Posted by  Lourdes R Fahim, 4910 wishart blvd, tampa, fla 33603 on 08/16  at  12:51 AM

Tonight I heard on your news that the government is giving 5000.00 to help fix your home and matching us but we need to apply under tbo.com under Hurricane key word I did it and I do not see anything that says to apply for Hurricane repairs.  to fix your home.. where can I find it?  thanks Lourdes

Posted by  Robert A. Devious, Hudson, FL on 08/01  at  08:22 PM

The “Lending Companies” are working with the “Insurance Companies” to make nice profits. The “Lending Companies” are holding you hostage. If you don’t pay, they will recall your loan. They sell your loans to the high bidders without your permission. I payed my house off, installed a “High Tech” sprinkler system, had my electrical system inspected. I cancelled my home owners insurance. Yes, there is life with out the $5000.00 annual insurance rip-off. Yes, I place money in a special account for emergencies.

Posted by  ann winney, Bradenton on 07/21  at  12:27 PM

Have had insurance since 1986 with the same company liberty mutual and just found out they are not renewing my polycie this year .they need to do something and do it quick

Posted by  will stanton, kissimmee fl on 07/19  at  01:30 PM

The solution to Florida’s homeowners’ insurance crisis is forcing the state legislature to MANDATE that all/any insurance companies who wish to provide any type of personal-property coverage in Florida (car insurance mostly), MUST also provide homeowner insurance policies as well !  The fact that the state legislature is allowing these private companies to pick-and-choose what they want to write policies covering allows them to pull the string which is unraveling the PYRAMID of insurance.  We all know that like Social Security, insurance is basically a Ponzi scheme.  Florida leaders are making the situation worse by allowing these guys to ONLY take the policies they want.  As the policy ‘cherry picking’ escalates, so will insurance rates!

Posted by  Barbara Naslund, Inverness, FL on 07/18  at  09:28 AM

The phone rang the other day (July 10th) and it was our insurance company calling. They wanted to know if we had any claims from the 8 hurricanes we’ve had in the past two years, since we filed no claims.  Nice and thoughtful of the company we selected 18 years ago?  I think not—they’ve raised our rates by 300% in the past 10 years!!

B.N.

Posted by  Neil Mehelic, Tampa on 06/13  at  12:49 PM

All I have to say is, any of you that support the Bush’s campaign be it Jeb or the other one, this is what you get.

Posted by  Jim Smith, Valrico on 05/21  at  05:05 PM

I have two overhead electric bathroom fans that vent into the attic.  During a hurricane, and because of the difference in air pressure between the inside of the house and the attic, should the vents be blocked?

Posted by  Lynn Smith, McHenry, Il on 05/14  at  08:54 AM

My 74 yr old mother lives in Valrico, FL & will not be able to continue living there if the cost of home owner insurance continues to rise. I would encourage all people living in Florida to write their senators & congressmen & the govenor expressing their outrage at the insurance companies taking advantage of Floridians by trying to raise rates by 70%. For years the insurance companies have made billions in profits. Don’t sit back & do nothing! They have made profits for years & now they want to raise your insurance rates 71%? How can people afford that? People are going to starting exiting Florida in droves because they will no longer be able to afford to live there & all because insurance companies want to continue making big profits. Wake up Florida, write your congressmen & senators now. Have a bite taken out of their profit instead of your wallet!

Posted by  Fernando R. Corbacho, Tampa on 04/14  at  12:58 PM

Before 1968 any construction on the beaches was self insured.
I think that we should go back to the same policy.  Any one that build with in a mile of the cost line should be self insured.  Or get his insurance from Lloyd of London.
Fernando

Posted by  Robin Garcia, Tampa on 04/11  at  01:01 PM

I am just waiting for our homeowners insurance to be cancelled.  Haven’t filed a claim in over 23 years, but I except to be seeking insurance through Citizens shortly.  We do not leave on the water.  We leave in a simple 3/2 in south tampa.  I wish that the governor and state government would do something to fix the problem instead of lining their pockets and the insurance company pockets.  The insurance companies should be made to leave the state completely if they will not sell all of their insurance products in the state including homeowners.  Allstate and State Farm should not be allowed to sell car insurance if they won’t sell homeowners.

Posted by  Charles Plancon, Pinellas Park (unincorporated) on 04/01  at  11:07 AM

If we as a community are as concerned as we should be about the CHHA and Evacuation Zone A property,I ask you all to seek answers from the Pinellas County Commission as to why the county has been driving the land use amendment involving the golden Lantern MHP. I have proven by documentation as well as testimony from our own county experts and the determination of the state DCA that the property which the county has gone to great lengths to remove from the CHHA and Evac. zone A is and will be in these designated areas regardless of whether they “wish it” away. In the future, this year or ten years from now, a catastrophic event WILL occur, when it does and both human life as well as millions of dollars of development which were not allowed to be here will be destroyed. I ask you, at that time will Pinellas County and this “board and administration” take the financial responsibility as well as the moral responsibility for all that was destroyed ?

Posted by  anthony patane, wesley chapel pasco/hillsboro border on 02/23  at  09:53 AM

make it possible to obtain home owners’ insurance without “named” hurricane insurance. with a $3000.00 deductible i’ll “handle” the errant shingle, broken window caused by flying debris myself. i’m sure other homeowners not in high wind areas would consider this option.

Posted by  R Brenna, Zephyrhills, Florida on 02/22  at  07:46 PM

I live in Pasco county and I agree that I shouldn’t have to pay more for homeowners insurance to pay for the damage that has been done to the homes on the coast. I am sorry that those people lost their homes but I shouldn’t have to make up for it just because I live closer inland.

Posted by  LB, Tampa, FL on 02/22  at  07:18 PM

Why should I have to pay more those who want waterfront houses. I do not feel for those who had hurricane damage, that location was your choice & you knew what could happen. There’s too many money hungry people in this world and I don’t have it give!

Posted by  Joe Best, 12804 Lovers Lane, Riverview, FL. 33569 on 02/22  at  03:53 PM

I would like to send you my comments but I am unable due to the size of my file. Please tell me how to send you my file so you may read it. I am sure you will find it informative or at least entertaining!
Thank you
J Best

Posted by  vera price, Zephyrhills. Fl on 02/22  at  03:35 PM

I could not get the movie to play
it only played for less than a min.

Posted by  Donald C. Williams, Sun City Center on 02/22  at  01:55 PM

Very good story.
However, when I clicked on the animation to get the animated view of the storm surge, it asked to click on the list---and there was nothing in the list.

Posted by  David Tarbox, Clearwater on 02/22  at  09:38 AM

When FEMA began providing Floodplain Insurance in 1968, the deal was that affordable insurance would be available for existing structures provided the zoning regulations prevented new construction and rebuilding in flood prone areas.  The second part of the deal has disappeared. All communities must institute zoning regulations that prevent building in flood prone areas.  Existing structures will continue to be eligible if private insurance is not available, but it must be made absolutely clear to the developers, owners, and their lending institutions that if the structures are damaged, they will not be entitled to any aid from the Federal Agency and will be responsible to cleanup any mess left on the beach.  Furthermore, additional costs to private carriers who insure them may not be passed on to other policyholders. Without this change, we taxpayers and homeowners will give away billions of dollars to those who ignore the risks of nature because they know others will pay for it.

Posted by  Rolland Griner, Wesley Chapel on 02/21  at  11:23 PM

Very interesting series in the Tribune this week. It would have been interesting to know what annual premiums were being paid by the owner of the $4 millon mansion that was destroyed. There was only one mention in the series of the amount of premiums paid by any of the high risk home owners. If the insurance company(ies) were charging the owners premiums according to the risk they could continue building those huge skyscrapers. If they refuse to charge according to the risk then these insurance companies should not be able to write any insurance policies in Florida. One big question for prospective home owners in Pasco county would be “How am I going to afford home owner insurance” Thousands of new homes being built over swamps and wetlands without letting the ground settle will surely lead to many more “sink hole” damages.

Posted by  Joyce Banderman, Tarpon Spring, FL. 34689 on 02/21  at  09:08 PM

Living in FL. over 23 yrs., and choosing not to live on the coast, am extremely resentful that we have to pay for the stupidity (& greed) of those that do - developers & home owners. No idea how I, (or rest of my family who live in FL.) will pay our Insurance premiums this year. Besides our own companies being allowed to raise rates to astronomical heights, it adds insult to injury that we, of lower middle class status, have to pay a surcharge for Citizens, who insure the wealthiest homeowners in the state. Bluntly, it sucks.

Posted by  Doris H. Myers, Plant City ,Fl. on 02/21  at  08:57 PM

If an individual can afford to live on beachfront property ,then “surely” they can afford MUCH higher insurance rates and property taxes . I feel it is completely unfair for my insurance premiums to be raised for homes built “in harms way “. you would assume they know there is a bigger risk living on the BEACH . ( I can barely afford a few days vacation to a beach !! ) BUILD ON THE COAST ,,THEN YOU PAY ALL OF YOUR EXPENSE .. not me ,please .

Posted by  bill goldman, tampa on 02/21  at  06:04 PM

Being a Florida Native, I’m Fully Aware of what we face each hurricane season. In my opinion, anyone Stupid enough to build housing on the water should have to Bare The Cost of Reconstruction THEMSELVES. I sure as hell don’t want to pay for Another’s Stupidity.

Posted by  Aaron Becker, New Tampa on 02/21  at  02:00 PM

I totally agree with Linda Dusang’s opinion.  If our State lawmakers and leaders in the Insurance industry don’t get a handle on this homeowner’s insurance problem soon, Florida will eventually turn into what California has become...a ridiculous realestate market!  At the rate homeowner’s insurance is currently rising, the average 3-bedroom 2-bath home in Floriday will become virtually unaffordable, except for those on six-figure incomes.  This may sound ugly, but if Govenor Bush refuses to tap into the budget surplus to help Citizens insurance recover, we may have to start thinking about instituting a State income tax as a way to subsidize the near defunct insurance industry in Florida.  Maybe it’s time for all residents of Florida, not just those on the coast, to start assuming more responsibility for living in a high-risk hurricane-prone State?

Posted by  Christina Fletcher, Tampa, FL on 02/21  at  01:36 PM

How nice to know that everyday I get up and work very hard to barely eek out a living, all the while knowing, that my dream of owning a home is probably just that - a dream. But wait, all my hard work goes right into making sure that someone with a lot more resources than myself can be assured that their luxury home will be rebuilt without question because they chose to live on the coast or in a flood prone area. How nice to see that the rich just keep getting richer at the expense of the honest worker. I would be lucky to get a cot in a shelter somewhere if my tiny apartment every got blown away. Nice.

Posted by  George Batchelor, Sun City Center 33573 on 02/21  at  12:53 PM

It would be interesting where Chris Colli is coming from, best guess he is a developer or owns proprty in the dange rzone and doesn’t want to pay the piper.