Louisiana Revised Statutes 22:887 – Cancellation by insurer; changes to homeowner’s insurance policies
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 22:887
- Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
- Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
- Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
- person: includes a body of persons, whether incorporated or not. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 1:10
A. Cancellation by the insurer of any policy which by its terms may be cancelled at the option of the insurer, or of any binder based on such policy, may be effected as to any interest only upon compliance with either of the following:
(1)(a) Written notice of such cancellation must be actually delivered or mailed to the insured or to his representative in charge of the subject of the insurance not less than thirty days prior to the effective date of the cancellation except when termination of coverage is for nonpayment of premium.
(b) Upon the written request of the named insured, the insurer shall provide to the insured in writing the reasons for cancellation of the policy. There shall be no liability and no cause of action shall arise against any insurer or its producers, employees, or representatives for any action taken by them to provide the reasons for cancellation as required by this Subparagraph.
(2) Like notice must also be so delivered or mailed to each mortgagee, pledgee, or other known person shown by the policy to have an interest in any loss which may occur. For purposes of this Paragraph, “delivered” includes electronic transmittal, facsimile, or personal delivery.
(3) Where written notice of cancellation or nonrenewal is required and the insurer elects to mail the notice, the running of the time period between the date of mailing and the effective date of termination of coverage shall commence upon the date of mailing.
(4) When the policy is a homeowner’s insurance policy, like notice shall be provided of any cancellation, or if, at the personal request of the insured, any such person is removed from the policy or substituted with another as provided in Subsection A of this Section.
(5) Any policy may be cancelled by the company at any time during the policy period for failure to pay any premium when due whether such premium is payable directly to the company or its agent or indirectly under a premium finance plan or extension of credit, by mailing or delivering to the insured written notice stating when, not less than ten days thereafter, such cancellation shall be effective. Nothing in this Code shall mandate a separate notice of lapse for nonpayment of premium of a policy defined as provided by La. Rev. Stat. 22:1460(G).
B. The mailing of any such notice shall be effected by depositing it in a sealed envelope, directed to the addressee at his last address as known to the insurer or as shown by the insurer’s records, with proper prepaid postage affixed, in a letter depository of the United States Post Office. The insurer shall retain in its records any such item so mailed, together with its envelope, which was returned by the post office upon failure to find, or deliver the mailing to the addressee.
C. The affidavit of the individual making or supervising such a mailing, shall constitute prima facie evidence of such facts of the mailing as are therein affirmed.
D.(1) The portion of any premium paid to the insurer on account of the policy, including unearned commission, unearned because of the cancellation and in amount as computed on the pro rata basis, must be actually paid to the insured, the agent of the insured, or other person entitled thereto as shown by the policy or by any endorsement thereon, or be mailed to the insured or such person as soon as practicable following such cancellation. Any such payment may be made by cash, check, bank draft, or money order.
(2) When payment is sent to the agent of the insured, the insurer shall be required to provide notice to the insured, at the time of cancellation, that a return of unearned premium may be generated by the cancellation.
E. This Section shall not apply to temporary life insurance binders nor to contracts of life, annuity, or health and accident insurance which do not contain a provision for cancellation prior to the date to which premiums have been paid, nor to the contracts provided in Subpart C of Part IV of this Chapter.
F. No insurer shall cancel or refuse to renew any policy of group or family group health and accident insurance except for nonpayment of premium or failure to meet the requirements for being a group or family group insurance policy until sixty days after the insurer has mailed written notice of such cancellation or nonrenewal by certified mail to the policyholder. The notice shall also include the reason the policy is being cancelled.
G.(1) No insurer shall fail to renew a policy providing property or casualty insurance unless a notice of intention to not renew is mailed or delivered to the named insured at the address shown on the policy at least thirty days prior to the effective date of nonrenewal.
(2) Like notice shall also be delivered or mailed to each mortgagee, pledgee, or other known person shown by the policy to have an interest in any loss which may occur. For purposes of this Paragraph, “delivered” includes electronic transmittal, facsimile, or personal delivery.
(3) This Subsection shall not apply:
(a) To policies regulated by La. Rev. Stat. 22:1266 and 1267.
(b) If the insurer has manifested its willingness to renew the policy either through the same company or a company in the same group of companies.
(c) In the case of nonpayment of the premium.
(d) If the named insured has provided written notification to the insurer of the insured’s intention to not renew the policy.
(e) In cases of fraud by the insured.
H. Notice of cancellation or nonrenewal given by the insurer in accordance with this Chapter shall be deemed sufficient. The producer shall not be required to give any separate or additional notice of cancellation or nonrenewal.
I. Any insurer that issues notice of cancellation on an insurance policy that provides coverage on any property and later continues or reinstates that insurance policy shall issue notice of reinstatement to every policyholder, insurance producer, mortgagee, lienholder, pledgee, or other known person shown by the policy to have an interest in any loss which may occur thereunder and who received the notice of cancellation.
J. Any insurer that issues notice of cancellation on an insurance policy that provides casualty coverage and later continues or reinstates that insurance policy shall issue notice of reinstatement to every policyholder, insurance producer, or other known person shown by the policy to have an interest in any loss which may occur under the policy and who received the notice of cancellation issued by the insurer.
Acts 1958, No. 125; Acts 1985, No. 938, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986; Acts 1987, No. 510, §1; Acts 1990, No. 877, §1; Acts 1991, No. 741, §1; Acts 2001, No. 1052, §1; Acts 2004, No. 44, §1; Acts 2004, No. 549, §1; Acts 2006, No. 345, §1; Redesignated from La. Rev. Stat. 22:636 by Acts 2008, No. 415, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2009, No. 333, §1, eff. April 1, 2010; Acts 2010, No. 375, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2011; Acts 2010, No. 1016, §2; Acts 2012, No. 198, §1; Acts 2021, No. 160, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2022.