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An Article
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HOMEOWNER ALLIANCE LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE PROTEST AGAINST CHUBB INSURANCE
Homeowners protest CHUBB Insurance Financing Abusive Lawsuits Against Them
July 25, 2000
By
AHRC News Services
Copyright © 2000 AHRC News Services
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Sacramento, California - A group of housing advocates, including a strong minority contingent from Mexico, Japan, Malaysia and India, marched with placardsoutside theoffices CHUBB Insurance Company in Newport Beach , Orange County, California, today.
Dressed in colorful costumes with the Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam on them, they wheeled a house in a red wagon. They waved American flags, carried posters and monkeys on their backs.
Their many placards had messages such as:
Chubb Lawyers Circling Your Home
Chubb-CAI Monkey on My Back
We pay - They play
Your Association can Leave You Homeless
HOAs - Lawyers' Heaven
Passing motorists honked in support, and workers from nearby office buildings said, "Go get them".
Willowdean Vance from Florida, a spokesperson for the group, said that this was the first in a series of nationwide protests against Chubb Insurance. O
thers are planned in Texas and Florida. The group, the National Alliance of Homeowners, is targeting Chubb Insurance for the role it plays in homeowner associations.
Elizabeth McMahon from California explained that "homeowners in associations pay $60 million of dollars to Chubb Insurance every year, and Chubb uses this to club homeowners and snatch homes from them."
Geneva Brooks by phone from Houston stated that in Harris County, Texas, there had been over 3000 foreclosures. She also said that this was a form of neighborhood ethnic cleansing, as minorities, immigrants, single parents and seniors were targeted.
The protesters outlined the general pattern of this scam.
Chubb Insurance sells Director and Officer Liability Insurance (D&O) to homeowner associations. Chubb markets this through Community Associations Institute (CAI), a national trade organization of lawyers and other vendors to homeowner associations. Homeowner Alliance members state that these CAI lawyers manufacture baseless law suits against homeowners.
Geneva Brooks of Texas says that her house was foreclosed on because her front door allegedly had the wrong color.
Elizabeth McMahon said that she had to file a lawsuit to stop her home from being foreclosed on due to a fraudulent $5 late charge. She eventually won, but for over a year she had to endure a blizzard of harrassment from Chubb financed lawyers.
When homeowners fight back to protect their homes, Chubb Insurance defends the errant boards to the hilt even when they are charged with "willful misconduct, violation of laws, discrimination etc." Elizabeth McMahon said that she spoke directly to the president of Chubb Insurance in her case, but he refused to listen. She eventually won her case, but she said that many homeowners give up because they cannot afford the legal fees, or the stress and burden is too great.
Homeowner Alliance members cited several cases to indicate the extent to which Chubb goes. In Nevada , Chubb has spent over $1 million on 4 law firms to fight a 52 year old homeowner who wants to live in her deceased parents home after she provided them with care in their old age. In Texas, Chubb pledged $1 million to fight a homeowner who has exposed the corruption in his association.
Alliance members charge that Chubb has been able to gain a nationwide monopoly in the homeowner association insurance market by promising to squelch homeowners and by, in effect, bribing association managers and boards of directors. Management companies are covered either for free or at a nominal chargeunder Chubb association policies .
Alliance members point out that it is unheard of for customers to pay the insurance of its vendors. Board members are provided with $100,000 in Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance for a scant $100 a year - and all the benefits of such a policy go to the board member's family - not to the association.
Alliance members state that such arrangements encourage management companies and boards to violate the CCR's, give themselves special favors, manipulate elections, and otherwise use association funds to improve their own property values. Managers and board members know that their corrupt practices will be defended by phalanxes of Chubb financed, CAI lawyers. These protesters argue that as they pay the premiums for Chubb insurance policies, Chubb has a duty not to defend corrupt boards and management companies.
The alliance protesters sought to meet with the Chubb area manager in Newport Beach, but were told that he was in a meeting. A subordinate who refused to identify herself told the protesters that they had to speak to their homeowner associations, and asked them to leave.
The protesters have secured a commitment from California State Senator Jackie Speier - the senator who led the investigation which led to the resignation of Insurance Commissioner, Chuch Quackenbush - to hold public hearings on homeowner association insurance in January 2001.
They have also obtained a commitment from Aileen Adams, Secretary for the California State and Consumer Services Agency, to have Kathleen Hamilton, Director of the Department of Consumer Affairs, and Dennis Hayashi, Director of the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, to examine the situation.
"The Mafia never made anybody homeless", said Willowdean Vance, "but Chubb Insurance can. We will protest nationwide until justice is done. The homes of 40 million Americans are at stake."
Information for future protests and rallies against CHUBB-CAI and the lawsuits by CHUBB-CAI lawyers and details on the snatching of homes by these CHUBB's lawyers can be obtained for the rally leaders:
California - Elizabeth McMahon (949)366-2125,
Florida -Willowdean Vance (949)770-6019
Texas - Geneva Brooks texmex@texasmexico.com |
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