Expert: Richard Hixenbaugh - 8/28/2009

Question
i PURCHASE NJ AUTO INSURANCE ON 3/26/09 AND THE AGENT STATED THAT  HE HAD TO USE THE ADDRESS ON MY LICENSE WHICH HAD NOT BEEN UPDATED. hE STATED THAT MY CORRECT ADDRESS WOULD BE USED AS THE MAILING ADDRESS. i HAD MOVED IN OCT. 08AND HAVE PROOF OF THIS. THEY ISSUED A CANCELLATION NOTICE ON 7/05 EFF. 7/26/09 WHICH I NEVER RECEIVED. ON 7/13/09 WE FIGURED OUT THAT THE ADDRESS WAS WRONG AND THE AGENT SENT AN ENDORSEMENT REQUEST. THEY CORRECTED THE ADDRESS AND ISSUED NEW POLICY BUT I WAS STILL  NOT SENT A BILL TO THE CORRECT ADDRESS. MY QUESTION IS THIS, IF THEY MAILED IT TO THE WRONG ADDRESS AND THEN CHANGED THE ADDRESS PRIOR TO THE CANCELLATION NOTICE DATE WERE THEY OBLIGATED TO ISSUE A NEW CANCELLATION NOTICE REVISING THE CANC. DATE SINCE I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICE DUE TO THE INACCURATE ADDRESS?

Answer
Hi Nancy,

The answer to your question is yes, however, they will contend that they are only required to send a mailing to the last address that they had on file. Obviously there was a mistake made regarding the address. The issue will be if the mistake was made by the insurance comapny or the agent that wrote the policy and filed the endorsement.

If you have not been involved in an accident, then there is no big issue. Simply get the address corrected on your license (as you are required by law to do) and purchase new insurance as soon as possible. If you have been involved in an accident that may not be covered as a result of the cancellation, then you need to request a copy of all of the documents related to your policy so you can see where the error was made and who made it. You may need to speak with an attorney if there has been an accident that they are denying coverage for.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh