Florida has been so lucky for the past few years. We have, for the most part, been ignored by the Atlantic hurricane seasons, and we have yet to see the massive annual snowfalls that the Northeast has put up with this year. Don’t laugh — the weather has been weird enough lately that anything seems possible. Next week we may see frogs falling from the sky.
You have homeowner’s insurance on your property to help pay for the unexpected. When your home is damaged, you would assume your insurance provider would help pay for at least some the expenses associated with the damages and repairs.
In 2012, Hurricane Sandy raged across the east coast. Although the storm hit some areas harder than it did others, it caused property damage from Florida to Maine. The damage resulted in 144,000 claims filed with insurance companies contracted by the National Flood Insurance Program.
We are continuing our discussion of sinkholes and the difference between New Jersey and Florida. New Jersey has, as we said, had a rash of sinkholes appear; one swallowed a snow plow. Florida, of course, has its own Sinkhole Alley — Pasco, Hillsborough and Hernando counties — and a reputation to maintain.
We are going to pause in our discussion of sinkholes in New Jersey to explain who Henny Youngman was. We realize that our baby boomer is showing around the edges.
If the Northeast is going to share its weather with Florida, perhaps it is only fair that we share something with those states. New Jersey, in particular, has been learning about the dangers of sinkholes.
After our last three posts, you may be wondering what could possibly be left, what other information can an insurance policy contain? We have the insuring agreement, the exemptions and exceptions, the dec page … we know that skimming is a bad idea. What else?
We have started the new year off with some information about mid-term cancellations of homeowners insurance policies. It is not exactly an upbeat topic, but it does offer fodder for resolutions. If you are truthful on your application, pay your premiums and follow the insurer’s instructions about repairs, you shouldn’t get the dreaded notice of cancellation.
As odd as it seems, it is possible that an entire generation of Floridians will never have to live through a hurricane. If the 2015 season is as quiet as the last few years have been, we will have a full decade of hurricane-free living under our belts.
If you are among the thousands of Florida homeowners who were “depopulated” from Citizens Property Insurance Corp. last year, you may now be dealing with a different insurer for the first time in years. The coverage may vary slightly, but the basic terms of the contract and your relationship with the insurance company have not changed. State law makes sure of that.
