Brandes pushes property insurance special session

[TexasTowelie]

TALLAHASSEE — Sen. Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican who has argued for taking aggressive action to deal with Florida’s property insurance problems, intends to pursue polling lawmakers about holding a special legislative session if House and Senate leaders don’t call a session on the insurance issue.

In a letter Wednesday to Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, and House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, Brandes said “Floridians are suffering from skyrocketing rate increases” and that he might use a provision in state law to try to spur a special session.

“If you are unwilling to issue the call for a property insurance special session and the House and Senate refuse to issue a joint proclamation, I plan to pursue Section 11.011, Florida Statutes, and poll my legislative colleagues for their support of a special session on property insurance in order to prevent further collapse,” Brandes wrote.

Under law, Brandes would first have to get 20 percent of the Legislature to file support for a special session with the Department of State. If the 20 percent mark is reached, the department would have seven days to poll lawmakers. A session would be held if it is supported by three-fifths of the House and three-fifths of the Senate.

Read more: https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2022/04/06/brandes-pushes-property-insurance-special-session/

[jimfields33]

1. It is a problem. Reason is roofs!

Insurance companies seem to want to have new roofs a little over 10 years. Roofs costs a fortune. Mine is going to be 18K. Ridiculous! We should be able to keep the roofs until they need natural replacement.

[TexasTowelie]

2. Underwriters are not going to allow that.

It seems pointless to insure the contents of a home when the roof is likely to fly off in a hurricane. In addition, older roofing is a liability concern if it falls off and injures someone (yeah, the idiots that go outside during the eye of a hurricane).

[onethatcares]

3. every year Florida has a homeowners insurance problem

usually a special session is called and legislators return to Tallahassee to collect overtime, eat at fine restaurants and pretend they aren't scratching the insurance company's' bellies as they bemoan the rate increases they allow.

It's Florida dammit, what do you expect?

After buying a new old home three years ago it took 5 months to find a company that would insure it due to the type of exterior siding that was used in the 50s (asbestos) and removal and replacement of said siding would be a real financial burden for all those that have it.

So I have choices. Carry no insurance (own home), try to find a liability/fire policy only (ain't gonna happen), or take out a mortgage and let my mortgage company charge exorbitant rates along with the monthly payment, or take a policy with a high deductible and pray there's not a clause in the insurance contract that screws me over. (the one I ended up with).