Insurance Companies and Agents Fined in Washington State

OLYMPIA, Wash., Feb. 22 -- The Washington stateOffice of the Insurance Commissioner issued the following news release:

Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has issued the following fines and other enforcement actions:

Fidelity National Title Insurance Co. and Chicago Title Insurance Co.: Fined $100,000 for wrongfully offering discount club memberships to people who were in a position to send title business to the companies.

Aetna Life Insurance Co.: Fined $20,000 for failing to promptly handle appeals from consumers.

Charter Warranty Services, Inc., Mechanical Breakdown Protection, Inc., and Paul Pawlusiak, of Detroit, Mich.: Ordered to stop selling unauthorized motor vehicle service contacts.

Scott L. Stevens and RV Protection.net, of Mill Creek: Ordered to stop acting as an agent for a service contract provider not authorized to do business in Washington state.

Cynthia L. Rushing, of Spokane: License revoked for misappropriating funds. Trevor D'Jon Losse, of Cle Elum: Fined $1,000 for multiple violations, including failing to disclose other state disciplinary actions against him.

Robert Tychsen, of El Cajon, Calif.: Fined $1,750 for selling insurance in Washington without a license.

Douglas D. Wellsandt, of Hayden, Idaho: Fined $5,000 for violations including falsely stating that Washington policies had been sold in Idaho.

Ross S. Wolf, of Sammamish: Fined $2,000 for violations including acting as an insurance company's agent without having been appointed by the company. Orders and details about these cases are posted online at www.insurance.wa.gov/orders/enforcement.asp.

The fines collected do not go to the agency. They are deposited in the state's general fund to pay for other state services.

Kreidler's consumer protection staff can be reached at 1-800-562-6900 or at [email protected].

Consumers can also look up information on an agent or company or file a complaint 24/7 at the Office of the Insurance Commissioner website: www.insurance.wa.gov.

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