of self-insurance. The money they had previously mailed in every month for their insurance they now deposited into a savings account. They admit it was a risky move and it took awhile to build the account to a level to offer them any real protection should they suffer a loss, but were surprised that it didn't take as long as they had feared. They eventually surpassed the value of their home, but kept depositing the money as they were now in the habit of "saving" for an emergency. They've since built themselveds a nice little nest egg above the value of their property.

[@anonymousplanetfambly4598]

Here's a social experiment for folks: in any decently sized city (over 250k residents), try to discover which buildings are the tallest (and therefore the most expensive) in your city. They are typically either owned by insurance companies, or banks. There's lots of money in loans and insurance. If given the ability to self-insure...you'll come out ahead in most cases. Most people don't have a choice but to pay the premiums and the loan interest, therefore lining other people's pockets...

[@WldFlwrNBrmstks]

Is this a thing? I've never owned a home before but is it legal to not have insurance on your house, like with a vehicle.

[@exaltedalpha2610]

@@WldFlwrNBrmstks If you have someone or something that has a financial interest in your property “mortgage company”, then yes you have to have insurance to protect the investment. Once you own the property, then technically no, you don’t. Insurance on a vehicle is because it’s a risk to not just yourself, but others that drive on the road as well. So you must always carry that.

[@BestMods168]

Of course not. I paid over 50,000 over 10 years for required car insurance. When my car got totaled, they fought tooth and nail to give me 2500.

[@patriot9455]

@@WldFlwrNBrmstks IF you have a property financed, probably not. HOWVER, ask and find out how much of your loan has to be laid off to go self insured.

[@Rizky06]

The State Dept of insurance basically works in favor of the insurance companies. 🤔

[@iloveplayingpr]

See how these Insurance companies treat even their most ideal and loyal customers.

[@jmfs3497]

It's wild to pay thousands of dollars a year over decades, never make a claim, and then have the insurance company dump you without ever paying out a single penny. It feels like you should at least get a percentage of it back.

[@LiaDavis-el5uy]

They use Google. They don't send their own drones or planes. But you can "correct" issues and upload images to Google to get insurance elsewhere. It's really bad. They take someone's money for years and years and then cancel or refuse to pay a legitimate claim.

[@Twitch_Moderator]

If you use Google, the pictures aren't live. They are between 2 and 7 years old. So that wouldn't be effective.

[@LiaDavis-el5uy]

@@Twitch_Moderator No, it's not, but that's what they do. The agents look up your home and use that photo. Nothing insurance companies do is right by their policy holders. But at least anyone can take new photos and upload them to google.

[@KA317S]

@@LiaDavis-el5uy That's what they used to do before drones became affordable now they do use drones to inspect houses. I know a guy that contracts for insurance companies and does this everyday.

[@MrYoubrian]

I had a guy I met at the gas station in Boise, Idaho June 2022 tell me a very similar story. He claimed that a member of code enforcement flew a drone over his house and then notified his insurance company which then dropped his insurance. His MORTGAGE insurance. And he claimed that since he did not have insurance, the mortgage company said they were going to foreclose on the loan. I don't know whatever happened. Very scary stuff. Allstate dropped me from my car insurance because of a credit check. I got a form letter from the VP of Allstate Auto insurance. Mom, dad and all 6 of us kids had Allstate since us kids could drive. We also had the very same agent. Since then I vowed to never buy from Allstate ever again in this lifetime and never have. That was 33 years ago.

[@jbennettkernan1211]

We had Allstate at one time. I went to the office where we had purchased our insurance only to find that the office was empty. I scrambled around and found out that the office closed and we were left high and dry with no insurance. That was when we went with GEICO and haven't looked back.

[@spectre3492]

So the insurance company got 15 years of free money

[@Anon1mous]

His money was used to pay others. That’s how insurance works.

[@NVGEAR]

It wasn't free, there was 15 years of risk that they might have had to pay out a huge sum. Plus, would you be willing to insure this guy's house that he wired himself electrically without an electrical license and you pay him half a million if a fire starts.

[@tinman66d]

@@NVGEAR found the insurance worker

[@JohnSmith-xu7ev]

​@@NVGEAR The probability is very low, and the insurance company is making a profit. The only time they lose are homes in yearly natural disaster zones

[@trashwebsite_user01]

Going to go spell out something really inappropriate in my backyard for the drone people!😂

[@MariaOC1_]

I showed off my butt....it wasn't long moving on 😂😂

[@lestranged]

That yard was actually pretty clean. I was expecting a hoarder house, this is more like an organized car hobbyist. the tires and stuff were in neat stacks, there was clear space to safely walk around and between the so-called 'debris'. nothing looked unsafe.

[@MrYfrank14]

There was a time when it was only a problem if you did not have an unobstructed path to your front door or locked gate, so people could conduct business with you. Like delivering packages. If someone jumped the backyard fence to deliver packages, that was not considered reasonable so you did not need to keep the backyard clear. I have no idea what happened to that standard. I used to buy hay from a farmer that was using a broken down car as a chicken coop. It was behind barn. Insurance companies today would probably demand he was executed for such an offense.

[@KA317S]

Yeah because the guy cleaned it up before the news crew showed up. You can see in part of the video black trash bags in the back yard that are full where he was cleaning up the yard but everything described in the letter was still there.

[@midlight9758]

@@KA317SI was thinking the same.

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

This is going to make drone jamming/shooting more and more popular until the government or Wall Street takes privacy seriously (not likely), or until insurers start collapsing because they've cut off too many customers. And I remember when AAA was a respectable company that did great stuff for their customers, but now they've bought into the business ethos: "It's nothing personal, it's just business."

[@HeronPoint2021]

Is this Automobile Club??? you're kidding me.

[@KA317S]

Its a federal crime to shoot down a drone.

[@1974fatback]

It’s not clutter. It’s the solar panels on the roof.

[@Rightly_Divided]

Yeah God forbid he bends the knee for that scam and gets punished for it. California is full of liberal nonsense

[@merrillweinheimer4063]

everyone should walk away from that insurance company

[@rowland4117]

That Corvair is an inoperative stored vehicle that is not apparently under restoration. Many insures have clauses against vehicles like that. Where do they draw the line between storage and junk yard?

[@David-yo5re]

Clear and obvious invasion of privacy. I would file a lawsuit and get every penny of the premiums I paid back.

[@xploration1437]

It’s not at all. They never stepped on his property. You obviously know nothing of laws. The worst part is you’re so sure of yourself.

[@RarebitFiends]

​@@xploration1437"The worst part" describes so many people nowadays. It's frightening. Belligerent ignorance seems to be the rule now.

[@jongonegone1262]

lot of lawyers with nothing to do !!!!! there both a lost cause. ha ha ha, oh oh there goes my roof.

[@xploration1437]

@@jongonegone1262 here’s something for you to do. Learn the difference between there, their and they’re. Then use them properly in sentences. 🤣🤣

[@jongonegone1262]

@@xploration1437 but in court you understand, so none of that matters !!!!! you understood, ha ha ha, sure sure.

[@MrGrombie]

Just goes to show we need more regulation for these trashy insurance scams.

[@bryansummers3219]

Insurance is such an unbelievable scam to start with. The nerve of this company to claim that the number of years one has been a customer and not filed a claim has no bearing on their consideration to continue to take your money is incredibly arrogant and needs to be punished! If society ever falls (even further) apart, I suggest that anyone employed by the medical, home, or auto insurance industry leave your ill-gotten gains on the table and run for your pathetic lives!!

[@DLFfitness1]

They should have given him a warning to clear clutter.

[@scott2857]

It happened to me also, and they said that no luck, because you will just do it again. No cars, tires or anything else, just clutter from remolding my shed.

[@Globss]

that's not how rules work my guy

[@ausbare140]

This says a lot about the government how much does the insurance company pay under the table each year.

[@bgregg55]

They only want to ensure properties that will never file a claim. Insurance is a total scam.

[@carolaguilera6014]

It’s a hazard. Read your policy 🤡

[@markbajek2541]

So far he never did file a claim, but I could see a visitor accidentally tripping over some"stuff" and then he'd probably have to file his first claim ever.

[@bgregg55]

@@carolaguilera6014 Thx for your comment, insurance company employee.

[@IRDStudio]

Remember, insurance is theft. It's taxation with extra steps. Next time your insurance guy shows up, ask him if he's wearing level IV plates. Threaten the shit out of people who disrespect your freedom. Including and ESPECIALLY the government. I trust the popup ads for "hot singles in my area" more than insurance or the government.

[@nathanjamesbaker]

1:24 What's up with those garbage bags, though? Did he just pack up all the clutter right before the cameras arrived? I would like to see the aerial photos that triggered this.

[@CathyGoes]

Plus the firepit that he covered that's full of crap. This guy's house is a health hazard.

[@GoonyMclinux]

Circa 2025 ~ "we are sorry you were dropped from your health insurance because of aerial surveillance."

[@visibletoa11userz]

Actually, yes.

[@latrinemarine826]

“We noticed that you aren’t leaving your house and jogging 5 miles every day”

[@Cucumberflavoredmustard]

We filmed you skiing a black diamond run. You are dropped.

[@smok4101]

Counting your steps and your heart rate, you can count on us to keep tabs on you!

[@firebirdude2]

The shadow you were leaving on the ground puts your BMI at 90...

[@vision2080]

My cousin works for a company that provides this service to insurers. They don’t use drones that I know of, they use small airplanes that take high resolution aerial photos. They use an apparatus where multiple high-end consumer grade digital cameras are attached together. These cameras take a bunch of pictures that are then stitched together by computer. Then an AI looks for things like swimming pools, and then it is gone over again by human reviewers. If someone didn’t claim the pool on their insurance, they may have their rate increased or lose coverage.

[@teebob21]

Well, that makes sense. Homes with pools represent higher risks to insure, especially ones without pool fencing. As an insurer, it would be in the best interest if I made sure that their contract included coverage for pools and pool deaths...which costs a little bit more because the insurer has to pay out more claims.

[@nikkolaus]

Imagine having nothing better to do at work than sit at your desk and meticulously scrutinize the items inside of someones yard... Technically, the drone could be trespassing.... according to "Air rights", in the US, you own the airspace 500 ft from ground level, or 360 feet above tallest structure in rural areas.

[@Real_Steve_Sharpe]

Imagine going to Sainsbury's and buying £2,000 worth of groceries, only to find that Sainsbury's spent £1,400 of that on making sure that you don't get to take any of the things you paid for home with you so as they can _"sell"_ them again to someone just like you, and also that they get to keep all of the money you paid them even though you got nothing in return. This is the standard business model for insurance companies. If they didn't use your investment intentionally to harm you, if they actually provided the service the salesmen offer, these companies would all go bankrupt within ten minutes. Ask yourself this: When was the last time you heard of an insurer going bankrupt?

[@sango_wilko851]

Sainsbury's and pounds - great to hear from someone across the pond. It was actually pretty trivial to find a list of insurance companies in your area that have become insolvent and whose insolvency process is currently being handled by one company (PWC) alone. It looks like you've also got some new regulation surrounding this that just came about last year when there was apparently quite as bit of concern about insurance companies failing. If you're curious about it look up "‘Introducing an Insurer Resolution Regime". AA Mutual International Insurance Company Limited Andrew Weir Insurance Company Limited BAI (Run-off) Limited Black Sea and Baltic General Insurance Company Limited B.N.I.B Insurance Company Limited Bryanston Insurance Company Limited Chester Street Insurance Holdings Limited (Formerly Iron Trades Holdings Limited) Compagnie Européenne de Rassurances SA Dai Ichi Kyoto Reinsurance Company SA Elite Insurance Company Limited (in Administration) English and American Group plc Folksam International Insurance Company (UK) Limited Fremont Insurance Company (UK) Limited Highlands Insurance Company (UK) Limited ICS Reinsurance Private Limited Independent Insurance Company Limited Kobe Reinsurance SA London United Investments plc Monument Marine General Insurance Company Limited North Atlantic Insurance Company Limited Oaklife Assurance Company Limited OIC Run-Off Limited (formerly the Orion Insurance Company plc) Paramount Insurance Company Limited RMCA Reinsurance Limited Stirling Cooke Brown Insurance Brokers Limited Stronghold Insurance Company Limited Surety Guarantee Consultants Limited The Charter Reinsurance Company Limited The Hawk Insurance Company Limited The Insurance Corporation of Singapore (UK) Limited Trinity Insurance Company Limited United Standard Insurance Company Limited Whiteley Insurance Consultants

[@markcruise]

Home insurance sounds crazy in the USA. In the UK I can enter my address into a website and get offers from 20 companies to insure my home. Just helped my daughter set up hers on a £300,000 ($384,000) home and it was £15 ($19) a month for buildings and contents cover.

[@crashdsnowman1]

Wind insurance in Florida runs $6-8000/yr, now they are changing the laws where you must have flood insurance to get the wind insurance even if your home is 15ft above sea level. Flood insurance is roughly $7000/yr on top of the cost of wind insurance.

[@zoopa9988]

@@crashdsnowman1 I suppose that's what you get when houses are made of wood.

[@crashdsnowman1]

It doesn't matter if they are made from wood, conc block, ICF, metal studs or poured conc. The insur is govt subsidized because no insur company is interested in losing money down here when a hurricane hits. Now the govt doesn't want to lose money either so they are forcing those people that have mortgages to buy flood even though most don't need it. All new homes built in the last 20 years are required to be built above maximum flood level. Citizens insur co will now get twice as much money for really the same coverage. A lot of people here are dropping their wind and flood insur. I think Citizens and the govt are cutting their own throats.@@zoopa9988

[@Effervescent_Smegma]

He is in a high risk area. That's why they are acting like that.

[@michaelleitner1245]

And that's what it looks like after cleaning it up for the news story LOL

[@CousinFeetus]

How is an old car and some old tires an insurance hazard???

[@Mike137dd-v4r]

In my homeowner's policy there is clause that I agreed to having my home inspected by the insurance company for dangerous or potentially dangerous conditions. It can be done by various methods. I'll bet that same clause is in his policy. Given he is a long-term customer I would think they would give him the opportunity to remedy the situation. But, in their estimation it will likely return to this condition, and it will likely require repeat inspections. It's all about statistics, probability, and liability. Has nothing to do with being a good guy. He is a number to them and any other big insurance company.

[@hockemeyer1]

Why isn't this unconstitutional? If a drone came on my property or my neighbors it would probably get destroyed in some fashion as an intruder. We all need to hold state politicians accountable for the acts of insurance companies, the very people who line their pockets with bribes, eh, I mean campaign donations.

[@sango_wilko851]

Because when you enter in to a contract that you voluntarily agree to the law (and common sense) allows you to be bound by it. If you don't like the rules or intend to break them and are worried about being held accountable than just don't sign the contract in the first place. If you're in violating of the insurance agreement like this and a disaster does happen you're unlikely to get a payout anyway so you're almost paying for nothing anyway.

[@KA317S]

Well it never came on to the property it flew over it. No different then any other aircraft and its actually a federal crime to shoot down a drone.

[@dicky7600]

It's against federal law to do anything to a drone flying over your property. They are regulated by the FAA.

[@DerekEvans1013]

​@@KA317S well other aircraft aren't taking photos and videos when they fly over my house. These drones are. This shit should be illegal

[@KA317S]

@@DerekEvans1013 Literally satellites and other air craft taking pics all the time of your house..lol

[@erikh9991]

I got dropped by CSAA and I would never use them. I always tell people not to go with them.

[@nosaj9167]

The company should have to give back all the money he paid I don't get how this is not theft

[@bobhoward6676]

Historically insurance companies would always take money to insure about anything. Getting a settlement, on the other hand was the real challenge. Hard to believe they didn't cover him (take his money) and keep photo's to deny liability in the event of a claim.

[@fayeyearick1378]

Okay, so all I have to do is walk around naked in my backyard With a high privacy fence and then I can accuse them of being a peeping Tom. Thanks for the tip.😂😂

[@mrs.c6554]

This happened to us in Littlerock CA about 3 years ago. Insurance carrier sent a letter for having cars in the back yard 😡

[@mrs.c6554]

@jetjan warning then Dropped my husband was out of town for work.

[@TDavis_333]

I think we need laws that police and companies that use any surveillance should have to disclose all technology used in any cases or decisions they make about a person/situation. I also think that the fourth amendment should apply for private companies and this should constitute illegal search and violate our reasonable expectation of privacy.

[@KSMO1031]

This is why I work with my particular insurance agent. I've known her for 35 years and have been good friends with her and her husband. Anything comes up on any of my insurance policies and she calls me directly. We've taken 1 claim in all those years and the company bent over backwards to help us.

[@manandatractor]

Your agent can't do squat if the insurance company makes that decision to drop you. I know this by being dropped and my agent fighting furiously for me, to no avail.

[@knifeguy1387]

He just got a notice of non renewal. I paid in full for a year and got dropped without a reason. Three months later I received a partial refund

[@texasgermancowgirl]

Jeez!!

[@MG-sj1em]

Yep I know this one first hand. I know someone here in Oakland this exact thing just happened to for having 3 cars in the back of their property. Same sort of thing the person keeps his old cars because he gets attached to them. Now his insurance is canceling him, although they did send along a aerial photo. Thank goodness we have a strong insurance commissioner here in CA. lol-Not. We are on our own....ugh.

[@vw8886]

To be fair there were plenty of hazards in that yard.

[@Zuckerpuppekopf]

They probably just used Google or Bing Maps, it's free, and it's public unless you opt out. Google updates its aerial views frequently enough for insurance companies to check up on customers, like every 2 yrs or so. Customer service reps aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer and often use approximate vocabulary, like "drone" instead of public aerial photos like those used by online mapping services. Pretty much any agency or bureaucracy you deal with that has an interest in your property can and will do this. Even potential girlfriends or boyfriends will use this to check out your digs. You have to be pretty naive to think people won't immediately check these free resources when given a reason.

[@rockyBalboa6699]

There are a couple of private companies that provide daily satellite images for just $29!

[@mentallyilldarkjeroid5378]

Google Earth is probably made with airplanes and helicopters and they probably just tell us it's satellites.

[@OG_BiggusDickus]

I think it would be pretty easy to sue and prove your lawn isn't cluttered if they don't update it for 2 years...

[@OG_BiggusDickus]

​@@mentallyilldarkjeroid5378you're crazy man.

[@kenc2257]

@@mentallyilldarkjeroid5378 If you just browse around Google Earth, you'll find detailed imagery of very remote, out-of-the-way places. Talking about remote islands, ice-capped mountains, glacier fields, etc. No one is flying air-breathing craft to photograph those locations. It's definitely satellite imagery.

[@bobroberts2371]

Saying it was a drone was probably more of a typo. With some digging I found an aerial pic with an unknown date , the yard looks the same when the pic was taken as it does in the news story. Yep, there is stuff there but far better than some of the near by yards The guy is astute enough to find his own aerial pics.

[@donaldlong9259]

A lot of insurance companies in FL tried to drop people and the state said, well you can't sell car insurance then. It lasted for years but now they are doing it again.

[@Wisepati]

It’s an entirely different issue in Florida. It is because of the horrific claims in Florida due to storms and flooding.

[@jer1776]

Insurance is required in way too many cases, laws need to change. For instance if your home mortgage is mostly paid off, or if you have a perfect driving record and held a license for at least 5 years, you shouldnt even need insurance.

[@xanaxkamikaze]

We need to get rid of insurance outright. It's not helping people. It's just going in someone's pocket. Someone who doesn't need the money. Tired of greed.

[@FlipandBurn.]

This just happened to my parents homeowners insurance in OKLAHOMA of all places. My dad has a bunch of old cars all lined up in his large property. They want the "junk cleaned up" or policy will be terminated. They did provide the aerial photo. And it shows clutter I guess but it's all equipment we use regularly. This feels like an invasion of privacy and should be illegal

[@sango_wilko851]

What specifically would you like to be made illegal and what would that law look like? Do you really believe that insurers should be legally required to issue policies to people they determine are too risky? How would you justify that morally or logically? In the best case you'll raise the premium of everybody else who actually follows the rules and worse case you end up not even having the ability to get insurance when companies flee the state entirely like in Florida or California.

[@Wisepati]

It is not illegal. The Supreme Court has said it is not an invasion of privacy because there is no expectation of privacy outside. Your dad drives all those old cars?

[@thomgizziz]

@@sango_wilko851 And your feelings of the company policing the company on what is too risky vs what increases their bottom line even more is like the police investigating the police and determining they have done no wrong. When you take money from somebody for years and years and then drop them without having any consequences and doing no work there is an issue. Stop it with the "muh private company" BS. Sure we can pretend companies are people but we cant throw them in jail and until we are able to throw the C level people in jail for what the company does you can't pretend that a company can do whatever it wants because there is too much room for abuse. Pull your head out.

[@user-cz1gu8nl9o]

If you use it regularly it is not junk. It might need a shed or outbuilding to store it in.

[@smikell9997]

The dude can say his property is not a fire hazard all he wants, but I live in California and believe me if that property ever caught on fire with those tires and other things, weeds and debris all around that property it would be burning for hours

[@jwnrocks]

After having AAA insurance (auto and home) for decades, I got cancelled after the Paradise fire many miles away from my house. I keep trees and shrubs cut back for defensible space, but this was strictly a zip code or other metric cancellation. We are not even in a “high severity” fire zone. Like all insurance companies, good at collecting premiums, but bad at taking care of their customers.

[@theprodistini2590]

Insurance companies are in the business of making money, not spending money. They’ll find any reason to drop you or deny your claim.