CALIF. FAIR PLAN STRETCHES

California Insurance Commissioner Harry W. Low issued an order expanding the geographic areas eligible for coverage through California’s Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan. The Order expands the FAIR Plan to real or personal property located at a specific address in instances where the person with an insurable interest in the property has, despite a diligent effort, been unable to obtain insurance in the admitted or surplus lines market. The FAIR Plan was established in 1968 after brush fires and riots of the 1960s created a difficult insurance market. In 1999, FAIR Plan-designated areas were restricted primarily to urban and certain brush hazard regions in Southern California. However, consumer experience has since illustrated the need for re-evaluation and expansion of FAIR Plan availability.