Florida fire insurance warning issued

When most people think of wildfires, there are many places that might come to mind but Florida usually isn’t one of them. Since the first of the year, Florida has had over 2,660 wildfires. Florida’s drought conditions coupled with low humidity and high winds have made ideal conditions for wildfires. The director with the Division of Forestry in Florida has issued several warnings and urged residents to follow county burn bans. Visitors to the states parks are also encouraged to check any burn bans that may be in affect before…

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Florida insurer asking for 27% rate hike

As insurers all over the country continue to receive criticism from policyholders, and even then federal government, many of them continue to seek rate increases. Fidelity National Property and Casualty Insurance of Jacksonville, Florida, is proposing a rate hike of 27%. The proposal is a move to recoup the monetary losses of last year, according to vice president John Giorgianni. State regulators are currently reviewing the proposal and it may be subject to additional review by the Department of Health and Human Services. Giorgianni insists that the rate hikes is…

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New limitations on Florida sinkhole insurance imposed

Florida Governor Rick Scott has signed off on a bill that will change the state’s property insurance regulations. The bill was proposed several months ago and has been the subject of controversy since its introduction. Opponents of the bill call its provisions “anti-consumer.” State officials, however, say that the bill is a necessary measure to combat fraud. The Governor approved the law only six days after it arrived on his desk, drawing the ire of a number of consumer advocacy groups who stood in opposition of it. The new law…

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Florida sinkhole damage is cause for change

Florida legislators have been struggling with property insurance reform for some time now. With insurers raising prices and the widespread accusations of fraud, specifically involving instances of sinkhole damage, the state has never been in such dire need of change, according to lawmakers. Fortunately, change is on the way as the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill that will address factors that are contributing to higher insurance costs as well as revitalize the state’s insurance market. The bill passed with an 85 to 33 vote. Lawmakers are representing the…

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Florida Insurance: Controversy over new property insurance bill

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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