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Insurance company drops customer saying a 'drone' took photos of clutter in yard
KGO (Bay Area ABC 7) ^ | 07/19/2023 | Michael Finney and Renee Koury

Posted on 08/04/2023 3:21:44 PM PDT by DFG

Just as wildfire season gets underway, homeowners insurance is becoming more and more scarce. Some companies aren't writing any new policies, while others are dropping longtime customers. Among them is an East Bay man who was told he lost his insurance -- based on photos taken by a drone over his property.

It came as a shock. At first, he was told he'd lost his insurance because "drone photos" taken over his property showed hazards in his yard. But the company would not show him the pictures. Later he was told there was no drone, just aerial photos. He felt it intruded on his privacy, with no way to reinstate his policy.

Drones sometimes fly over CJ Sveen's Oakley house. He never thought much of it -- until now.

"Apparently they have some pictures, and they noticed clutter," Sveen said.

Sveen was shocked when he got this notice from his longtime home insurance carrier, California State Automobile Association (CSAA) Insurance Group, a AAA insurer.

"They're going to be terminating our homeowner's insurance policy," Sveen said.

His house isn't in a fire zone, and he's never filed a single claim in 15 years. Instead, the notice said CSAA found "debris, hazardous conditions, tires or a dilapidated car" in his yard.

But how would they know that? No one ever came to inspect. So, Sveen called the company.

"And they said, 'Oh, we sent over a drone.' And like, they have a drone that they sent over my property. Just flew into my yard. So, very shocked, yeah," Sveen said.

(Excerpt) Read more at abc7news.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: california; csaa; drone; homeownersinsurance; insurance; sveen
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https://www.yahoo.com/autos/california-man-loses-homeowners-insurance-162000725.html
1 posted on 08/04/2023 3:21:44 PM PDT by DFG
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To: All

Well, it might be time to clean up the clutter. Just sayin’.


2 posted on 08/04/2023 3:33:28 PM PDT by BipolarBob (I shot a man in Reno (with a paint gun) just to watch him dye.)
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To: DFG

I am a FAA Part 107 licensed drone pilot and I would NEVER take a job like this.


3 posted on 08/04/2023 3:33:53 PM PDT by devane617 (Discipline Is Reliable, Motivation Is Fleeting..)
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To: BipolarBob

Shouldn’t they give him a chance to remedy the situation rather than just drop him? He can’t even see the photos of his own property that lead to them taking this action. How is that right?


4 posted on 08/04/2023 3:39:09 PM PDT by newzjunkey (We need a better Trump than Trump in 2024)
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To: DFG
He felt it intruded on his privacy, with no way to reinstate his policy.

He can *feel* it all he wants but if the stuff is laying around in plain sight, he should have no expectation of *privacy*. Because something laying in plain sight may be on private property but it isn't *private*.

5 posted on 08/04/2023 3:43:51 PM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.)
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To: DFG; All
Later he was told there was no drone, just aerial photos.

The photos were taken by a U2 or NASA satellite? 😁

6 posted on 08/04/2023 3:53:53 PM PDT by Cobra64 (Common sense isn’t common anymore)
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To: DFG

My tenants had a screened-in trampoline on the property for their children to enjoy. I received a letter stating that it had to be removed before my hazard insurance would be renewed. I wonder if a drone was the source.


7 posted on 08/04/2023 3:58:45 PM PDT by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Militia to the border! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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To: DFG

Well, ‘for the man who has everthing’, he no longer has homeowner insurance.

In my trucking career, I had driven by some really bad ‘landfills’ where people live. They are in every state it seems. But one of the worst was only a few miles from where I lived in IL. A friend of mine was a handyman, and asked me to go help him fix a wiring problem at that rural ranch style home. They never traded in a car or pickup. They just parked it (or towed it) in the 3 acre weedpatch by the house.

Inside it was unbelievable, we were almost crawling on our hands and knees to go through the hallway, our heads almost touching the ceiling, to the room with the bad light socket. Beneath the mix of empty food wrappers and boxes, magazines and newspapers were boxes and boxes of various caliber ammo.

Replaced a wall switch and job was done. The owner wanted to give us ammo, but we declined the offer. That was probably 25 years ago. There’s nothing but a corn/soybean field there now.


8 posted on 08/04/2023 4:05:04 PM PDT by Zuriel (Acts 2:38,39....Do you believe it?)
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To: DFG

It seems he could clean up the place, get insurance elsewhere or move.


9 posted on 08/04/2023 4:08:37 PM PDT by plain talk
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To: Cobra64

**The photos were taken by a U2 or NASA satellite?**

No, a chycomm balloon.


10 posted on 08/04/2023 4:08:49 PM PDT by Zuriel (Acts 2:38,39....Do you believe it?)
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To: Cobra64

geez....google maps is available cross country....just plug in an address...


11 posted on 08/04/2023 4:10:29 PM PDT by Sacajaweau ( )
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To: newzjunkey
Why do I think there's more to this....Our Town will knock on your door if someone reports you.

And no insurance company can be forced to renew. Happens every day.

12 posted on 08/04/2023 4:12:17 PM PDT by Sacajaweau ( )
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To: newzjunkey

It’s most likely due to a social credit score. Ya I know they aren’t and won’t be using them. LOL!
Welcome to the new and improved land of the free.


13 posted on 08/04/2023 4:20:11 PM PDT by foundedonpurpose (Praise Hashem, for his restoration of all things! )
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To: DFG

This is our future.

In time it will become things like “where are your solar panels?”


14 posted on 08/04/2023 4:21:15 PM PDT by MarMema (Eat your bananas)
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To: DFG

I heard a similar story. The homeowner finally got to look at the picture and the “clutter” was his garden. I don’t know if he got his insurance reinstated.


15 posted on 08/04/2023 4:30:47 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (Democrats' version of MAGA: Making America the Gulag Archipelago )
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To: JimRed
My tenants had a screened-in trampoline on the property for their children to enjoy. I received a letter stating that it had to be removed before my hazard insurance would be renewed. I wonder if a drone was the source.

Google Maps...

16 posted on 08/04/2023 4:44:07 PM PDT by Ol' Dan Tucker (For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard., -- Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4)
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To: newzjunkey
Shouldn’t they give him a chance to remedy the situation rather than just drop him? He can’t even see the photos of his own property that lead to them taking this action. How is that right?

Of course he can. It's available for all to see on Google Maps.

17 posted on 08/04/2023 4:45:04 PM PDT by Ol' Dan Tucker (For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard., -- Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4)
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To: DFG
"And they said, 'Oh, we sent over a drone.' And like, they have a drone that they sent over my property. Just flew into my yard. So, very shocked, yeah," Sveen said.

They didn't need to use a drone. In all likelihood they used Google Maps.

18 posted on 08/04/2023 4:46:11 PM PDT by Ol' Dan Tucker (For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard., -- Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4)
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To: BipolarBob

“Well, it might be time to clean up the clutter. Just sayin’.”


That’s your take on it? Who defines clutter? Is a car being repaired over the weekend clutter? Is four tires setting to the side of the driveway considered clutter if your cousin plans to come get them tomorrow to use on the vehicle he is restoring? Is the pile of limbs you have collected after last week’s storms considered clutter? Do you not value privacy at all?


19 posted on 08/04/2023 4:54:45 PM PDT by CFW (I will not comply!)
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To: CFW

Of course I value privacy. I don’t think this is fair. He wasn’t given a hearing or timeline. No, it’s not fair. But he’s in California and home insurers are pulling out of that state on the slightest of pretenses. Too many earthquakes, mudslide and wildfires. He doesn’t have much in his corner. Such is the lot of Californians.


20 posted on 08/04/2023 5:12:32 PM PDT by BipolarBob (I shot a man in Reno (with a paint gun) just to watch him dye.)
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