Maine ranks second only behind Vermont in using wood or wood pellets for home heating, with 13 percent of homes using it in 2019, according to federal data. "I've gotten quite a few complaints when I run into people at the post office saying insurance companies have made it really hard," said Rep. Kenneth "Bucket" Davis, R- East Machias, who was just elected to the seat.
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The News Service of Florida. In just under 13 minutes, the Florida Senate on Tuesday discussed and unanimously approved two bills that call for spending $1.25 billion on such things as assisting homeowners ravaged by Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole and giving discounts to toll-road drivers. Lori Berman, D- Delray Beach, expressed concern that a bill to…
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— While the Florida property insurance market overhaul legislation passed on a party line split in the special session, lawmakers approved disaster relief and toll relief bills unanimously, bringing some funding and cost relief to Florida residents. Three bills were passed in the December special session, initially proposed as a second…
With a special legislative session poised to start, the Florida House and Senate released proposals that would make far-reaching changes in the state's troubled property-insurance system. The bills would take steps to reduce litigation costs, move policies out of the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp., offer additional reinsurance to…
The most dangerous day to drive this month is expected to be Dec. 16, according to a predictive analysis of Nationwide claims data.
The House voted 84-33 along party lines to approve the same bill the Senate approved the day before. Bruce Antone of Orlando and Alison Tant of Tallahassee, did not vote. The House also voted unanimously in favor of a $750 million disaster relief program that includes property tax breaks for properties damaged or destroyed by natural disasters and a $500…
Adam Geinitz and his fiance, Jeremy, had planned to elope to Puerto Rico this past September. But during their layover in New York, the storm worsened into what would become Hurricane Fiona. And as it became clear they would not be flying to Puerto Rico that night, the couple contacted their travel insurance provider.
So after Hurricane Katrina, when the U.S. government decided that home values would factor into rebuilding grants, it left many Louisiana homeowners short. That formula hurt poor neighborhoods, most of which in New Orleans were majority Black, according to an investigation published this week by WWL-TV, The Times-Picayune| The Advocate, and ProPublica.
Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said he might ask political leaders to convene a special session in early 2023 if two legislative committees do not approve his plans to relaunch a multimillion-dollar incentive program this week. The grants would go to insurers willing to take on some of the riskiest policies now covered by the state-created…
The Nov. 13 60 Minutes television show was about Florida condos and co-ops. The City of Venice Building Department will receive inspection reports now. Milestone inspection reports must be performed, sealed and signed by a Florida licensed engineer or architect.
Opinion: Florida homeowners, not insurers, the real insurance victims
I’ve been a Florida homeowner since 1984, and all I’ve asked from my insurer was a roof inspection after Hurricane Irma that amounted to $750 worth of loose tiles I fixed and sealed. But — surprise! — my 2023 hurricane deductible is up to a whopping $21,985.
TALLAHASSEE— Florida lawmakers opened a special session Monday on the state's crumbling property insurance market— with proposals certain to make many homeowners pay more for coverage in coming months. An immediate target: Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state-backed insurer of last resort which has doubled in size over the past two years.
Tom Leek, R- Ormond Beach, hinted that the Legislature could be back with additional fixes. Leek, a chief legal officer for an insurance brokerage who was instrumental in crafting this week’ s legislation, told the Herald/ Times afterward that it was a“ significant problem.”. He said the bill adds an additional $1.75 million for state regulators to monitor insurers.
As Florida's property insurance market continues to buckle, thousands of homeowners across the state are increasingly choosing to forgo insurance, sell their homes or even leave Florida. Dianne Hart, a Tampa Democrat and chair of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus, said at a news conference in the state Capitol on Tuesday she hears the same dilemma from her…
Just when you thought the insurance crisis along the Gulf Coast, particularly in Louisiana, could not get any worse, along comes Congress to try and really muck up the problems faced by property owners who are trying to protect the value of their homes. If some members of Congress have their way, look for already sky-high insurance coverage costs to leap even…
FedNat Holding Company, based in Sunrise, Florida said the move, which also includes "certain of its wholly-owned subsidiaries" filed in the voluntary Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida, will enable the company to maximize value for all stakeholders, and could include "reorganization of its business or a sale of its assets."
COLUMBUS, Ohio— A commercial insurance policy doesn’ t cover the income a business lost when the governor ordered a shutdown early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ohio Supreme Court said Monday in a decision consistent with multiple court rulings nationally weighing similar questions. “Many other state and federal courts considering insurance claims for…
It’ s Monday, Dec. 12, and here is a sure sign the election season is over: Florida legislators return to Tallahassee today with a plan to make a lot of people unhappy. And if you own a second home in Florida, your insurance policy is going to cost more. Florida homeowners pay property insurance rates that are three times the national average.
—Florida lawmakers are scheduled to meet Monday to consider ways to shore up the state’ s struggling home insurance market in the year’ s second special session devoted to the topic. Lawmakers are considering legislation to help keep private insurers solvent by creating a $1 billion reinsurance fund, reducing litigation costs and compelling some customers…
TAMPA, Fla.— Florida legislators have a crisis to tackle this week as they convene for a special session in an attempt to fix the state's homeowners insurance problems. "If most of these things get done," said Ron Assise, CIC, CPRM. Assise is an insurance broker and senior vice president at The Horton Group.
