Moratorium issued in two Illinois counties
To implement the requirements of Company Bulletin 2015-08 issued by the Illinois Department of Insurance, Church Mutual is taking the following action in the two counties declared disaster areas after severe storms and tornados affected areas of Rochelle and Fairdale. The counties are DeKalb and Ogle.
- Moratorium on cancellation and non-renewals. For any cancellation or nonrenewal notice issued on or after April 9, 2015, on any in-force-policy issued to an affected policyholder or respecting affected property, Church Mutual will withdraw the cancellation or nonrenewal and reinstate the policy with no lapse in coverage. Church Mutual will not issue any new cancellation or nonrenewal notices to affected policyholders or for affected property until June 9, 2015, or at a later time if deemed reasonable under an individual’s circumstances.
- Other insurance-related time-period extensions. Extensions will be granted to affected policyholders for all policy provisions that impose a time limit for an insured or claimant to perform any act, including submission of a claim or proof of loss, reporting of information, submission of bills, or payment of funds.
- Time-period extension for repairs. If repair on affected property cannot be completed within the time period required under any policy or within the 90-day time period for repairs prior to termination due to condition of the property [215 ILCS 5/143.27], Church Mutual will provide consumers with an extension of not less than 60 days to make the repairs.
- Cancellation or nonrenewal respecting affected property. Church Mutual will refrain from canceling or non-renewing policies respecting affected property due to “increase in the risk originally accepted” [215 ILCS 5/143.21 and 143.21.1] or due to the geographic location of the risk [215 ILCS 5/155.22].
- Other exceptions to policy/contract requirements or rating/underwriting rules. Church Mutual will consider exceptions to policy or contract requirements or other rating or underwriting rules not listed in Company Bulletin 2015-08, issued by the Illinois Department of Insurance, when contractual requirements are not met as a result of this disaster. Exceptions to policy or contract requirements or rating or underwriting rules will include an insured’s displacement from his or her home.
Church Mutual wants our Illinois consumers to know the DOI is available for complaints regarding any disaster-related dispute or issue by calling the DOI’s toll-free complaint hotline at 1-866-445-5364, or file a complaint online at: http://insurance.illinois.gov/Home/ComplaintLinks.asp.
Note: In response to other disasters throughout the United States, Church Mutual has put in place the required moratoriums as directed by the specific state department of insurance.
