Allstate Drops North Carolina Homeowners Who Insure Autos Elsewhere

Some North Carolina residents who insure their residences through Allstate are finding themselves dropped by the company for refusing to bundle their home and auto coverage.

Allstate Insurance Co. has informed 45,000 homeowners that it will non-renew their homeowner’s policy unless they also purchase a commercial or private automobile insurance from the insurer by Dec. 15, 2011.

Allstate spokesperson Tracy Owens, speaking from the insurer’s Southeast Regional Office in Atlanta, said the decision came about after an intensive review of the insurer’s North Carolina book of business.

“We wanted to be sure that we could manage our risk both now and in the future and protect the other 400,000 households we insure,” Owens said.

According to documents filed with the North Carolina Department of Insurance, Allstate indicated that it would non-renew 30,400 standard homeowners policies, 10,500 landlord packaged policies, and 4,900 mobile homes policies.

Owens said that although Allstate has decided it must drop the policies, it is providing another coverage option from the Universal North America Insurance Co.

Allstate has reached an agreement with Universal whereby it will provide a quote for 26,150 of the affected homeowners. The Denver, Colo.-based Universal also is slated to submit a quote to 9,300 of the 10,500 landlords losing their Allstate coverage.

In a separate deal, the mobile home owners will have an opportunity to find coverage through the American Modern Insurance Group.

North Carolina Department of Insurance spokesperson Kerry Hall said that as a matter of professional courtesy Allstate informed the department of its decision to non-renew the policies, although the insurer had no legal requirement to do so.

“From our perspective, what Allstate is doing is legal as long as it gives consumers a 30-day notice before cancelling the policy,” said Hall.