Property Insurance Reform | April 2011
Posted by NCF912Project
Two bills addressing the Governor’s priority of reforming property insurance will be heard in committee tomorrow and we need your help to urge the Florida Legislature to support these important pieces of legislation.
Property Insurance Reform – HB 803
Florida is the most hurricane prone region of the United States. Our location, combined with unprecedented growth in population has built Florida into the second largest concentration of catastrophic risk on the planet. In attempting to deal with the issue of paying for hurricane losses, Florida has in recent years charted a course that has failed. Rising cost drivers that are a result of often fraudulent claims are costing all policy-holders and taxpayers. One of the major cost drivers in property insurance rates right now is sinkhole claims as they are the most costly of claims filed. Many sinkhole claims being paid involve minor cracks in a wall or floor of a home, not an actual hole. The current claims process for sinkholes is ineffective and riddled with abuse.
Simply stated, Florida’s current property insurance system is broken and is putting us all at risk. Driving out solvent private insurers from our state and forcing homeowners into a government run company that is not financially sound was a huge gamble that has put homeowners and all taxpayers at a severe disadvantage. The Governor and several legislators are working hard to ensure that Floridians have a choice and not keep you in a system that may ultimately not be there to protect you. HB 803 is a vital component to a long term strategy to create a stable insurance market in Florida once again.
To support this legislation, please contact members of the House Economic Affairs Committee listed below and urge them to support HB 803.
“Please support HB 803, Property Insurance Reform.”
| Chair
Dorothy L. Hukhill District Office: (386) 322-5111 Capitol Office: (850) 488-6653 |
Vice Chair
Doug Holder District Office: (941) 918-9028 Capitol Office: (850) 488-1171 |
| Geraldine Thompson
District Office: (407) 245-0760 Capitol Office: (850) 488-1171 |
Joseph Abruzzo
District Office: (561) 791-4774 Capitol Office: (850) 488-4791 |
| Frank Artiles
District Office: (305) 252-4300 Capitol Office: (850) 488-9550 |
Jim Boyd
District Office: (941) 708-4968 Capitol Office: (850) 488-4086 |
| Chris Dorworth
District Office: (407) 333-1815 Capitol Office: (850) 488-5843 |
Brad Drake
District Office: (850) 892-8431 Capitol Office: (850) 488-4726 |
| Evan Jenne
District Office: (954) 321-2760 Capitol Office: (850) 488-0245 |
Peter Nehr
District Office: (727) 943-4880 Capitol Office: (850) 488-5580 |
| Bryan Nelson
District Office: (407) 884-2023 Capitol Office: (850) 488-2023 |
Jeanette Nuñez
District Office: (305) 227-7630 Capitol Office: (850) 488-7897 |
| Steven M. Perman
District Office: (561) 470-6596 Capitol Office: (850) 488-5588 |
Ronald “Doc” Renuart
District Office: (904) 270-2550 Capitol Office: (850) 488-0001 |
| Kenneth Roberson
District Office: (941) 613-0914 Capitol Office: (850) 488-0060 |
Irving “Irv” Slosberg
District Office: (561) 470-6644 Capitol Office: (850) 488-1302 |
| James W. Waldman
District Office: (954) 956-5600 Capitol Office: (850) 488-3164 |
Ritch Workman
District Office: (321) 757-7019 Capitol Office: (850) 488-9720 |
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation – SB 1714
Posted by NCF912Project
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation was created in 2002 to provide property insurance for homeowners who could not obtain insurance elsewhere. It was intended to be an insurer of last resort, but is now the insurer of first resort after driving private insurers out of Florida, becoming Florida’s largest residential property insurer with more than a million policies and an exposure of nearly half a trillion dollars in force – this is at the very heart of Florida’s property insurance crisis.
A government run, single payer insurance system only ensured that Florida taxpayers will be sent a massive bill when the next big storm hits. We cannot afford to take this risk – especially now; now is the time to turn this system around – before another hurricane makes it even worse. The Governor and some members of the legislature are trying to return Citizen’s to operate as the insurer of last resort and level the playing field so that solvent private insurers are allowed to compete with each other for business, not with the subsidized and financially unsound government run insurance company. We should trust Floridians to make the choice whether or not to insure their homes by solvent, private insurers rather than forcing them into a government run company that puts them and their homes at risk. SB 1714 is one tool that will start turning Citizens around.
To support this bill, please contact members of the Senate Budget Committee listed below and urge them to vote yes on SB 1714!
“Please vote yes on Citizens Property Insurance Corporation – SB 1714.”
| Chair
JD Alexander District Office: (863) 679-4847 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5044 |
Vice Chair
Joe Negron District Office: (772) 219-1665 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5088 |
| Thad Altman
District Office: (321) 752-3138 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5053 |
Lizbeth Benacquisto
District Office: (561) 753-2440 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5356 |
| Ellyn Setnor Bogdanoff
District Office: (954) 467-4205 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5100 |
Mike Fasano
District Office: (727) 848-5885 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5062 |
| Anitere Flores
District Office: (305) 270-6550 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5130 |
Don Gaetz
District Office: (850) 897-5747 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5009 |
| Alan Hays
District Office: (352) 742-6441 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5014 |
Arthenia L. Joyner
District Office: (813) 233-4277 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5059 |
| Evelyn J. Lynn
District Office: (386) 238-3179 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5033 |
Gwen Margolis
District Office: (305) 571-5777 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5121 |
| Bill Montford
District Office: (850) 487-5004 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5004 |
Nan H. Rich
District Office: (954) 747-7933 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5103 |
| Garrett Richter
District Office: (239) 417-6205 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5124 |
David Simmons
District Office: (407) 262-7878 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5050 |
| Gary Siplin
District Office: (407) 297-2071 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5190 |
Elanor Sobel
District Office: (954) 924-3693 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5097 |
| John Thrasher
District Office: (904) 727-3600 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5368 |
Stephen R. Wise
District Office: (904) 381-6000 Capitol Office: (850) 487-5027 |
Please contact Senator Richter to thank him for his tireless efforts on insurance issues this year by sponsoring Property and Motor Vehicle Personal Injury Protection (SB 408 and SB 1694).
“Thank you for sponsoring and supporting the Property and Motor Vehicle Personal Injury Protection bills (SB 408 & SB 1694.)”
Garrett Richter
District Office: (239) 417-6205
Capitol Office: (850) 487-5124
RICHTER.GARRETT.S37@flsenate.gov