Tag: citizens property insurance corporation

Major Decision by Florida Court of Appeals Shakes Up Insurance Landscape

H. Cutner
Florida court of appeals

Florida Court Ruling Redefines Assignment of Benefits (AOB) and Its Impact on Homeowners Insurance A recent ruling by a Florida court of appeals has established that a “direction to pay” (DTP) by a policyholder does not equate to an “assignment of benefits” (AOB). This decision serves as a significant milestone reinforcing the legislative reform introduced through Senate Bill 2-A in 2023. The reform prohibits insurance policy benefits issued after January 1, 2023, from being assigned to third parties. The objective of Senate Bill 2-A is to curb the extensive litigation…

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Windstorm Coverage for All? The Bold New Proposal for Citizens Insurance

G. Turner
Citizens Insurance

Florida House Bill 13 Proposes Transformations for Citizens Insurance A significant proposal aimed at reforming Florida’s state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is currently under review for the 2025 legislative session. House Bill 13, introduced by Representative Hillary Cassel of Broward County, suggests making Citizens Insurance available to all Florida property owners while limiting its coverage exclusively to windstorm damage. This proposal has sparked considerable debate, with varying opinions emerging on its potential effectiveness. Expanding Windstorm Coverage to All Floridians House Bill 13 proposes transforming Citizens Insurance into a windstorm-only insurance…

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Florida Senate gives the nod to homeowners insurance overhaul

Logan B.
Homeowners insurance - Policy

The changes will involve new lawsuit limits, among others to ease the burden to property owners. This week, the Florida Senate gave its approval to overhauling homeowners insurance in the state, targeting the areas causing property owners – and therefore insurers – the largest amount of pain. The industry in the state will be undergoing a number of critical changes to help lift it out of crisis. Among the changes to the homeowners insurance industry that received approval include a new limit on lawsuits. There are also changes designed to…

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Florida property insurance market must tackle substantial issues before special session

Marc
Property insurance

Another special session will take place later in December, but some challenges must be handled first. Former Republican Florida Senator Jeff Brandes, who launched a petition calling for lawmakers to convene this spring to tackle Florida’s critical property insurance market, is now calling for additional reforms to take place ahead of this month’s additional special session. The former senator has been making these moves from the sideline to try to push more reforms along. “It’s the most urgent pocketbook problem facing Florida today,” said former Senator Brandes, who previously represented…

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Florida Insurance: Controversy over new property insurance bill

S.Vagus

Florida Governor Rick Scott has been the subject of public scorn recently after pressuring the state’s lawmakers to form a bill that would significantly cut the number of policies that could be written by Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Scott has voiced his determination to reduce Citizens’ role in the state’s insurance industry for some time. He denies that his goal is the closure of the insurer, however. The Governor says that he recognizes the value of the insurer but insists that some changes need to be made to justify its…

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New rules in the pipeline for Florida property insurer

Marc

A controversial bill has been passed by Florida’s Senate Banking and Insurance committee. The bill could increase the premiums paid by customers of Citizens Property Insurance by 25% and will eliminate coverage for some homeowners over time for properties whose value exceeds $500,000. Strict requirements will also be imposed, preventing homeowners from being able to enter the insurance program unless their only alternatives are 25% more expensive than coverage offered by Citizens. Representative Alan Hays of Umatilla, one of the bill’s sponsors, claims that raising premiums is the very last…

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