§ 62.5 - Nullifications, cancellations, and premium refunds.

§ 62.5 Premium refund.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 85 FR 43985, July 20, 2020.

A Standard Flood Insurance Policyholder whose property has been determined not to be in a special hazard area after the map revision or a Letter of Map Amendment under part 70 of this subchapter may cancel the policy within the current policy year provided (a) he was required to purchase or to maintain flood insurance coverage, or both, as a condition for financial assistance, and (b) his property was located in an identified special hazard area as represented on an effective FHBM or FIRM when the financial assistance was provided. If no claim under the policy has been paid or is pending, the full premium shall be refunded for the current policy year, and for an additional policy year where the insured had been required to renew the policy during the period when a revised map was being reprinted. A Standard Flood Insurance Policyholder may cancel a policy having a term of three (3) years, on an anniversary date, where the reason for the cancellation is that a policy of flood insurance has been obtained or is being obtained in substitution for the NFIP policy and the NFIP obtains a written concurrence in the cancellation from any mortgage of which the NFIP has actual notice; or the policyholder has extinguishing the insured mortgage debt and is no longer required by the mortgagee to maintain the coverage. In such event, the premium refund shall be pro rata but with retention of the expense constant.

[43 FR 2573, Jan. 17, 1978. Redesignated at 44 FR 31177, May 31, 1979, as amended at 49 FR 33658, Aug. 24, 1984; 53 FR 16279, May 6, 1988

Nullifications, cancellations, and premium refunds.

(a) Nullification -

(1) Property ineligible at time of application. FEMA will void a policy for a property that was not eligible for coverage at the time of the initial application from the commencement of the policy. FEMA must pay the policyholder a refund of all premium, fees, and surcharges paid from the date of commencement of the policy, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of receipt of verifiable evidence that the property was ineligible for coverage at the time of the initial application. If FEMA paid a claim for an ineligible property, the policyholder must return the claim payment to FEMA, or offset the payment from the premiums to be refunded, before FEMA will process the refund.

(2) Property later becomes ineligible. FEMA may not renew a policy for a property that was eligible for coverage at the time of the initial application, but later became ineligible for coverage. In such instances, FEMA must nullify the policy from the first renewal date after the property became ineligible. FEMA must refund all premium, fees, and surcharges paid from the first renewal date after the property became ineligible, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of receipt of verifiable evidence that the property was eligible for coverage at the time of the initial application, but later became ineligible for coverage. If FEMA paid a claim for a property after it became ineligible for coverage, the policyholder must return the claim payment to FEMA or FEMA must offset the amount of claim payment from the premiums to be refunded before FEMA may process the refund.

(3) Nullification prior to policy effective date. If FEMA nullifies a policy prior to the policy effective date, that policy will be void from the commencement of the nullified policy term. In such case, FEMA will refund all premium, fees, and surcharges paid for the current policy term only. If FEMA paid a claim for a policy that was improperly issued, the policyholder must return the claim payment to FEMA or FEMA must offset the amount of claim payment from the premiums to be refunded before the NFIP may process the refund.

(b) Cancellation due to lack of an insurable interest. If the policyholder had an insurable interest, but no longer has an insurable interest, in the insured property, FEMA must cancel the policy on the insured property. If FEMA cancels a policy for this reason, FEMA must refund the policyholder a pro rata share of the premium from the date the policyholder lost an insurable interest in the property, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of the cancellation request. FEMA must pay the policyholder a refund of all fees or surcharges for any full policy term during which the policyholder had no insurable interest in the insured property, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of the cancellation request. A policyholder ceases to have an insurable interest if:

(1) For building coverage, the building was sold, destroyed, or removed.

(2) For contents coverage, the contents were sold or transferred, or the contents were completely removed from the described location.

(c) No insurance coverage requirement. A policyholder may cancel a policy if the policyholder was subject to a requirement by a lender, loss payee, or other Federal agency to obtain and maintain flood insurance pursuant to statute, regulation, or contract, but there is no longer such a requirement. The policyholder will receive a refund of a pro rata share of the premium for the current policy term only, calculated from the date of the cancellation request, but will not receive a refund of any fees or surcharges.

(d) Establishment of a common expiration date. A policyholder may purchase a new policy and cancel an existing policy in order to establish a common expiration date between flood insurance coverage and other coverage. The policyholder will receive a refund of a pro rata share of the premium calculated from the effective date of the new policy to the end date of the previous policy. The policyholder will not receive a refund of any fees or surcharges. In order to rewrite and cancel the policy, the following conditions must apply:

(1) The new policy must be written with the same company for the same or higher amount of coverage. If the policy is written for a higher amount or different type of coverage, the waiting period in § 61.11 will apply.

(2) The other insurance coverage for which the common expiration date is being established must be for coverage on the same building that is insured by the flood policy being cancelled and rewritten.

(3) The coverage for the new policy must be effective prior to cancelling the existing policy.

(e) Cancelation or nullification of duplicate NFIP policies -

(1) Generally.

(i) Except as described in 44 CFR 62.5(e)(2), if an insured property is insured by more than one NFIP policy not in accordance with applicable regulations and the Standard Flood Insurance Policy, FEMA must nullify the policy with the later effective date. The policy with the earlier effective date will continue. The policyholder will receive a pro rata refund of all premium for the nullified policy from the effective date of the nullified policy, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of receipt of verifiable evidence that the insured property is insured by more than one NFIP policy. The policyholder will receive a refund of all fees or surcharges for any full policy term during which the policyholder was insured by more than one policy, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of receipt of verifiable evidence that the insured property is insured by more than one NFIP policy.

(ii) If both polices have the same policy effective date, the policyholder may choose which policy will remain in effect, and the policyholder will receive a refund of all premium, fees, and surcharges for the cancelled policy from the effective date of the cancelled policy, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of receipt of verifiable evidence that the insured property is insured by more than one NFIP policy.

(2) Exceptions. In the following cases, the policyholder may maintain the policy with the later policy effective date while cancelling the policy with the earlier policy effective date:

(i) The policy with the earlier effective date has expired for more than 30 days. In such cases, the policyholder will receive a refund of a pro rata share of the premium, calculated from the effective date of the policy with the later effective date to the end date of the policy with the earlier effective date, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of cancellation. The policyholder will also receive a refund of all fees and surcharges for any full policy terms during which the insured property is insured by both policies, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of the cancellation request.

(ii) The policy with the earlier policy effective date is a Group Flood Insurance Policy. In such cases, there will be no refund of any premium, fees, or surcharges.

(iii) The policy with the earlier effective date is cancelled to establish a common policy expiration date pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section. In such cases, refunds will be provided in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section.

(iv) The policy with the earlier effective date was force placed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 4012a using the NFIP's Mortgage Portfolio Protection Program. In such cases, the policyholder will receive a refund of the pro rata share of the premium calculated from the policy effective date of the new policy to the expiration date of the cancelled policy. There will be no refund of any fees or surcharges.

(v) The policy with the earlier effective date is a Dwelling Form policy with building coverage on a condominium unit that is also insured by a Residential Condominium Building Association Policy (RCBAP) that is issued at the statutory maximum coverage limit for buildings. In such cases, the policyholder will receive a refund of a pro rata share of the premium for the building coverage issued under the Dwelling Form policy, as calculated from the effective date of the RCBAP policy to the end date of the Dwelling Form policy. The policyholder will also receive a refund of all fees and surcharges for any full policy terms during which the condominium unit is insured by both a Dwelling Form policy and an RCBAP in which the coverage equals the statutory maximum coverage limits for buildings, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of the cancellation request.

(f) Other cancellations and nullifications. Except as indicated below, FEMA will not refund premiums, assessments, fees, or surcharges if FEMA cancels a policy for any of the following reasons:

(1) Fraud. FEMA will cancel a policy for fraud committed by the policyholder or the agent. FEMA may cancel a policy for misrepresentation of a material fact by the policyholder or agent. Such cancellations will take effect as of the date of the fraudulent act or material misrepresentation of fact.

(2) Administrative cancellation. FEMA may cancel and rewrite a policy to correct an administrative error, such as when the policy is written with the wrong policy effective date. In such cases, FEMA will apply any premium, assessments, fees, or surcharges to the new policy. FEMA will refund any excess premium, fees, surcharges, or assessments paid.

(3) Nullification for properties ineligible due to physical alteration of property. A policy insuring a building or its contents, or both, may be cancelled if the building has been physically altered in such a manner that the building and its contents are no longer eligible for flood insurance coverage. The policyholder will receive a refund of a pro rata share of the premium for the current policy term only, but the policyholder will not receive a refund of any fees or surcharges.

[85 FR 43985, July 20, 2020]