Declarations

Florida clarification
“It’s something the companies can live with. The clarification in this order addresses all of our concerns.”

Sam Miller, Florida Insurance Council, announcing his members had dropped their suit against a Jan. 31 rule preventing them from canceling some homeowners policies or raising rates until a new law goes into effect June 1. Insurers had asked a state appeals court to overturn the rule, arguing it was too vague. But the Office of Insurance Regulation clarified that companies could proceed with plans not to renew policies for customers who had already been notified they were being dropped. Companies will also be able to resume canceling when they file new required rates in March, with 100 days notice to customers.

Agency drive-thru
“I saw he wasn’t stopping. I was almost in front of the window. I was backing my chair up and screaming at the same time.”

Diane Roberts, the office manager at a State Farm agency in Paducah, Ky., after an 84-year-old man plowed his car into the office where he was planning to pay his bill. His 1994 Nissan Sentra slammed against the building, caving in a wall, breaking a window and knocking off bricks about five feet from where employees worked. No employees were hurt.

Premium real estate
“(Insurance) is a huge deterrent to anyone looking at buying property anywhere in our state. We have property for sale that normally would have been gobbled up but, because of the insurance situation, is just sitting.”

Pensacola, Florida real estate agent John Pinzino who says he still cannot find buyers for the homes and condos he has listed despite a hurricane-free 2006 and what he calls “a strict buyers’ market.” He told the Associated Press that only five of 354 residential properties on the market in Pensacola Beach sold in January.

Jump in in Miss.
“I’ve always wanted to get into politics. I figured the best way to do it is just to jump in. George Dale is showing a blind eye to the people down there.”

Republican Daniel Smith, 27, of Ocean Springs, Miss., a University of Mississippi student who’s scheduled to graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree in human resources. He confirmed he is running for insurance commissioner against incumbent Democrat George Dale and one other Democrat in the race so far, Shawn O’Hara of Hattiesburg, who also has filed to run for the eight other political offices.