View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2002/06/28/17720.htm
The California Department of Insurance (CDI) has served a cease and desist order to Clarence Joseph Hall a/k/a Joseph Hall a/k/a Joe Hall of Harbour Special Events, Harbour Entertainment & Sports, Harbour Sports & Entertainment, Harbour Protective Insurance Services, Harbour Insurance, and www.harbourinsurance.com, according to Nanci Kramer, deputy press secretary at the CDI.
Harbour is a wholesale broker specializing in the entertainment and sports field with offices in Los Angeles, San Antonio and New York.
Hall, whose license has been revoked by the CDI since April of 2001, allegedly has continued to sell insurance in California despite the revocation.
“His attorney contacted us, and he apparently was allegedly telling people that he was not revoked by this Department, but suspended, and that he was anticipating it being cleared up some time soon, and that’s why he said he was still in business,” Kramer told Insurance Journal. “It was very clear from this Department’s perspective that he was in fact revoked in April of 2001. And as far as we’re concerned, he was continuing to break the law by practicing and selling insurance when he was not authorized to do so.”
Hall’s license has also been revoked in Montana and a cease and desist order has also been in effect since October of 2000.
“His lack of response here, and their action against him that led to his revocation here. Clearly the way he has allegedly conducted his business made this Department move with the actions that they’ve taken,” added Kramer.
The CDI’s investigation was further ignited by an advertisement American International Group Inc. (AIG) released in the Wall Street Journal in late May. The advertisement stated that Hall and his company had “…no authority to issue insurance policies or related insurance documents that purport to evidence insurance coverage by any AIG member company, including Commerce & Industry Insurance Company and Lexington insurance Company.”
“My understanding is that someone almost engaged in business with him, but did a little bit more to check him out and found out that his license was revoked, and then contacted the Department. [This was] almost at the exact same time one of our investigators who was following up… to make sure the person is no longer in business. So, while AIG had their concerns and they were moving, we were working on a confidential investigation. We’ve been pursuing it for a few months now,” said Kramer.
Kramer explained that the next step will most likely be to allow Hall time to respond to the order, “which I’m sure is why his attorney has contacted us again.
Multiple phone calls to Hall by Insurance Journal were not returned.
“The primary thing is, this investigation isn’t over. We are cooperating with other allied and law enforcement agencies with an ongoing investigation,” she added. Anyone who may have information about Joseph Hall and Harbour Insurance should contact the California Department of Insurance.