Latest Homeowners Headlines
All the headlines from our Homeowners Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Fla. Homeowners Can Be Liable if Trees, Bushes Cause Traffic Accidents
Nov 26 2007 // Homeowners who let bushes, shrubs and trees extend into the public right of way may be held liable if the foliage contributes to accidents by blocking motorists’ view, the Florida Supreme Court ruled last week. The...
Numbers of Mo. Homeowners Buying Earthquake Insurance Drops
Nov 26 2007 // The cost of earthquake insurance has gone up in Missouri, and the number of people buying it has gone down. Figures from the state Department of Insurance show that earthquake coverage was carried on fewer than 38 percent...
Wind-Driven Wildfire Strikes Malibu Again, 49 Homes Destroyed
Nov 26 2007 // Glen Sunyich has seen flames ravage the canyons and mountains above Malibu, Calif., three times and has been thankful his home was spared. The fourth time, he wasn’t so lucky. Sunyich’s home was among 49, along...
4th Circuit Sides with La. Homeowner in Katrina Lawsuit
Nov 21 2007 // An insurance company should have paid for Hurricane Katrina damage to a policyholder’s home because it’s unclear what types of flood damage were excluded from coverage by its homeowner policies, a state appeals...
Survey: 96 Million Households Lack Knowledge on Protecting Electronics
Nov 20 2007 // As the holiday shopping season unofficially kicks off this week, about 42 million American households plan to give or receive high-tech electronic products this year. However, about seven out of eight households...
Florida Regulators Deny Allstate Rate Increases
Nov 19 2007 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation issued Notices of Intent to disapprove five rate filings submitted by Allstate Floridian Insurance Co., Allstate Floridian Indemnity Co., Encompass Floridian Insurance Co., and...
N.H. Court: Homeowners Exclusion Applies in Babysitter Molestation
Nov 18 2007 // A New Hampshire couple sued for negligence after their son molested children they were babysitting does not have coverage under their homeowners policy that has a sexual molestation exclusion, the New Hampshire Supreme...
Recovery Steps
Nov 18 2007 // Washington has taken rare steps toward building a federal disaster plan. Not everyone agrees this is a good development but property owners in the Southeast should be watching closely as they could be among the most...
Disaster Recovery
Nov 18 2007 // Disaster recovery still is very much on the minds of property owners and insurers in the South Central region despite relatively mild back-to-back catastrophe years. Louisiana has a long way to go before the state can say...
Protecting Antiques is More Than Just a Sentimental Journey
Nov 18 2007 // With the surge of reality-based programs such as Antiques Road Show and networks like HGTV gaining popularity, many homeowners are pulling out grandma’s old rocking chair from storage or taking a second look at a set...
Congress Considers Disaster Legislation to Alleviate Coastal Insurance Crisis
Nov 18 2007 // House passes measure opposed by Bush and insurance industry remains at odds on best solution Disaster legislation is hot on the minds of congressional leaders this month as a handful of bills made their way to both the...
Miss. Development Authority Gets Money for pre-Katrina Homeowners
Nov 15 2007 // The state of Mississippi has cleared the way for at least 186 homeowners to receive partial grants to help rebuild even though they were previously denied federal aid. The Mississippi Development Authority announced the...
Lexington Offers Green Upgrade for Residential Coverage
Nov 15 2007 // Lexington Insurance Co., a member company of American International Group Inc. introduced Upgrade To Green Residential, an insurance coverage allowing U.S. homeowner policyholders to rebuild their property to...
Senate Bills Offer Tax Credits, Loans to Help Property Owners Hit by Disasters
Nov 13 2007 // Saying he believes that immediate assistance is needed for those living near coastal areas who are grappling with skyrocketing property insurance premiums, Senator Chris Dodd, D-Conn., chairman of the Senate Banking,...
Allstate Cuts West Virginia Home Insurance Rates
Nov 12 2007 // Allstate customers in West Virginia will be paying less for homeowners’ insurance. The company announced last week that West Virginia homeowners with Allstate insurance policies will get an average rate cut of 10...
Group Urges Buyout Plan for Hurricane-Damaged Homes in New Orleans
Nov 12 2007 // Louisiana’s Road Home program could end up buying about 7,000 hurricane-damaged properties in New Orleans, creating what one faith-based group sees as a golden opportunity for new homeownership in a city that had a...
Reinsurers Blast Federal Disaster Backup Plan Advancing in Congress
Nov 12 2007 // The nation’s reinsurance industry is criticizing Congressional natural disaster legislation as raising false hopes about addressing the homeowners insurance market in areas prone to hurricanes, at the expense of U.S....
Jury Favors La. Homeowner in Katrina Damage Suit Against State Farm
Nov 9 2007 // A jury on Nov. 7 sided with a south Louisiana couple in the first federal trial in Louisiana against State Farm Insurance Cos. over Hurricane Katrina damage. An attorney for plaintiffs Michael and Judy Kodrin and a State...
Houses Passes Federal Disaster Insurance Measure Opposed by Bush
Nov 9 2007 // A day after a similar bill was introduced in the Senate, the House of Representatives passed federal legislation to help hurricane and disaster-prone states make property insurance more readily available to residents...
Fireman’s Fund Offers to Rebuild Wildfire Homes “Green”
Nov 7 2007 // In response to the Southern California wildfires that burned in late October, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. is responding with an innovative green upgrade for affected policyholders. The company said it will rebuild...
