Dallas Auto Insurance Discount
Reader’s Question:
My plea for marriage discounts had been denied by a Dallas auto insurance company ’cause we have different surnames. The insurance company is demanding proof of marriage before they’d grant me the discount. I just want to know whether proof of marriage is indeed a requirement by the Insurance Department?
Cleo
Dallas, TX
According to Insurance Law, a married couple who have different surnames and who agree/ wish to retain their maiden names should not be subjected to scrupulous scrutiny. Should one wish to retain their maiden name and thereafter decide to purchase auto insurance for married people, it should be granted. As there are no laws that prohibit married couples from using different surnames, presenting of proof of matrimony should not be a legal requirement. The State Insurance Department would concur with this. Therefore, the plea is not subject to any bargaining, and it is beyond common rights prohibiting a common citizen from having his/her intended insurance policy. Requesting proof of matrimony is actually a common policy of insurance companies. This is so they can readily verify details of marriage, and should not keep you from acquiring your preferred policy.
It is within the boundary of insurance law that a spouse residing in same residence as his/her significant other should be covered by the insured’s policy and vice versa. However, the requirement of proof of matrimony is not confined by an individual’s right to have the intended policy. It is also stated in fact that the state department does not consider the requirements of proof of marriage by insurance companies to be unreasonable. In fact, the state governments authorize auto insurance companies to request such a proof as a standard policy in order to verify the facts of insured’s marriage. It is being mandated by the state because many individuals use their surnames to live together just so they could avail the same discounts. Non-presentation of proof of matrimony gives opportunity for misrepresentation of facts by cheating individuals. If for some reason you cannot grant them their request for proof of matrimony, you could always present your Dallas auto insurance company a proof of same residence instead.