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Property owners in Florida are well aware of the natural hazards of hurricanes, floods and high winds. Storms that bring these disasters are especially dangerous because they often come with little warning.

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. recently announced that it will post a $27.1 million loss for 2016. The company attributed the loss to rising legal costs and soaring claims stemming from nonweather-related water claims such as burst pipes and sudden dishwasher leaks.

If your home has been damaged by a fire, flood, windstorm, accident, or any other disaster in Florida, it will be critical for you to provide your homeowners’ insurance company with a detailed inventory of your losses. For many homeowners, this is an overwhelming task.

Florida property claims attorneys have squared off against Insurance companies and watchdog groups in a long-standing battle over assignment of benefits reform. Especially with respect to the high volume of non-weather related water emergency claims which are driving insurance rates upward.

Mold can damage your home, making it impossible to sell and potentially even harming your health. Mold is related to moisture, making Florida a particularly troublesome state for mold due to its high humidity levels.

Florida homeowners from the greater Tampa Bay area and elsewhere have a love-hate relationship with Mother Nature. They love the sunshine, but hate the wind and storm damage she can bring.

In January of this year, the Third District Court of Appeal of Florida decided an interesting case involving an insurer’s refusal to pay for the costs of repairing concrete slabs above a leaking drain line. In the lower court, the fact finder ruled in favor of the insured/homeowner, ordering the insurer to foot the bill. On immediate appeal, the insurer asserted that the policy in force did not require the insurer to cover the costs, and the court ultimately held in favor of the insurer, remanding the case with instructions to the lower court.

As many homeowners are aware, property insurance rates have been steadily rising, which insurers and regulators attribute to a surge in water-damage claims. The controversy has prompted lawmakers to join the debate that revolves around a common practice in Florida known as “assignment of benefits.”

Q: Should there be limitations on a homeowner’s right to make an “assignment of benefits” to contractors? For the past five years, insurers and insurance litigation attorneys in Florida have failed to agree on terms for insurance reform surrounding the issue of assignment of benefits from policyholders to contractors, resulting in the death of any bills proposed.

There is no denying the fact that sinkholes regularly occur throughout the Sunshine State. However, as we have previously reported on this blog, over reporting of sinkhole damage to property insurers has grown to be an increasing problem, resulting in stricter policies and procedures for many Florida residents.