Latest Property Headlines

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

Today Is Crist’s Day of Decision on Florida Property Insurance Bill

Jun 1 2010 // The omnibus property insurance bill, SB2044, becomes law at the end of today, unless Florida Governor Charlie Crist vetoes it. Crist could sign the bill or just let it become law without his signature. But if he intends to...

Arkansas Supreme Court: Class Action Suit Against Insurer Can Proceed

May 26 2010 // The Arkansas Supreme Court has affirmed a lower court order certifying class action status in a case involving an insurer’s depreciation practices in property claims against “actual cash value” homeowners...

Report: Property, Violent Crimes Drop by 5% in 2009

May 25 2010 // Crime rates declined in both violent and property crimes in the United States last year, according to the FBI’s Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report released today. Preliminary 2009 statistics indicate that...

MGAs Called Critical to Florida’s Property Insurance Market

May 25 2010 // Several of Florida’s insurers with affiliated managing general agencies (MGAs) have come in for criticism recently but there is no widespread problem with the MGA model, regulators and insurance industry executives...

Flood Insurance Rates Cut for Property Owners Affected By Remapping

May 24 2010 // Property owners across the country fearing they may be forced to buy expensive flood insurance under a push to draw up new floodplain maps will catch a break by being offered the coverage at sharply lower rates for two...

Iowa Supreme Court Rules Property Owners Can Sue State Over Floods

May 24 2010 // Residents and businesses in a northeast Iowa town can sue the state for flood damage caused by a highway project, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled last Friday. The court overturned district court and appeals court decisions...

Property Insurers Watching Ominous Hurricane Forecasts

May 17 2010 // After significant catastrophe losses in first quarter 2010, U.S. property/casualty insurers and global reinsurers are hoping their balance sheets don’t face further financial risks, even as conditions appear ripe for...

Mississippi Gets New Property Insurer: Coastal American

May 17 2010 // A newly-formed Mississippi company with backing from a Florida insurer and local private investors including six independent agencies will begin writing homeowners policies on the coast in Mississippi. Gulfport-based...

Florida Lawmakers Pass Omnibus Property Insurance Bill

May 17 2010 // On the final day of this legislative session, Florida lawmakers passed omnibus legislation that aims to bring more control over homeowners insurance costs, raises the state’s minimum capital requirements for...

Beyond the Flood Zone: Storm Surge Report Shows Coastal Vulnerabilities

May 17 2010 // Homeowners can mitigate against wind damage, but they’re powerless, really, to do anything against storm surge,” said one researcher whose job it is to develop ways to determine the vulnerability of homes and...

Economic Issues Challenge Effective Fire Protection

May 17 2010 // Since their inception in the days of Ben Franklin, our nation’s fire departments have bravely risen to the challenge of the dangerous task of firefighting. Yet, the profound impact of the current and historic...

2010 Super Regional P/C Insurers

May 17 2010 // Demotech Inc. Reveals Leading Multi-State P/C Carriers The original criteria and objective definition for Super Regional P/C Insurers™ was established in the Feb. 12, 2007 issue of Insurance Journal. Prior to the...

Florida Consumer Advocate Dartland to Crist: Sign Property Insurance Bill

May 14 2010 // The chorus urging Florida Gov. Charlie Crist to sign an omnibus property insurance measure passed by the Legislature is growing. One of the state’s leading consumer advocates, Walter Dartland, of the Consumer...

Florida Insurers Head Into Hurricane Season with Fingers Crossed

May 14 2010 // Florida’s property insurance companies haven’t suffered hurricane losses for nearly five years, but many claim to be losing money even while collecting hefty premiums. It’s a complex paradigm for almost...

Crump Adds to Atlanta Team: Sherwin, Duran, Yoss, Feldhaus

May 12 2010 // Crump Insurance Services, Inc. has invested in new talent for its Atlanta brokerage location. Terry Sherwin has joined Crump as the Atlanta office leader; and property brokers Alex Duran, Jordan Yoss and Carl Feldhaus have...

Zurich Expands Underwriting Staff in Southwest

May 12 2010 // Zurich, a property/casualty insurance provider, has added six people to its underwriting staff in its Southwest region offices. They are: Matt Sweesy has been brought in to lead expansion efforts in the Strategic Risk...

Specialty Insurer to Offer High Value Property Lines in Texas

May 11 2010 // PURE Risk Management LLC, based in White Plains, N.Y., is expanding its Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange (PURE), a member-owned reciprocal insurer, to offer comprehensive, customized property and casualty...

Insurers’ Gulf Coast Oil Spill Losses Estimated at $1.4B

May 5 2010 // Companies with exposure to the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico are insured for losses totaling about $1.4 billion, according to initial reports. “The insurance losses from the sinking...

Lo Jack Device Helps in Recovery of $45K in Stolen Property in Louisiana

May 4 2010 // Louisiana State reported that information from Lo Jack Inc. related to a stolen 2006 Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle in the LaPlace area aided in the recovery of $45,000 worth of stolen property. The Suzuki was reported stolen...

Lo Jack Device Helps in Recovery of $45K in Stolen Property in Louisiana

May 3 2010 // Louisiana State reported that information from Lo Jack Inc. related to a stolen 2006 Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle in the LaPlace area aided in the recovery of $45,000 worth of stolen property. The Suzuki was reported stolen...