Townhouse quake insurance hike a heavy burden for senior citizens

The state of California encourages senior citizens to downsize. This helps young families to move into our larger houses. The state rewards the senior citizens who do this by allowing us to take our Proposition 13 tax rate with us.

For the past two years our townhouse development has been "special assessing" our residents because of increased costs of earthquake insurance. This is not our personal earthquake insurance, but the association's earthquake insurance. Last year we were assessed $250, this year it has jumped to $1,000. I shudder to think what it will be next year. This is a statewide problem. It's hitting senior citizens particularly hard.

The insurance companies say they have to raise our earthquake insurance to pay for natural disasters, some of which occurred last year in the southeastern states more than 2,000 miles from California. Some insurance companies will not even write earthquake insurance for townhome and condominium complexes, which is only making this worse.

It seems the insurance companies are classifying us in the same category as businesses like Wal-Mart or Home Depot. We are not a business. What we are, are mostly senior citizens who have downsized into townhomes and condominiums.

The governor's office replied to my letter that it is out of his hands but in the hands of our insurance commissioner. I urge all citizens to write to Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, California Department of Insurance, 300 Spring St., South Tower, Los Angeles, CA 90013 or call (213) 897-8921.

Ask him to help the citizens of California with this deplorable situation.
Sharon and Herb Cohen
Westlake Village