After failing to remit an amended payment to an insurer, and then ignoring his client’s concerns about an expiry notice they received, Todd P. Lindsay is being assessed the General Insurance Council of Manitoba’s investigation costs in the amount of $1,500. This, despite the fact that his actions left his clients uninsured for more than three months.
Although the client’s policy was cancelled for non-payment of premium in July 2022, and even though Lindsay became aware of the cancellation in October 2022, he then failed to issue a refund of the client’s premiums paid until February the following year.
Brushed off clients’ concerns
The complaining clients attended Lindsay’s agency in July 2022 and made a debit payment for their home insurance policy. A bank statement was provided as supporting documentation. At the end of that month the clients received a renewal expiry notice and brought it to Lindsay’s attention, who brushed it off “indicating that everything was fine,” and that the client’s next installment payment was due in November that year. When the complaining client attended a different agency, they were informed that they were without coverage as their policy had in fact been cancelled in July.
“The agency had standard operating procedures for the handling of reminder and cancellation notices; however the licensee did not follow them in this instance,” the settlement agreement states. “As a result of the licensee’s failure to protect the insurable interest of the complainant, the complainant was uninsured from July 11, 2022 to October 27, 2022.”