Latest Homeowners Headlines

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

Burden of proof to determine insurance coverage in ‘slab’ case

Nov 19 2006 // When asked to determine coverage under an insurance policy, courts frequently recite the principle that the insured has the burden of proving coverage under the policy and the insurer has the burden of proving exclusions...

Smoke Alarm Donated by Texas Coalition Alerts Disabled Homeowner

Nov 16 2006 // A 62 year old Waco, Texas, resident can thank a donated smoke alarm for possibly saving her life and her home recently. Madeline Goff, who is assisted by a walker, was alerted by smoke alarms that she had a potential fire...

Gov. Blanco Wants Overhaul for Louisiana’s ‘Last Resort’ Insurer

Nov 16 2006 // Louisiana’s Legislature needs to overhaul the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp., created by the state as an “insurer of last resort,” because of problems created by last year’s hurricanes,...

La. State Insurance Program to Seek rate Increases

Nov 15 2006 // Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state’s insurer of last resort, wants to increase homeowners rates by an average 31.7 percent for its 135,000 policyholders. Citizens, the third-largest insurer in the...

Progress Reported in Handling La.’s Road Home Grants

Nov 13 2006 // The number of rebuilding grants through Louisiana’s Road Home program tripled over the past week and officials say they expect to meet the goal of approving 10,000 grants by the end of November. The increase came as...

Lawmakers say New Orleans insurance analysis reveals racial imbalance

Nov 6 2006 // Outreach measures never reached many minority homeowners, study found Associated Press analysis showing white homeowners in New Orleans were three times as likely as minorities to appeal insurance settlements after...

Homeowners want insurance carriers to offer identity theft coverage

Nov 6 2006 // More than 40 percent of consumers would like their homeowners insurance carrier to offer coverage for identity theft, according to a study released by J.D. Power and Associates. The “2006 Homeowners Insurance...

Hawaii’s earthquake losses, not earthquake policies, on the rise

Nov 6 2006 // Estimated damages from the two earthquakes that struck Hawaii on Oct. 15 have been rising. Yet the recent disaster has not spurred homeowners and businesses to purchase earthquake coverage, according the state’s...

Insurance credit scoring plagued with fundamental problems

Nov 6 2006 // A fundamental problem exists with insurance scoring. The problem is that insurance scores and credit scores reflect correlation, but correlation does not necessarily indicate dependency upon which effective decisions can...

News Currents

Nov 5 2006 // Even though the storm disproportionately affected poor blacks, many residents of predominantly black neighborhoods said they were not aware they could seek state help, or else were skeptical about the help...

Hawaii’s earthquake losses, not earthquake policies, on the rise

Nov 5 2006 // Estimated damages from the two earthquakes that struck Hawaii on Oct. 15 have been rising. Yet the recent disaster has not spurred homeowners and businesses to purchase earthquake coverage, according the state’s...

Homeowners want insurance carriers to offer identity theft coverage

Nov 5 2006 // More than 40 percent of consumers would like their homeowners insurance carrier to offer coverage for identity theft, according to a study released by J.D. Power and Associates. The “2006 Homeowners Insurance...

Insurance credit scoring plagued with fundamental problems

Nov 5 2006 // A fundamental problem exists with insurance scoring. The problem is that insurance scores and credit scores reflect correlation, but correlation does not necessarily indicate dependency upon which effective decisions can...

U.S. Considers Mandating Sprinkler Systems in All Nursing Homes

Nov 3 2006 // All nursing homes could soon be required to have sprinkler systems, a move aimed at updating an estimated 2,500 older facilities around the country. The federal agency that oversees the safety of nursing homes has asked...

Water Tanks, Washing Machines Likely to Soak the House

Nov 1 2006 // Of all the appliances found in the home, the water heater and washing machine are the most likely to cause serious damage and leave home owners financially high and dry. According to a nationwide analysis by Safeco...

Evacuees Return to Find Homes Destroyed by Calif. Wildfire

Nov 1 2006 // While crews made progress on a wildfire that killed four firefighters, evacuees began returning to their homes — often to find nothing left. Carol Hurley stood Saturday at the still-smoldering wreckage of a...

Crist, Davis Vow Different Approaches if Elected Fla. Governor

Oct 30 2006 // Charlie Crist and Jim Davis agree that three challenges facing Florida are skyrocketing homeowners insurance rates, rising property taxes and public schools that some rank among the nation’s worst. That’s where...

HUD Charges Erie, Agents with Unfair Bias; Erie Calls Charges ‘Misguided’

Oct 30 2006 // The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has charged Erie Insurance Group and five independent insurance agencies with violating the Fair Housing Act. HUD alleges that they provided inferior insurance products...

J.D. Power: Homeowners Want Carriers to Offer Identity Theft

Oct 30 2006 // More than 40 percent of consumers would like their homeowners insurance carrier to offer coverage for identity theft, according to a study released by J.D. Power and Associates. The 2006 Homeowners Insurance Study reported...

Lawmakers: AP’s New Orleans Insurance Analysis Points to Need for Legislation and Outreach

Oct 27 2006 // An Associated Press analysis showing white homeowners in New Orleans were three times as likely as minorities to appeal insurance settlements after Hurricane Katrina points to a deep racial imbalance and the need for...