Is there a non-owners motorcycle insurance policy available from any insurance company?

Does my old insurance company have the right to bill me AFTER my policy expires?

• My homeowner's insurance policy expired on March 1, 2008. After comparing rates I decide to go with another insurance company. I explained my situation with my former agent prior to the expiration date. Now my old insurance company wants to charge TWO MONTHS (through the end of May) of additional insurance which I did not agree to pay. They claim that I should have FAXed to my agent a formal letter stating that I was going with another insurance company. They are now demanding to see my current insurance declaration page to determine exactly when my present insurance became effective. They also threatening to send my bill to a collections company. Why should I agree to this nonsense? They raised their rates and I went with another company. Why should I provide any information to my former insurance company? Insurance is not mandatory in life. It is only my business from who and when I purchase insurance. Am I right or wrong? What would you do?

• Answer:

  I understand your frustration, but you should be upset with your agent moreso than with the company. If you knew that you wanted the policy to cancel at renewal, and you notified your agent of this, the agent should either have submitted the cancellation request on your behalf or should have notified you that you needed to provide a written notice of intent to cancel. The company was not properly notified, so they extended coverage until May and now feel entitled to the money. Get the Certificate of Insurance from your new company, give it to your old agent and tell him/her to fix it because he wronged you. You are right to be upset, but be upset with the agent. He's (she's) the liason between you and the company and should have properly notified you of any necessary steps to set up your policy to cancel upon renewal. I'm an agent, and I still blame the agent for this mess. Edit: To answer your additional questions: What's the worst that can happen: They send you to collections and blemish your credit. Your new coverage started March 14th, so if you faxed that in your old company would most likely charge you for premium from March 1st to March 14th. They would do this because they wouldn't want to retroactively assign you a gap in coverage. If they got prior notice of the cancellation (which thanks to your agent, they didn't get) then they wouldn't care if you cancelled and had no coverage. But they won't want to go back in time and give you a gap because you know you didn't have a claim. It is their business because you're asking them not to charge you for coverage they technically provided you with. Trust me, I empathize with you, but if you don't want them to charge you for coverage through May, make your old agent fix the mess by taking the blame or give them the evidence that you got new insurance. They never got notice that you wanted to cancel your policy, so they covered your home until May before cancelling you for nonpayment. If you'd had a fire, they would have covered you. You do owe them this money unless you can get them to agree to retroactively cancel the policy to an earlier date. Make the agent admit his mistake, and tell the insurance company it was his fault, that you told him you wanted to policy to cancel at renewal. Maybe they'll just let the whole thing go. Otherwise, jump through their hoops or get sent to collections. Sorry.