PHOENIX — Did you get a letter from the Arizona Department of Transportation asking you to prove you have insurance?
It says "action required insurance suspension" in bold letters.
The letter states if you don't prove you have the required coverage on your vehicle, your registration could be suspended.
ABC15 viewer Cory received it, even though he says he had insurance he had just 15 days to prove it.
"I went in within the 15 days to inform them that I have insurance only to find out that my license was already suspended," he said.
Kristi Redding is an insurance broker with Insurance Professionals of Arizona.
"These letters being sent out are unwarranted because everything is correct," she stated.
Redding says agents she talks with tell her they're suddenly seeing more suspension letters sent in error. "Oh my gosh, this is the 2nd one I got today, this is the 3rd one I got today," she said.
Arizona requires every motor vehicle on state roads to be covered by liability insurance.
The minimum amount is $25,000 bodily injury coverage for one person, $50,000 for all persons, and $15,000 property damage coverage.
Redding says in the past if clients got a suspension letter but did have insurance, agents could fix it. "Fax over proof of insurance and it was done," she said.
But, Redding says that isn't allowed anymore and that insurance agents haven't been given an easy way to offer that insurance proof. Instead, Redding says clients are basically on their own dealing with an ADOT website she calls difficult to navigate.
"I work with computers almost every single day. It was almost impossible," she said about the site.
"They've made some changes to their website. It's very hard to use," Redding added.
An ADOT spokesperson told ABC15, "there have not been any updates or changes to the electronic filing process."
ADOT stated, "this electronic filing process ensures the full and proper information is provided to the state" from insurance companies.
Redding says she doesn't know why she's hearing from more people getting suspension letters in error.
She also wonders how many people, who have insurance, may just get frustrated and pay a $50 reinstatement fee.
It turns out Cory did just that. "I ended up paying the $50 to release the suspension," he wrote.
ADOT says the insurance letters tell the customer "specific actions they can take to temporarily address the concern directly with the MVD. They should also contact their insurance company to review their information and ensure it is properly submitted according to the statute."
Did you get a suspension letter when you had insurance? Email me: joe@abc15.com.
Loading...
