Latest Homeowners Headlines

All the headlines from our Homeowners Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Sequioa to Offer Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance in California

Apr 22 2011 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has approved a filing by Sequoia Insurance Co. to offer Pay-as-You-Drive auto insurance coverage. The Monterey, Calif.-based firm joins Automobile Club of Southern California...

Midwest Tornadoes, High Winds Damage Homes, Businesses

Apr 22 2011 // The National Weather Service says at least five tornadoes were part of the storms that battered Ohio early on April 20. Hours before, a tornado measured as an EF3 hit near Girard, Ill., about 20 miles south of Springfield...

Claims Rep Steals $45K from Insurance Settlement

Apr 22 2011 // A claims rep for Nationwide in New York has been arrested for stealing $44,900 that should have been paid to a policyholder whose home burned down. State police arrested Scott E. Wood, of Liverpool, earlier this...

FEMA Approves $22 Million for Mississippi Homeowners’ Storm Mitigation

Apr 21 2011 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved a $22 million grant program to strengthen homes on the Mississippi Coast against destructive winds, according to U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker. Homeowners...

North Carolina Offers Mediation for Storm Claims

Apr 21 2011 // Homeowners in North Carolina whose property suffered recent storm damage but had their claims denied by their insurance company may eligible for a mediation program. Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin announced the...

Ohio Non-Insured Property Exclusion Case Sent Back to Lower Court

Apr 20 2011 // The Supreme Court of Ohio has ruled that a trial court must reconsider arguments in a lawsuit over an exclusion in a homeowners’ insurance policy that bars coverage for claims “arising out of” premises...

Missouri Insurance Dept. Returns More than $2M to Consumers in Q1 2011

Apr 19 2011 // The Missouri Department of Insurance reported it has helped consumers to retrieve $2.4 million from their insurance companies so far in 2011. The insurers returned the money to consumers after the department mediated...

Austin, Texas, Fire Contained; 18 Homes Damaged

Apr 19 2011 // A wildfire in Austin, Texas, believed to have been sparked by a homeless man’s campfire, has burned 100 acres and damaged at least 18 homes. Austin Fire Department spokesman Chayer Smith said he expected the damage...

Florida Approves 18.8% State Farm Rate Increase

Apr 12 2011 // Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty has approved a statewide average 18.8 percent rate increase in State Farm’s homeowners’ policies, which is roughly 10 percent below the 27.9 percent it initially...

The Hartford Targets Homeowners with Electric Vehicles

Apr 7 2011 // The Hartford has added electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at three of its major campuses in Connecticut, an effort tied to the insurer’s decision to add EV charging equipment and green rebuilding coverage...

More Than 300 Homes Evacuated in Colorado Wildfire

Apr 4 2011 // Strong winds fueled a wildfire in canyon country west of Fort Collins, Colo., forcing the evacuation of 335 homes, authorities said April 3. There have been no reports of any injuries or damage to any of the dwellings, but...

Wiring in Faulty Drywall Homes Found to Be Safe

Apr 4 2011 // Federal safety officials have stopped recommending removal of all electrical wiring in homes with problem drywall, a change in the safety protocol that could reduce the cost of remediation for many homes. The U.S. Consumer...

Wiring in Faulty Drywall Homes Found to Be Safe

Apr 4 2011 // Federal safety officials have stopped recommending removal of all electrical wiring in homes with problem drywall, a change in the safety protocol that could reduce the cost of remediation. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety...

Wiring in Faulty Drywall Homes Found to Be Safe

Apr 4 2011 // Federal safety officials have stopped recommending removal of all electrical wiring in homes with problem drywall, a change in the safety protocol that could reduce the cost of remediation for many homes. The U.S. Consumer...

Calif. Senators Introduce National Earthquake Legislation

Apr 4 2011 // U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, both D-Calif., introduced legislation to lower the cost of earthquake insurance for Californians and individuals who purchase coverage from a nonprofit, state-run...

Florida Homeowners Insurers Seek ‘Flex-Rating’ Up to 15%

Apr 4 2011 // Florida lawmakers are considering giving homeowners insurers more flexibility to raise rates. The Florida Senate and Banking Insurance Committee recently approved a bill that would allow insurers to raise their rates up to...

State Farm Denied Rate Hike in Louisiana; Citizens Gets 6.5% Increase

Apr 4 2011 // Louisiana insurance regulators rejected a rate increase from the state’s largest insurer of homes, but the board of the state’s property insurer of last resort approved a rate hike, albeit smaller than the one...

Florida Lawmakers Advance Plan to Shrink State Insurer Citizens

Apr 1 2011 // Florida lawmakers have approved a plan designed to move more property owners into the private insurance market by restricting what properties the state-backed insurer can cover and allowing it to raise its rates. By a vote...

Study: Washington Law Increased Homeowners Insurance Costs by $190 Million

Mar 31 2011 // A new study released by the Insurance Research Council (IRC) has found a Washington law increased homeowners insurance costs by $190 million. The IRC study examined the impact of the Insurance Fair Conduct Act (IFCA),...

Calif. Homeowners Insurance Valuation Training Courses Available Online

Mar 31 2011 // Education to meet the California’s Department of Insurance Homeowners’ Valuation Training requirement can be obtained online. Through the Insurance Community University Web site,...