Lawrence Mower

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Florida lawmakers approve millions for home hardening. Does it help insurance costs?

November 10, 2023 at 10:07 a.m.

TALLAHASSEE — State lawmakers this week poured another $180 million into a program to help 17,000 homeowners replace windows, doors, roofs and other parts of homes. The My Safe Florida Home...

New report details complaints about DeSantis’ ‘tyrant’ of a former housing director

November 8, 2023 at 12:27 p.m.

TALLAHASSEE — Before Gov. Ron DeSantis chose him to be Florida’s affordable housing director, Mike DiNapoli oversaw a $700 million pandemic housing fund at the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity....

When Floridians go to shop around for a new homeowners insurance policy next year, they could find several new companies offering coverage. Including one company backed by a current state senator.

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Senator pitches investment in property insurer after voting to limit lawsuits

October 30, 2023 at 1:49 p.m.

When Floridians go to shop around for a new homeowners insurance policy next year, they could find several new companies offering coverage. Including one company backed by a current state...

Fledgling Florida State Guard gets its 3rd director in a year

October 28, 2023 at 7:34 a.m.

United States Marine Corps veteran Mark Thieme will be the latest director of the new Florida State Guard, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Friday. Thieme spent more than 35 years in the Marines, most recently as a...

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ embattled affordable housing director, who was accused of creating a hostile workplace, resigned on Thursday. Mike DiNapoli, 54, stepped down a day before the Florida Housing Finance Corp. board of directors was set to fire or reinstate him.

DeSantis’ embattled affordable housing director Mike DiNapoli resigns

October 27, 2023 at 1:44 p.m.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ embattled affordable housing director, who was accused of creating a hostile workplace, resigned on Thursday. Mike DiNapoli, 54, stepped down a day before the Florida Housing Finance Corp. board of...

TALLAHASSEE — Barbara Glover narrowly missed being crushed by the oak tree that fell through her roof during Hurricane Ian last year. As she fled her Tampa home of 35 years, clutching nothing but a duffel bag of clothes, she knew what to do next. She called her insurance company, Universal Property and Casualty. And she waited for them to make her whole. After months of feeling jerked around by the company and seeing her home condemned by the city, she took her case to court. In February, Glover became one of 4,571 people — 15 per day — to […]

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Lawsuits get blame for Florida property insurance crisis, but where’s proof?

October 20, 2023 at 9:04 a.m.

TALLAHASSEE — Barbara Glover narrowly missed being crushed by the oak tree that fell through her roof during Hurricane Ian last year. As she fled her Tampa home of 35...

Floridians suffering from sky-high homeowners insurance premiums might have to face a new reality that their premiums won’t go down in the foreseeable future.

Bad news for Florida property owners: Insurance rates aren’t likely to fall soon

October 10, 2023 at 5:10 p.m.

Floridians suffering from sky-high homeowners insurance premiums might have to face a new reality that their premiums won’t go down in the foreseeable future.

After Gov. Ron DeSantis’ education department was accused of steering a multimillion-dollar contract to a politically connected consultant, his administration said the state’s chief inspector general would do a “holistic” review of the 2021 bid process.

DeSantis’ office pledged to investigate bid-rigging case. It didn’t get far.

September 27, 2023 at 11:58 a.m.

After Gov. Ron DeSantis’ education department was accused of steering a multimillion-dollar contract to a politically connected consultant, his administration said the state’s chief inspector general would do a “holistic”...

A warning to Floridians with Citizens Property Insurance coverage: Check your mailbox. About 300,000 customers of the state-run insurer of last resort are receiving letters in the mail this month with an offer to switch to a private insurance company. If customers don’t respond by Oct. 5, the letters state, customers can be forced to go with the private company at a potentially far higher cost.

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Citizens customers can reject private property insurer offers, but deadline is tight

September 20, 2023 at 2:10 p.m.

A warning to Floridians with Citizens Property Insurance coverage: Check your mailbox. About 300,000 customers of the state-run insurer of last resort are receiving letters in the mail this month...

An alert for Citizens Insurance customers: Check your mail carefully

September 19, 2023 at 7:40 p.m.

A warning to Floridians with Citizens Property Insurance coverage: Check your mailbox. About 300,000 customers of the state-run insurer of last resort are receiving letters in the mail this month with an...

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