Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2071 granting the right to both insured and insurer to cancel a policy of insurance, or the provisions of any policy conforming to that section, the right of the insurer, but not that of the insured, to so cancel shall be subject to modification by written general order or orders of the commissioner, if: (1) the property insured is in the State of California; (2) the insurance policy contains any “basic property insurance” as that term is defined in Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 10090) of Part 1, Division 2 of this code; and (3) the property insured is, on the date of the order or orders of the commissioner, within any geographic area to which any “Fair Plan” approved by the commissioner pursuant to that chapter is applicable.

The commissioner’s order or orders may deny to insurers the right to cancel those policies on less than 60 days’ notice, or on a lesser number of days of notice that the commissioner may designate, except that the number of days of notice may not be less than 20. The commissioner’s order or orders shall apply uniformly to all insurers having those policies outstanding in all or any designated portions of such a geographic area.

This section, and any order of the commissioner, shall not be effective as to any policy unless the property insured therein is then within a geographic area to which a “Fair Plan” is applicable.

The orders of the commissioner may contain generally applicable exceptions of certain types of properties, certain types of policies, policies solicited in a particular manner, or policies obtained upon particular representations of the insured. The orders shall except policies upon which premiums or premium installments have not been paid in accordance with the agreement of the insured, whether payable directly to the insurer or its agent, or indirectly under any premium finance plan or plans for the extension of credit.

No order shall be adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this section unless he or she has determined that the order is reasonably necessary to carry out the provisions of a “Fair Plan”.

(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 148, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2004.)