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Politics
Storm shutters seen as insurance fix within reach
By REBECCA CATALANELLO
Published March 14, 2007
TALLAHASSEE - Faced with an expansive study that included 55 ways to strengthen Florida's homes against hurricanes, legislators on Tuesday spent much of their discussion focused on one topic: Storm shutters. Sen. Bill Posey, chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, said that after reading a 62-page report and hearing a presentation by the study's chairman, he believes requiring insurers to provide discounts for storm shutters would be the quickest, most cost-effective option within legislators' reach. "I think we're going to be looking for what is the best bang for your buck," Posey said. "We cannot target 50 ways to make your home hardened in this state. We just can't. It gets too hard for the consumer to follow, too complex for the agents and the companies to implement." The Republican from Rockledge suggested the committee support legislation that would, among other things: - Require insurers to offer "adequate" discounts to homeowners who have storm shutters. - Rewrite the building code to prohibit homeowners lacking the storm windows from improving their properties until they are in compliance. Committee member Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Brandon, said the building code requirement would become a nightmare for county governments charged with inspecting homes. Paula Harvey, zoning administrator for Hillsborough County, agreed with Storms. The logistics of inspecting homes for compliance would be significant, she said. But she also objected to the notion on the grounds of expense. Consider a young couple struggling to make a house note but also want to add on a room for their coming baby, she suggested. But they are told they can't do it unless they spend a thousand or more dollars on storm shutters. "That's a huge economic problem for a lot of homeowners," she said. Posey suggested a hardened home is more important and beneficial than an add-on. "Does (someone) want to tell them when the house blows down that they should have thought about it ahead of time?" he said. Bill Newton, director of Florida Consumer Action Network, said storm shutters are a good place for legislators to begin but reforms shouldn't end there. "I really think we need a more comprehensive program," he said.
[Last modified March 14, 2007, 11:15:57]
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by john
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10/16/07 06:57 AM
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stormshutters?/only as good as the home their installed on!install on any new home being built/ or any additions and leave old homes alone
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by pete
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09/19/07 08:46 AM
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I paid out 15K for shutters and hardened my attic, yet i got no break. But that is ok for now as i only pay 1200 a year
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by JLM
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08/21/07 11:50 AM
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I spent $12,000 for 185mph impact rated accordian shutter for all the opening in our home that was built in 2005 to the latest building codes. The insurance company gave me a $59.00 discount. What the insurance industry gets away with is Criminal!!
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by JT
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03/14/07 09:37 PM
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Put hardened homes in a seperate risk pool than non-hardened and charge each the appropriate rate. Responsible homeowners are now supsidizing those who don't care or always think the govt. or someone else will take care of them. Shutter up or else...
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by Sarah
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03/14/07 03:10 PM
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Discounts for hardening our homes should be uniform depending on what you do. Storm shutters should be a 25% discount since they supposedly save a ton of money in the case of hurricane damage.
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by susan
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03/14/07 11:51 AM
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i hear ya suzie. i spent $25K to upgrade to hurricane impact glass, and got a $500 insurance "discount", only to have my insurance raised by $900 the following year. so much for the "discount"
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by Richard
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03/14/07 10:41 AM
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Well, the protection isn't for the insurance company, it's for your belongings.
In the old days, rooms weren't added on just becasue a baby was coming. The baby slept in the same room as the parents. Times have changed.
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by Ann
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03/14/07 08:35 AM
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We put up Fabric Shield shutters on our home, we have to hire an engineer to sign a piece of paper for the insurance company to even consider giving us a "discount", which will probably be less than the cost of hiring an engineer!
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by Linda
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03/14/07 08:24 AM
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My home got hit by Ivan, Dennis & Katrina.I covered my windows with plywood each time. I'm sure that is the reason that I had no water or damage inside. My neighbors who didnt cover their windows has extensive damage.Shutters are a good investment.
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by Suzie
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03/14/07 05:24 AM
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You gotta love that one. We spent $2,000 on Armorcoat to protect our windows against storm damage, and our insurance company gave us a whopping $15 off per year!
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