Insurance Discounts Scrutinized, Reexamined
May 22nd, 2012 by flanewsThousands of Florida home owners are seeing their insurance discounts vanish. As Whitney Ray tells us, insurance companies are reinspecting homes to see if their customers deserve the yearly discounts they receive for home improvements.
The inspections are at random. Citizens will complete more than 300-thousand before years end. Private insurance companies are also reinspecting homes. All the inspections are being paid for by the insurance companies.
Kevin Roth is a folk singer. He’s also a Citizens Property Insurance customer. So when Citizens dropped coverage for his porch and carport Roth wrote a song.
“Oh, Citizen Insurance is the catastrophic wind. They should spell their name C-i-t-i-S-I-N,” the song goes.
Now the state run insurer may want to reinspect Roth’s home to see if he should keep the discounts he receives for home improvements.
State law requires insurance companies to slash prices for people who strengthen their windows, doors and roofs. But first home owners must fill out this four page form and send in picture proof that the improvements have been made.
But that’s still not enough for Citizens and other insurance companies that feel the discounts are too high. This year Citizens has reinspected 150-thousand homes and six out of 10 have lost at least part of their discount.
Florida Insurance Council Spokesman Sam Miller says private insurers are also doing reviews, because many of the original inspections were done hastily or not at all.
“An inspector would change a cover letter on the form but everything else would be the same form, just copied,” said Miller.
But for Kevin Roth it’s the same song, second verse. He believes insurance companies will keep asking for more money until people speak out.
“They don’t want to write. They don’t want to call. They don’t want to protest,” said Roth.
So for now Roth will continue his one man protest using his guitar and catchy lyrics.
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