For years, mortgage servicers have been working hard to maintain their bottom lines at the expense of unsuspecting homeowners. One of the unethical practices that has come to light in the last few years affects homeowners who experience a lapse in their homeowners’ insurance coverage. Mortgage servicers are forcing these homeowners into expensive insurance policies that not only support their own bottom line, but can also give them kickbacks from the insurance industry (the California Insurance Commissioner has raised concerns about the lack of arm’s length transactions between lenders and insurers).
This practice has four names: force-placed, lender-placed, credit-placed and collateral protection insurance. The intension is to protect the lender’s financial interests should something happen to the property. We have seen lenders put these insurance policies into place when a property owner’s homeowner’s insurance has lapsed, is cancelled or is considered insufficient to protect the property.
The difference between force-placed insurance and typical homeowner’s insurance
Compared to typical homeowner’s insurance policies on the market, force-placed insurance policies typically:
- Have much higher rates
- Do not protect your personal items from loss
- Do not cover owner liability
- May provide financial incentives to lenders
- Are difficult to remove
- Carry significant penalties
