Latest Homeowners Headlines

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

Mo. Court Dismisses Homeowners’ Lawsuits Alleging Discrimination

Mar 20 2007 // Attorneys for a group of homeowners said they will continue the fight after a federal judge dismissed their lawsuits charging some of the nation’s largest insurers with discriminating against black neighborhoods. U.S...

Settlement Reached in Miss. Homeowner’s Case Against State Farm

Mar 19 2007 // State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. avoided the court room and possibly days of litigation by settling out of court with a D’Iberville homeowner who sued the company after Hurricane Katrina reduced her house to a...

La.’s Donelon Forges Settlement with Allstate over Cancelled Policies

Mar 19 2007 // Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon announced that he has reached a favorable settlement for the 4,772 Allstate policyholders in four south Louisiana parishes whose homeowners insurance was cancelled as part of...

La. Lawmakers Support Overhaul of Citizens Insurance Company

Mar 19 2007 // Two Louisiana lawmakers said they support a plan to overhaul the state-backed insurance company by opening much of its business to bidding among private firms. Sen. James David Cain, chairman of the Senate Insurance...

La.’s Road Home Program Hits the Road for Katrina Victims

Mar 16 2007 // Louisiana’s Road Home program, criticized by lawmakers for too slowly disbursing grants for homeowners ousted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, is hitting the road to reach more applicants. The program, which provides...

PSIC Reduces Rates in the California Homeowners Market

Mar 16 2007 // Property and casualty insurer Pacific Specialty Insurance Co. has rate reductions in its suite of residential property products in California. Rates have been reduced 17 percent on preferred homeowners HO-3, 11 percent on...

EPA Allows Demolition of 1,200 Hurricane-Damaged Homes in Miss.

Mar 15 2007 // About 1,200 hurricane-damaged homes in south Mississippi can be torn down under rules that have been extended by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA’s No Action Assurance program runs until Sept. 30 for...

Allstate Ordered to Reduce Texas Homeowners Rates; Refund $56M

Mar 14 2007 // The Texas Department of Insurance reported that on March 8, 2007, the Travis County District Court affirmed an earlier order by Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin requiring Allstate Texas Lloyds to reduce its...

La.’s Citizens Agrees to Mass Settlement of Hurricane Suits

Mar 12 2007 // Louisiana’s state-run insurer has agreed to a mass settlement with more than 100 policyholders, a deal believed to be the first of its kind in the state since hurricanes Katrina and Rita spawned thousands of...

Fla. homeowners seek cover for permit fees

Mar 12 2007 // Alleging that insurers failed to pay or properly adjust claims for 200,000 policyholders in Florida by ignoring fees for rebuilding permits, a group representing homeowners has filed suits against three insurers. The...

Understanding coverage gaps in farm/ranch policies

Mar 12 2007 // Is the rural dwelling a home or a ranch? It’s an important distinction, as there can be substantial differences in coverage. For example, a standard homeowners policy covers fencing, as well as the contents of...

News Currents

Mar 12 2007 // La. insurance regulators order Allstate to reverse cancellations Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon on Mar. 6 ordered Allstate to scrap its property inspection process that led to the cancellation of more than...

Understanding coverage gaps in farm/ranch policies

Mar 12 2007 // When underwriting farms and ranches, it’s important to understand the subtle nuances in risk. After all, a loss to either could mean the policyholders not only have damage to their home, but also to their...

N.D. Flex Rating Proposal for Auto, Homeowners Advances

Mar 8 2007 // The North Dakota House Industry Business and Labor Committee unanimously approved legislation this week that would implement a 5 percent flex band rating system for automobile and homeowners insurance. The bill SF 2296...

New Insurer Caters PUREly to Florida High Net Worth Clientele

Mar 7 2007 // Florida’s wealthy and privileged residents have a new personal lines insurer promising to save them money on premiums for their homes, cars and belongings. The company will sell property/casualty insurance for high...

La. Commissioner Orders Allstate to Reinstate Policyholders

Mar 6 2007 // Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon has ordered Allstate to scrap its property inspection process that led to the cancellation of more than 4,700 homeowners policies and reinstate coverage on those homeowners...

La. AG Says Contractor Fraud Fugitive Arrested in Fla.

Mar 5 2007 // Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., recently announced that his office has arrested an individual suspected of defrauding numerous homeowners in Orleans, Jefferson and St. Charles Parish who were trying to repair their...

Fla. Home Premiums Could Fall 10%-50% Under New Reinsurance Law

Mar 5 2007 // Florida homeowners could see average property insurance savings ranging from around 10 percent in the Panhandle to more than half the cost of their policy in South Florida because of a new law, state insurance officials...

La. DOI to Inspect Some Allstate Insured Properties

Mar 2 2007 // Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon announced that Department of Insurance staff will be inspecting the properties of 18 Allstate policyholders in Jefferson, Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes who complained to...

Fla. Homeowners File Suit Seeking Payments for Permit Fees

Feb 28 2007 // Alleging that insurers failed to pay or properly adjust claims for 200,000 policyholders in Florida by ignoring fees for rebuilding permits, a group representing homeowners has filed suits against three insurers. The...