Sinkholes have been quite troublesome in Florida recently. Earlier in the year, the state was inundated with insurance claims regarding damages caused by sinkholes. The majority of these claims, however, were fraudulent, as regulators discovered little to no evidence of sinkholes when investigating properties claiming to have suffered damage. The overwhelming number of falsified claims coming from property owners has caused many insurers to limit the extent of their coverage or otherwise raise the premiums associated with sinkhole insurance. Citizens Property Insurance, the state-funded insurance program, too will be raising…
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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…
Read MoreFlorida 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…
Read MoreFlorida Property Insurance Reform Underway
In Tallahassee Florida, the fight for the insurance reform could mean an expensive cost of millions of dollars to the concerned customers during the legislative session. According to the private insurance industry, Citizens Property Insurance – a government run company, should raise its rates to its customers as well as reduce the coverage for them since they cannot possibly compete with these. The state lawmakers are now considering this and it could lead to a rapid increase of payments for the residents of Tallahassee. Similar changes have been noted, such as…
Read MoreHomeowners insurance getting harder to find in Florida
Mercury General Corp. has decided that it will be pulling out of the Florida homeowners insurance market. The announcement was made on Monday and the move comes as reports of a $19 million loss in that particular market in the fourth quarter. The insurer is already making preparations to inform some 8,000 policyholders that their policies will no longer be renewed. Florida law mandates that notices be sent 180 days in advance and the insurer will begin sending them in March. Mercury General blames their fourth quarter losses on the…
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