Mercury President and COO met with Topanga Town Council, Firewise Committee members to discuss bringing insurance back to Topanga
The Topanga Town Council invited Mercury COO and President, Victor Joseph, to Topanga for a tour of the community that focused on hardened homes, undergrounding along our roadways, and 69 Bravo. We were joined by Topanga Firewise Committee members, Ryan Ulyate (Topanga Firesafe Council) and Max Kramer (local insurance broker).
The four+ hour tour began with lunch at the inimitable Canyon Bistro, which allowed for substantive discussion about the perilous state of homeowners insurance. No admitted carriers will write new policies in this area, and almost the entire community has been forced onto the FAIR Plan. This has occurred in spite of Insurance Commissioner Lara’s “Sustainable Insurance Strategy” (SIS), which lacks any real teeth to compel a prompt turnaround in coverage availability in higher risk communities.
So we took matters into our own hands…
As part of our tour, we traveled to 69 Bravo, where Battalion Chief Velasquez led a discussion on the capacity and advantages offered by this critical firefighting asset. Then we headed off to look at several “hardened” homes in the area. We made a point of highlighting the undegrounding and covered conductor work along Topanga Canyon Boulevard. A very special thank you to Nancy (last name withheld for privacy), who downright dazzled the Mercury team with all the thoughtful effort she had put into making her home and property firesafe. She was our ace in the hole!
The result: Mercury will now write policies in Topanga
Mercury has agreed to begin writing policies here for certain homes that meet the following criteria: (1) comply with Chapter 7A of the CA Building Code; and (2) meet the new Zone 0 regulations. Mercury would also generally prefer to cover homes valued at or below $3 million. To assess whether or not your home might qualify, I recommend reaching out to Max Kramer or Ryan Ulyate. Both are deeply familiar with the Topanga Firewise program,* as well as home hardening requirements, and they will be able to vet your property and get it fast-tracked for review by Mercury.
We profusely thank Bistro owner, Larry Cohn, and his staff for creating the perfect atmosphere for this critically important meeting on their outdoor patio. The food was prepared to perfection, and the goat cheese salad was divine. Finally, a special shout-out to Megan Currier (LA County Fire), who arranged for the tour at 69 Bravo.