Recently I received a letter from Home Emergency Insurance Solutions (California license #0F79326) directed to “Davis homeowners with homes built before 1979.” I am writing because I expect others received this mailing as well.

The letter says “the original water service line buried underground was installed before 1979 … and may be at risk for age-related leaks or ruptures … could fail without warning, leaving you responsible for the cost of repair. Repair or replacement can be expensive, costing you thousands of dollars …”

I called city of Davis Public Works Department and spoke with Mike Holden. He confirmed that homeowners are indeed responsible for the water line from the meter to the house, and that these lines can fail. I asked how often this happened in Davis, and he said “Maybe once a week or two weeks.” He mentioned that repairs could be expensive.

My insurance agent said our homeowners’ insurance (State Farm) does not cover the water line from the meter to the house.
Googling Home Emergency Insurance Solutions, I learned the company had done a mass mailing in Fresno in which it had represented itself as being a government agency and its insurance as being mandatory. The company was required to re-word its letter, which it has done.

The company refers to the coverage as being “optional” (in italics) and specifies that it is an “independent company separate from your local utility or community” (italics again). Its corporate offices are in Connecticut, and the parent company is in Texas.

The Better Business Bureau shows actions against them, and their BBB rating in Connecticut is C. If you are interested in this type of insurance, you might want to consider carefully before doing business with this firm.

Jean Shepard
Davis

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