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East County News Service
Photo: Mobile homes burning during July 2018 West Fire in Alpine
July 31, 2019 (Sacramento) -- After earning strong bipartisan support in the Senate and Assembly, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 508 authored by Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) that will require insurers to provide timely disclosures and information to mobile home and condominium residents regarding their residential property insurance policies and their rights associated with their policy.
“Following the recent devastating wildfires here in California, it became clear that many residents did not have the insurance information they needed or knew where to go precisely when they needed help the most,” Senator Leyva said. “SB 508 will equip mobilehome and condo residents with this critical information before the insurer issues or renews these insurance policies. As Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Manufactured Home Communities, I appreciate Governor Newsom continuing to stand with mobilehome and condo residents by making sure that they receive these disclosures before they might ever need to avail themselves of the coverage in the policies.”
“Seeing the mobile home communities in Paradise destroyed by the Camp Fire, I knew we had to do more to inform residents about their insurance coverage,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, who sponsored SB 508. “SB 508 will put residents of mobilehomes, condominiums and rental housing on equal footing with homeowners when it comes to knowing about their rights under California law.”
Many California residents have endured back-to-back years of deadly and destructive wildfires that have resulted in over 25,000 structures being destroyed or damaged, including numerous mobile home parks. Many of the victims of these disasters were not aware of their insurance information or rights and could not begin the process of rebuilding their homes. It is important that all homeowners and renters, including those who live in mobilehomes and condominiums, be informed of their rights under the California Residential Property Insurance Bill of Rights. Under current law, homeowners receive these forms before issuing or renewing an insurance policy. However, that standard is unclear when it comes to mobilehome owners and renters, so SB 508 sets that requirement into law.
SB 508 has also earned the support of AARP California and the Golden State Manufactured-Home Owners League (GSMOL). This measure will take effect on January 1, 2020.
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