INSURANCE ACTIVITY PROBED

Police and state regulators are investigating whether employees of a Hartford insurance agency, which was shut down for accepting some premiums without placing coverage, have resumed business down the street.

The Connecticut Insurance Department said Thursday it recently revoked licenses of A to Z Auto Insurance LLC of 459 and 463A Franklin Ave., Hartford, and 1905 State St., Hamden, and licenses of its principal, Daniel G. Parady Sr.

The department says it has learned former employees of the agency may have started an unlicensed insurance agency at 479 Franklin Ave., Hartford.

Regulators say they’ve received at least 30 complaints about the agencies, and ask consumers who’ve done business with them to contact the department’s consumer affairs division by calling 1-800-203-3447.

The Hamden and Hartford police departments and the insurance department’s market conduct division are investigating.

The concern, regulators say, is that people may be driving unaware that they don’t have policies for which they began paying premiums. In one case, for instance, A to Z collected $100 in cash from a customer in March for a Travelers Indemnity auto insurance policy, but failed to remit the money to Travelers, the department says. The customer’s policy was canceled in April.

By law, if proof can be found that a consumer paid premiums, an insurer must make good on a policy even if the agent failed to pass on the premiums.

Parady couldn’t be reached.