Posted by QuickReadAbout.com Staff in Because of the frequency of hurricane and windstorm occurrences in Florida, homeowners in that state have trouble getting insurance coverage from the open, private insurance market. Many existing policies in private insurance companies are not enough to cover the cost of damages that most Florida homeowners experience, especially those in high risk areas. For this reason, the Citizens Property Insurance Company was created.
Citizens Property Insurance Company was formed when Hurricane Andrew devastated South Florida in 1992. To answer the growing insurance needs of Florida homeowners, the state legislature passed a law in 2002 to establish Citizens Property Insurance Company by merging two state-run insurance entities. These two companies that make Citizens Property Insurance Company are the Florida Residential Property and Casualty Joint Underwriting Association (FRPCJUA) and the Florida Windstorm Underwriting Association (FWUA).
With these two companies’ merger, Citizens Property Insurance Company was able to provide insurance coverage in Florida for high-risk homeowners like Sarasota and those that aren’t in these high-risk areas but are nonetheless experiencing difficulty in obtaining coverage. Citizens Property Insurance Company provides coverage in high-risk areas up to $350,000 for repair costs and rebuilding of the house structure. Aside from that, Citizens Property Insurance Company also pays for the reconstruction of structures besides the house like fences, swimming pools, and such. The replacement of lost or damaged items and liability costs may also be included in a policy written by Citizens Property Insurance Company.
Types of Line Accounts at Citizens Property Insurance Company
Citizens Property Insurance Company handles three major accounts – High Risk Accounts (HRA), Personal Lines Accounts (PLA), and Commercial Lines Accounts (CLA). Citizens Property Insurance Company HRAs are comprised mostly of wind-only policies for high-risk areas in Florida. The wind-only policies of Citizens Property Insurance Company HRA were originally written by the now defunct FWUA.
The Citizens Property Insurance Company PLAs are mostly residential properties who are eligible for multi-peril policies written by the Florida JUA. While the PLAs protect residential properties, Citizens Property Insurance Company CLAs cover commercial residential policies.
Risk Requirements to get Coverage from Citizens Property Insurance Company
Citizens Property Insurance Company has set some requirements that Florida property owners must meet before they are eligible for coverage. For PLAs Citizens Property Insurance Company can only provide coverage for those who are unable to obtain standard policies from the open market. Citizens Property Insurance Company can offer CLA protection for commercial properties that are not insured by other insurance agencies.
Policy Forms at Citizens Property Insurance Company
Citizens Property Insurance Company offers their PLAs comprehensive multi-peril policies that are based on the market’s HO-3, HO-4, or HO-6 policy. The basic personal lines policy of Citizens Property Insurance Company offers the same coverage as an HO-8 policy in the open market.
Who runs Citizens Property Insurance Company
Citizens Property Insurance Company is directed by the Board of Governors which is comprised of seven members who are appointed by the State Treasurer for three year terms. These board members at Citizens Property Insurance Company represent the diverse geographic regions of the state. In addition to the Board of Governors, Citizens Property Insurance Company also has a technical advisory board. This board provides information and advice to Board of Governors of Citizens Property Insurance Company.