Car insurance prices keeping keeping some Detroiters from voting.

**nativegirl** · June-05-13, 10:00 AM

313HERO,

BINGO! That is why the voter turnout for Municipal ie City elections has historically been quite low. It is not about the addresses on the ID of the voter but when you change your DL with the SOS they automatically re-register you with that new municipality's clerk for voting. Check out this website: www.michigan.gov/sos

**Wesley Mouch** · June-05-13, 10:35 AM

Insurance is high because claims are high. Insurance companies do not sit around and decide to set rates in Detroit high for fun. They do it because actuaries with those weird green shield hat things and pocket protectors did the math.

There is no advantage to the insurance company to price things so high. There can be almost no one who buys insurance in Detroit.

So if you seek a pleasant peninsula with decent rates, reform something about insurance payments and cost allocation here. This should be more of an issue with our leaders, and I just don't hear it. Here's something legitimate that Detroiters should be screaming at our dear Nerd. Bring us relentless forward progress on this, please.

**motz** · June-05-13, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by nativegirl

313HERO,

BINGO! That is why the voter turnout for Municipal ie City elections has historically been quite low. It is not about the addresses on the ID of the voter but when you change your DL with the SOS they automatically re-register you with that new municipality's clerk for voting. Check out this website: www.michigan.gov/sos

Bingo! I just moved to Woodbridge [[48208) and don't want to change my address from my previous one because I know I will see over a doubling in insurance rates. It is really ridiculous that you can cross 8 Mile and pay half of what you would in the city. I really wish they would take a serious look into the forumlas they use to determine rates, or at least give the public the information so that we can determine whether they are justifiable or whether the insurance companies are taking us for a ride.

**Honky Tonk** · June-05-13, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by motz

Bingo! I just moved to Woodbridge [[48208) and don't want to change my address from my previous one because I know I will see over a doubling in insurance rates. It is really ridiculous that you can cross 8 Mile and pay half of what you would in the city. I really wish they would take a serious look into the forumlas they use to determine rates, or at least give the public the information so that we can determine whether they are justifiable or whether the insurance companies are taking us for a ride.

Also that way you can avoid paying Detroit taxes.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · June-05-13, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by detroitbob

My rate went up by 400.00 USDdue to, AAA claims the increase in the catastrophic premium by the state [[80.00) and the increase for medical coverage at 331.00. This for a 2012 Ford Fiesta. Even though I have coordinated medical care with my 100% everything covered health plan...should have bought a clunker. Friends who moved from Huntington Woods to the Broderick Tower saw their rates rise from approx. 3k for both SUV's to 3k for EACH vehicle based on their honesty on providing their proud new Detroit [[non-redlined) address. Now with gas topping out at over 4.00 its getting craazy to drive.

You're absolutely right. It is getting very tough to operate a vehicle here in Michigan. Between the bad _ss roads that cause expensive car repairs, Snyder trying to impose rate hikes for registration and gas , the gas prices they play games with, and insuring your car, it's going to hurt a lot of people, especially the one's barely getting by. These are the MAIN reasons people drop their coverage. You can't pay up the gazoo for all this _hit and have to live too.

**DetroitPlanner** · June-05-13, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Also that way you can avoid paying Detroit taxes.

Commit fraud to save 1.25 percent? Give up my right to vote? No thanks.

**jt1** · June-05-13, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Insurance is high because claims are high. Insurance companies do not sit around and decide to set rates in Detroit high for fun. They do it because actuaries with those weird green shield hat things and pocket protectors did the math.

There is no advantage to the insurance company to price things so high. There can be almost no one who buys insurance in Detroit.

So if you seek a pleasant peninsula with decent rates, reform something about insurance payments and cost allocation here. This should be more of an issue with our leaders, and I just don't hear it. Here's something legitimate that Detroiters should be screaming at our dear Nerd. Bring us relentless forward progress on this, please.

I'll believe that when:

1. The insurance companies are willing to share any actuarial data or the State require it to perform even a rudimentary validation that it is based upon facts.
2. When one insurance companies quote me anywhere from 4-10 times by current insurance. Actuarial data form one company to another should be in the same ballpark but I currently pay $200/month and other companies have quoted me $1,000.

The discrepancy and complete lack of oversight at the state level lead me to believe that it isn't based strictly on straight actuarial data. But then again, insurance companies would never do anything shady, now would they?

**TexasT** · June-05-13, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Commit fraud to save 1.25 percent? Give up my right to vote? No thanks.

Yeah what happens if you do get into an accident and they discover you are using a fake address? Are you still covered?

**TexasT** · June-05-13, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by motz

Bingo! I just moved to Woodbridge [[48208) and don't want to change my address from my previous one because I know I will see over a doubling in insurance rates. It is really ridiculous that you can cross 8 Mile and pay half of what you would in the city. I really wish they would take a serious look into the forumlas they use to determine rates, or at least give the public the information so that we can determine whether they are justifiable or whether the insurance companies are taking us for a ride.

I'd at least get quotes. I live in Woodbridge and my insurance rates aren't insane.

**Eber Brock Ward** · June-05-13, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Commit fraud to save 1.25 percent? Give up my right to vote? No thanks.

This right here. Shame on them. Housing is cheap in the city, consider the tax and insurance stuff part of the total package when you move in.

For those that have less means and were just born here, and didn't choose to move, they didn't make that calculus and I don't blame them as much.

**Eber Brock Ward** · June-05-13, 11:27 AM

Interesting. That would be a good thing for the inspector general to take up, or the city audit department and police.

I bet there's a lot of uncollected income tax money in the greater downtown area and would love to see people pay that tax plus penalties plus spend a nominal bit of time in the clink.

Didn't the city already have an amnesty period for this very issue? If so, people are on notice and had a chance to resolve the situation.

**motz** · June-05-13, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by TexasT

I'd at least get quotes. I live in Woodbridge and my insurance rates aren't insane.

I very much intend on doing this soon. I would honestly pay city taxes no problem, just that I prepaid my insurance for a year and don't really have the cash on hand to make up for any sort of rate change at the moment. Probably in the next few months though. The opportunity to vote for not-crazies for council is worth the city tax alone.

**jt1** · June-05-13, 11:35 AM

There was an amnesty earlier this year. I believe interest was still charged but penalties were not [[or vice versa).

**nativegirl** · June-05-13, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by TexasT

Yeah what happens if you do get into an accident and they discover you are using a fake address? Are you still covered?

The insurance company can and has denied claims for this type of issue. You can take it to court but nine times out of ten the court will side with the insurance company because technically you are committing fraud.

**Wesley Mouch** · June-05-13, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by jt1

But then again, insurance companies would never do anything shady, now would they?

Insurance companies aren't shady, they're evil. Maybe a necessary evil, but evil.

**rb336** · June-05-13, 10:21 PM

I remember a bunch of years back, Southfield and Troy had higher auto theft rates than Detroit [[huge swaths of mostly unguarded parking lots. theft rings would drive in with a van full of 12 year olds trained to steel the cars and grab a dozen at a time), higher accident rates, etc, yet were still significantly cheaper for insurance. That brought about the first calls for anti-red-lining laws for car insurance

**Cincinnati_Kid** · June-06-13, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

I remember a bunch of years back, Southfield and Troy had higher auto theft rates than Detroit [[huge swaths of mostly unguarded parking lots. theft rings would drive in with a van full of 12 year olds trained to steel the cars and grab a dozen at a time), higher accident rates, etc, yet were still significantly cheaper for insurance. That brought about the first calls for anti-red-lining laws for car insurance

Don't know about Southfield, but Troy still has high auto thefts.