Automobile insurance billing question..

[ray66v]

There is normally a grace period on any insurance, where by you are covered, even though the renewal premium is not paid.

I would guess you had at least 10 days during which, as your policy will state, you are still covered.

After the grace period, your policy will also state your going to be canceled, and then your no longer covered.

Read your policy, or simply call your agents office and they will tell you how long your grace period is.

 

[Soundguy]

Mine, too, but they do send a renewal notice and the new "proof of insurance" forms over a month in advance.

mine as well.

I have heard / read that, depending on where you are, there is a 10-30 day period you have, to get a cancelation notice.

I do understand the expiration issue on the card being a problem though.

while it has only happened 1 time, i have been pulld over and had an old card with me.. did tell the LEO I still had insurance with them. he either believed me, or can somehow check with hs computer.. not sure which.. I recieved no ticket and he did not bark at me about it.

was pulled over one time for a compliance check ( not speeding..e tc. ), and handed my dr license and concealed weap permit to the officer, he askied if i had a firearm, and I indicated I did, in the center console.. he said to leave it there.. etc. then he asked for registration and ins, to which i indicated it was in the center console and asked him if he wanted me to open the console to retrieve it or not, to which he indicated no, that he would look it up from my tag

no ticket.. just a compliance stop. checking tags and vin numbers .. etc.

was a late night and long desolate road, and i guess he hadn't seen much traffic and it was my turn..

 

[aczlan]

In NY the Ins Co notifies the DMV if your insurance has lapsed. When you get pulled over, the State Troopers (probably other police too) check the DMV records to make sure you are not flagged as uninsured.

Aaron Z

 

[Bird]

You can buy liability insurance with a very small down payment, get the "proof of insurance" card or form that shows a 6 month or 1 year policy, but then not make anymore payments, so you have the form to show an officer, but don't actually have insurance. So, recently TexasSure was created for officers to check and verify whether or not a vehicle has liability insurance. I suspect other states have something similar.

 

[buck12]

You can buy liability insurance with a very small down payment, get the "proof of insurance" card or form that shows a 6 month or 1 year policy, but then not make anymore payments, so you have the form to show an officer, but don't actually have insurance. So, recently TexasSure was created for officers to check and verify whether or not a vehicle has liability insurance. I suspect other states have something similar.

I wish MS did this.

 

[sseelhoff]

Quick question on auto insurance..

this morning I realized that my auto insurance policy wallet card showed an valid date of 7/1/11 thru 1/1/12.. BUT we had not received our renewal notice in the mail yet..

Sorta in a panic, I called our ins company and found out that the renewal notices just went out on 1/4/12.. I went ahead and paid over the phone while i had them.. We got the new policy in the mail today and payment is not due until 2/4/12 (for the policy period 1/1 thru 7/1)

Based on that my insurance card showed an expiration date of 1/1/12, and they generated a new policy on 1/4 and I did not get it until 1/7:

1) Did I have insurance during that time period of 1/1/12 and 1/7/12 (date I paid them)?

2) Is it normal for them to bill you after you are into the policy period?

3) If had gotten stopped by the a LEO and asked to show proof of insurance - would I have gotten a ticket for no valid proof?

4) Is a policy only in affect when it is paid or is it considered valid until cancelled?

Color me confused.. I assumed they would have send me the new policy in late Nov/early Dec with payment due by 12/31..

brian

1. Yes, you had insurance for the period of 1/1/12 through 1/7. While there are different criteria to cancel a policy or non-renew a policy, most states require the insurance carrier give you notice of their intent to non-renew. Most carriers also provide a grace period on paying a renewal. If the premium is paid within that grace period, the coverage is not interrupted.

2. Different companies handle billing differently. Most send out a renewal policy and 30 days before the lapse date. Sounds like your carrier had an issue internally.

3. You may have received a ticket, but it would have been voided by the Court upon presentation of a certificate of insurance showing coverage was in effect.

4. See my answer to 1. Non-renewal means an insurance carrier will not renew after the expiration of the policy. Cancellation means they are terminating coverage during the policy period. Both require that you have sufficient notice, although notice periods for non-renewal and notice of cancellation are both different. Either way, they have to give notice in advance of the renewal or cancellation date.

 

[ultrarunner]

Different states have different laws. In Louisiana your policy is in effect, even if not paid, until your insurance co. sends you a cancellation notice.

You may get a ticket for not having proof of insurance and have to go to court but would surely not be found guilty upon presenting your evidence.

This has been my experience...

I was cancelled once and they never sent the notice... when I called to find out why I didn't get the renewal they had to reinstate and along with it they sent me a cancellation notice...

No longer with that company... tenant had a grease fire in the kitchen while cooking up snacks during the super bowl...

Insurance is there till you use it...

Last month I did get a homeowner notice of cancellation... the area has been hit with a rash of mailbox thieves in December/Christmas...

Everything was ok once I called them and paid over the phone...

Have mail now go to my Mom's place... her mailbox empties into the house where mine is out at the road...

 

[Soundguy]

i keep a po box for jsut such a reason. important bills and whatnot go to the po box.

 

[buckle97]

I wish MS did this.

Me too. Liability insurance was just recently (10 years ago) mandated in MS but they still don't make you show proof of insurance to get a license plate.

 

[buck12]

Me too. Liability insurance was just recently (10 years ago) mandated in MS but they still don't make you show proof of insurance to get a license plate.

And apparently you can have a card that shows you have insurance when you don't. I called the police department where my wife's car was hit and told them the person who hit us had false insurance documentation and they did not care at all.