Delaware FAIR Plan: The Phone Number, Not a Made-Up Limit
James Brazil lives in Mérida, Mexico. He founded Swift Agent Sites and studied Classics at the University of Mississippi.
Published · Updated
If homeowners or commercial property insurance has been declined, the Delaware Department of Insurance says to contact the Insurance Placement Facility of Delaware, also called the Delaware FAIR Plan, at (800) 462-4972 or defairplan.com. A surplus-lines placement is the other option the page names. Policy limits, deductibles, and covered perils were not on that page.
What you can say, and what you cannot
This article does not invent them. You can say the Department names the plan and the phone number for a property that the voluntary market declined. You can say surplus lines is the other route the same page mentions. You cannot say the plan covers a house up to a dollar figure, because that figure was not on the page. You cannot say it covers fire but not theft, or the reverse, for the same reason. Ask the plan, at the phone number above, for the form it is offering, and read the perils and the limit on that form.
A driver who has been declined in the voluntary auto market applies through an agent to the Delaware Automobile Insurance Plan. The Department page says that. It does not state a DAIP premium or a DAIP limit. Do not copy another state's residual-market caps onto either plan. The auto registration minimums, if a policy is issued, are still 25/50/10 plus PIP of 15/30. See those minimums. The residual plan does not replace the DMV's required limits. It is a way to try to buy a policy after a declination.
Flood and the complaint office are separate
A FAIR Plan policy is not flood insurance unless the form you are handed says it covers flood. Standard homeowners and business policies do not cover flood. The Department's flood page states NFIP ceilings of $250,000 for the home and $100,000 for possessions, and a 30-day wait. See that page. Those flood numbers are not FAIR Plan dwelling limits. Do not move them onto the FAIR Plan quote.
A dispute about a declination or a claim still starts with the company, then the Department at (302) 674-7310 or consumer@delaware.gov. See the complaint. The Department will not be your lawyer. A PIP deductible problem on an auto policy is not a FAIR Plan question. See the deductible.
A cancellation list that was not confirmed
A search excerpt of a Department FAQ described cancellation grounds after a homeowners policy has been in effect more than 60 days, and it cited Title 18, Chapter 41. That FAQ page was not opened in full for these articles. The list is not repeated here. Do not tell a neighbor that Delaware insurers may cancel only for the reasons in that excerpt until the page or the chapter is in front of you. The confirmed fact in this article is the phone number for a property the voluntary market already declined.
Seller disclosures, transfer taxes, and senior school-tax credits do not place the FAIR Plan coverage. See the disclosure and the transfer tax. A mover's revenue license does not insure the house. See that license.
What to take to the call
Take the declination letters, the address, the construction of the building, and the amount of insurance you need. Ask the plan what limit it will offer and which perils are included. Write those answers down and compare them with the form. If the plan's limit is lower than the mortgage requires, the gap is a conversation with the lender, not a number this article can fill in.
If the declination was for an auto policy, call an agent about the Delaware Automobile Insurance Plan instead of the property facility. The two plans are different markets. The phone (800) 462-4972 is the property facility. The auto plan goes through an agent. Using the wrong phone delays both.
What to write beside the phone number
Write down the date of each declination letter before you call (800) 462-4972. The Department page is about a property the voluntary market has already declined, or a driver an agent is sending to the Delaware Automobile Insurance Plan. A quote you have not received yet is not a declination. Surplus lines, the other option the same page names, is a different placement. Ask that agent which company is writing the risk and which perils the form excludes. Keep that form next to any FAIR Plan quote, and do not assume the two cover the same causes of loss.
FAQ
Who do I call if homeowners insurance was declined? The Insurance Placement Facility of Delaware, the Delaware FAIR Plan, at (800) 462-4972.
What are the coverage limits? They were not on the Department page used here. Ask the plan. Do not use another state's caps.
What if an auto insurer declined me? Apply through an agent to the Delaware Automobile Insurance Plan. No DAIP premium or limit was stated on the page.
Does this policy cover flood? Only if the form says so. Standard homeowners policies do not. Flood ceilings on the Department's flood page are NFIP figures, not FAIR Plan limits.
Is there a confirmed list of homeowners cancellation reasons in this article? No. A 60-day cancellation excerpt was not confirmed against the full FAQ or Chapter 41, so it is not repeated.
Next step
If a homeowners or commercial insurer has declined the property, call (800) 462-4972 and ask for the limit and the perils in writing. Do not fill the limit in from memory or from another state.
Sources: Delaware Department of Insurance, if you need insurance.
This is general information for Delaware. It is not a recommendation to buy, drop, or switch a specific policy. Confirm current details with the insurer or a licensed agent who knows your situation.
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