Comments on: Homeowner Insurance – Shifting The Burden To The Florida Taxpayers http://notmadeofmoney.com/blog/2007/01/homeowner-insurance-shifting-the-burden-to-the-florida-taxpayers.html Save Money - A Personal Finance Blog By A Husband And Wife Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:48:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Insurance » Blog Archive » Not Made Of Money » Homeowner Insurance - Shifting http://notmadeofmoney.com/blog/2007/01/homeowner-insurance-shifting-the-burden-to-the-florida-taxpayers.html/comment-page-1#comment-108920 Insurance » Blog Archive » Not Made Of Money » Homeowner Insurance - Shifting Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:15:41 +0000 http://notmadeofmoney.com/blog/2007/01/homeowner-insurance-shifting-the-burden-to-the-florida-taxpayers.html#comment-108920 [...] Visit website: notmadeofmoney.com [...] [...] Visit website: notmadeofmoney.com [...]

]]> By: Deb http://notmadeofmoney.com/blog/2007/01/homeowner-insurance-shifting-the-burden-to-the-florida-taxpayers.html/comment-page-1#comment-21175 Deb Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:37:35 +0000 http://notmadeofmoney.com/blog/2007/01/homeowner-insurance-shifting-the-burden-to-the-florida-taxpayers.html#comment-21175 I think I know some reasons why the cost of homeowner’s insurance is so outrageous and why so many policies are being cancelled. Due to hurricane damage we had to have a new roof put on our home. Four months later while our screen room was being installed we learned that portions of our new roof consists of new shingles that are attached to badly rotted wood. As a homeowner and taxpayer I find the knowledge I have gained from this ordeal to be very troubling. Apparently Florida contractors can easily get away with doing substandard work that does not comply with the Florida Building Code. I filed a complaint against the contractor with the State of Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). They sent me a letter stating that the matter should be handled on the local level. The local Building Department has done nothing other than give me a letter indicating which portions of the Florida Building Code they actually enforce. The letter states that they rely on the contractor’s honesty and integrity. It seems like this lack of action and concern would only encourage this type of fraudulent activity. I have also learned that although Florida statutes indicate that Building Inspectors must be licensed by the State of Florida there seems to be exceptions. The substandard work that was done on my home passed inspection based on the professional opinion of a plumber who works for the City Building Department rather than the opinion of a qualified, licensed Building Inspector. Now I have learned that I must accept the financial responsibility to have my home repaired properly. That alone will cost approximately $10,000.00. If I want to take legal action against the contractor I must also pay for a home inspection. Then I will need to pay an attorney hundreds of dollars per hour and pay for court costs as well. I will also have to locate another roofer who will be willing to go to court with me as an expert witness and pay him to do so. Many people cannot afford to pay for the repairs so taking legal action against the contractor is not even an option. Therefore the negligent contractors are free to continue doing business in this manner. I keep looking at this devastating financial disaster and wondering how this happened. We are hurricane victims and we had homeowner’s insurance. We checked out and hired a licensed contractor. The work underwent the mandatory inspections. So how did we end up in this situation? What happens to victims such as the elderly and disabled who do not have thousands of dollars to pay for all of this? What happened to the laws and government agencies that are supposed to protect Florida homeowners? It seems to me that our current laws and system only encourage this type of fraudulent activity and it obviously does contribute to the rising cost of homeowner’s insurance. The current system clearly does not work in a manner that provides protection for the residents of Florida. Even more disturbing is the fact that none of our elected officials can tell me how this happened or what action they plan to take in an effort to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else. As our lawmakers scratch their heads wondering what can be done about the rising cost of homeowner’s insurance I sit here thinking that portions of the solution are rather obvious. Fully enforce the Florida Building Code, use competent, qualified, licensed Building Inspectors and make the DBPR function in a manner that truly protects homeowners and their insurance companies instead of protecting negligent and incompetent contractors! I think I know some reasons why the cost of homeowner’s insurance is so outrageous and why so many policies are being cancelled. Due to hurricane damage we had to have a new roof put on our home. Four months later while our screen room was being installed we learned that portions of our new roof consists of new shingles that are attached to badly rotted wood.

As a homeowner and taxpayer I find the knowledge I have gained from this ordeal to be very troubling. Apparently Florida contractors can easily get away with doing substandard work that does not comply with the Florida Building Code. I filed a complaint against the contractor with the State of Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). They sent me a letter stating that the matter should be handled on the local level. The local Building Department has done nothing other than give me a letter indicating which portions of the Florida Building Code they actually enforce. The letter states that they rely on the contractor’s honesty and integrity. It seems like this lack of action and concern would only encourage this type of fraudulent activity.

I have also learned that although Florida statutes indicate that Building Inspectors must be licensed by the State of Florida there seems to be exceptions. The substandard work that was done on my home passed inspection based on the professional opinion of a plumber who works for the City Building Department rather than the opinion of a qualified, licensed Building Inspector.

Now I have learned that I must accept the financial responsibility to have my home repaired properly. That alone will cost approximately $10,000.00. If I want to take legal action against the contractor I must also pay for a home inspection. Then I will need to pay an attorney hundreds of dollars per hour and pay for court costs as well. I will also have to locate another roofer who will be willing to go to court with me as an expert witness and pay him to do so. Many people cannot afford to pay for the repairs so taking legal action against the contractor is not even an option. Therefore the negligent contractors are free to continue doing business in this manner.

I keep looking at this devastating financial disaster and wondering how this happened. We are hurricane victims and we had homeowner’s insurance. We checked out and hired a licensed contractor. The work underwent the mandatory inspections. So how did we end up in this situation? What happens to victims such as the elderly and disabled who do not have thousands of dollars to pay for all of this? What happened to the laws and government agencies that are supposed to protect Florida homeowners? It seems to me that our current laws and system only encourage this type of fraudulent activity and it obviously does contribute to the rising cost of homeowner’s insurance.

The current system clearly does not work in a manner that provides protection for the residents of Florida. Even more disturbing is the fact that none of our elected officials can tell me how this happened or what action they plan to take in an effort to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.

As our lawmakers scratch their heads wondering what can be done about the rising cost of homeowner’s insurance I sit here thinking that portions of the solution are rather obvious. Fully enforce the Florida Building Code, use competent, qualified, licensed Building Inspectors and make the DBPR function in a manner that truly protects homeowners and their insurance companies instead of protecting negligent and incompetent contractors!

]]> By: Jeanine http://notmadeofmoney.com/blog/2007/01/homeowner-insurance-shifting-the-burden-to-the-florida-taxpayers.html/comment-page-1#comment-12742 Jeanine Thu, 17 May 2007 19:22:03 +0000 http://notmadeofmoney.com/blog/2007/01/homeowner-insurance-shifting-the-burden-to-the-florida-taxpayers.html#comment-12742 we are in the same position. We have a small 3 bed 1 bath home. built in 71. They doubled our insurance. They are telling us that the replacement cost is what makes it so high too, nevermind that we couldnt' even sell our house even close to what they say the replacement cost it. so we are yet screwed again by insurance. we have only lived here for 4 years. we are most likely going to have to sell our home because we just can't afford it with the insurance. we have been sick about it ever since we found out, it is all we can think about. wondering how we are even going to pay our bill next month because it went up so high. how can they get away with this? we are in the same position. We have a small 3 bed 1 bath home. built in 71. They doubled our insurance. They are telling us that the replacement cost is what makes it so high too, nevermind that we couldnt’ even sell our house even close to what they say the replacement cost it. so we are yet screwed again by insurance. we have only lived here for 4 years. we are most likely going to have to sell our home because we just can’t afford it with the insurance. we have been sick about it ever since we found out, it is all we can think about. wondering how we are even going to pay our bill next month because it went up so high. how can they get away with this?

]]> By: Larry http://notmadeofmoney.com/blog/2007/01/homeowner-insurance-shifting-the-burden-to-the-florida-taxpayers.html/comment-page-1#comment-12651 Larry Thu, 17 May 2007 09:33:04 +0000 http://notmadeofmoney.com/blog/2007/01/homeowner-insurance-shifting-the-burden-to-the-florida-taxpayers.html#comment-12651 I recently renewed my policy for my home in Collier county. I live 20 milles from coast and have never had a claim in 35 years. My policy doubled in cost this year with it being due May 28th. The company said they were not passing any savings to me because Charlies new state bill is effective after June 1 and that my 35 years of being a good customer didn't count for anything. I cancelled my policy and found another for 400 less. I could tell they were glad that I cancelled. I think the future of insurnace and your good old company you been with for years thing is over. I think its just going to be a yearly struggle for insurance all they way up to where we cant afford it. I recently renewed my policy for my home in Collier county. I live 20 milles from coast and have never had a claim in 35 years. My policy doubled in cost this year with it being due May 28th. The company said they were not passing any savings to me because Charlies new state bill is effective after June 1 and that my 35 years of being a good customer didn’t count for anything.
I cancelled my policy and found another for 400 less. I could tell they were glad that I cancelled.
I think the future of insurnace and your good old company you been with for years thing is over. I think its just going to be a yearly struggle for insurance all they way up to where we cant afford it.

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