Latest Homeowners Headlines
All the headlines from our Homeowners Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Fla. Home Mitigation Program Grants Won’t Be Taxed as Income
Dec 14 2007 // Grants awarded to Florida homeowners through the My Safe Florida Home program will not be reported as taxable income to the federal government. Florida CFO Alex Sink made the announcement after receiving a Letter Ruling...
N.C. Building Council Declines Proposal on Sprinklers in Some Homes
Dec 13 2007 // The North Carolina Building Code Council declined to consider a request that sprinkler systems be required in new large or multistory homes, a setback for firefighters who sought the change following an October beach house...
Consumer Group Challenges Farmers Insurance’s California Homeowners Rate Increase
Dec 7 2007 // A California consumer group is challenging Farmers Insurance Co.’s request for a rate increase of 6.9 percent. The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR), in a petition filed Monday with the state...
Fla. Homes Evacuated When 30 Unexploded World War II Bombs Found
Dec 3 2007 // A Key West, Fla., landscaping crew about to grind a tree stump stumbled across 30 World War II mortar shells buried in the ground on property once owned by the U.S. Navy. A worker hit and broke one of the live shells last...
A Nod to Dodd
Dec 2 2007 // Sen. Trent Lott, R- Miss., appears to have quieted down since his Hurricane Katrina claim has been settled, so perhaps people will start listening to other senators in Washington on property insurance and natural disaster...
A Nod to Dodd
Dec 2 2007 // Sen. Trent Lott, R- Miss., appears to have quieted down since his Hurricane Katrina claim has been settled, so perhaps people will start listening to other senators in Washington on property insurance and natural disaster...
Homeowners Can Be Liable if Trees, Bushes Cause Traffic Accidents
Dec 2 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 recently. The...
Arbella, MetLife, Main Street Amend Mass. Rates; OneBeacon Unveils Plans
Nov 28 2007 // Several Massachusetts auto insurers have amended last week’s filings to further lower rates and increase discounts for safe drivers while another revealed its plans for 2008 under the new managed care system. MetLife...
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...
