Tag: sinkhole

Sinkhole insurance lacks among homeowners despite threat

Logan B.
Homeowners insurance claims from sinkholes rising in Florida

In Florida, two homes were recently swallowed up and several others had to be evacuated. Sinkhole insurance remains a rare thing among homeowners, even when they have seen other homes swallowed up by these occurrences. The reason for nearly all of them is exactly the same. That said, this wasn’t good news for the property owners whose lives have been devastated after losing their homes to a rapidly growing Florida sinkhole. The coverage isn’t without its appeal but it comes with a price tag many feel they cannot afford. Unfortunately,…

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Massive rate increases from Florida’s insurance program approved

Marc

Early this week, Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance proposed massive rate increases for sinkhole coverage. On average, policies would be impacted by an increase of 428% throughout the state. The proposal was seen as excessive by many consumer advocacy groups, but the insurers that make up the state-run program argue that higher rates are needed to combat fraud. Despite the best efforts of opponents, the proposals were passed as part of Senate Bill 408. Now that the new rates have been approved, Florida residents can expect to pay a lot more…

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Citizens Property Insurance of Florida proposes rate increases averaging 428% for sinkhole policies

S.Vagus

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

H. Cutner

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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