Looking to rent property? Don’t fall victim to these common scams
Consumers frequently turn to Craigslist when searching for an apartment or a home to rent because the popular online classified advertising site abounds with rental listings. At this time of year housing is on the minds of many college students. Unfortunately, the Better Business Bureau warns that scamming is on the minds of many crooks. A study by New York University last year uncovered 29,000 fake listings on Craigslist among 2 million for-rent ads in 20 major cities. It fu
How to speed up a landlord insurance claim.
You’ve protected your property with landlord insurance, and now you need to make a claim. Your insurance claim will take time to process. However, there are steps you can take to reach a result more quickly. Here are some tips to help speed up your landlord insurance claim. On the Day Taking action on the day an insured incident occurs can significantly speed up a landlord insurance claim. Call the Police If you have been the victim of theft, tenant theft, or malicious damage
6 ways to protect your home from flooding
Flooding can strike anywhere and -- as the name "flash flooding" implies -- at any time. Floods are the most common and most expensive natural disaster in the U.S., and no state or territory is safe, according to FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Ignore the risk and you could be sloshing around smelly and soaked carpeting, furniture, walls, appliances, lighting, and ruined electronics and keepsakes. Mold soon follows. You'll find yourself ripping out walls to rea
Repeat Claims Inundate Federal Flood Insurance Program
FEMA defines a 'repetitive-loss property' as having two or more claims of more than $1,000 over 10 years. As Congress works out the differences in several bills to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program, a local flood insurance expert says lowering the number of properties that put in repeat flood claims is a top priority.
Joe Rossi, chairman of the Marshfield and Massachusetts coastal coalitions, said 150,000 buildings across the country are considered problem st
Commentary: Insurers protecting their bottom line in Florida
It is absolutely disgraceful and disrespectful for insurance companies to ignore homeowners in their biggest time of need. However, that’s not the whole story. The reality is, a storm is brewing in Florida and it’s a result of insurers protecting their own bottom line instead of protecting property owners. Big insurance carriers throughout Florida and even the state-run property insurer, Citizens, spent this year’s legislative session in Tallahassee trying to convince lawmake
On Property Insurance Claim Tips
Hurricane Disaster Planning 2017 - Suggestions From An Insurance Claim Expert “Recovery from a hurricane is a difficult, long term process,” says Craig Fugate, former FEMA National Emergency Management Director. Listening to all the pundits talk and write about 2017 hurricane disaster planning, I was reminded about the former big Wall Street brokerage firm, E. F. Hutton and their tag line that ran with commercials some years ago. It went like this, “When E. F. Hutton talks,
Citizens Property Insurance to increase rates because of water damage claims
The Citizens Property Insurance Board of Governors on Tuesday unanimously backed proposed rate increases that would hit South Florida policyholders hardest next year.
The changes, if approved by state regulators, would boost personal-lines policies on average by 5.3 percent and commercial lines by 8.4 percent. Personal-lines policyholders are homeowners, condominium-unit owners and renters. Insurer to take thousands of Citizens policies The state-backed insurer also moved f
How to File a Homeowner’s Property Damage Insurance Claim
1.) Notify your homeowner’s insurance company Your insurance policy contract requires you to report the property damage claim to them promptly. Failure to do so within your contract’s stated time limit could possibly result in the denial of your claim. It is important to note that even if you must evacuate the premises of your property, you still must contact your insurance company as soon as possible. Depending on your insurance company, this can be done over the phone or on
Baypointe Preserve Condominium Association alleges insurer wrongfully denied water damage claim
CLEARWATER – The owner of a St. Petersburg property alleges that its insurer wrongfully denied its claim for damages. Baypointe Preserve Condominium Association Inc. filed a complaint on June 15 in the 6th Judicial Circuit of Florida - Pinellas County against American Coastal Insurance Co. alleging breach of contract. According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on Jan. 12, a plumbing leak occurred in the hallway of plaintiff's insured property. The suit states the
MILLIONS OF HOMES CONTAIN FAILING CAST IRON PIPES
Cast iron was widely used for piping until around 1975, when PVC piping became the material of choice. Cast iron pipe has an average life span of 50-75 years under ideal conditions. In less than ideal conditions, cast iron pipes may only last 25-50 years. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average age of a broken water main in the U.S. is 47 years. For homes 50 years or older, this means that their pipes are nearing their breaking point. Nationwide, a
