Auto Insurance

[Johnny P]

Appears were are going to help pay for the Florida hurricane through our auto insurance. Mine was up about 30% for the next 6 months with no tickets and a busted side mirror.

[dogtag]

I just got my renewal but now I'm too scared to open it.

[Allen]

Don't blame Florida (entirely). Many ins companies have dropped home owner policy's in FL and CA. Auto ins was in the makes to follow.

The county commissioners should foot the bill personally. THEY are the ones who approve building permits to build close to the water or side of a mountain. They refuse NO ONE because they want the tax revenue for people to move in and build.

I see it here all the time. Want to build on wetlands? No problem. Want to build 50' from the ocean? No problem. Want to build where land was previously washed away by erosion? No problem. The more people move in and build the higher the values so that means they can raise property taxes.

Homes that are built in high risk areas should not be insurable at any cost. That includes the cars that are parked there as well. People who can afford such homes don't need the ins in the first place.

There are exceptions. Tornado's and floods can occur anywhere but common sense tells some of us we are asking for it in exchange for that million dollar ocean view.

[JohnMOhio]

If your not living in Florida, you are not paying an increase in your premium due to their losses. Each state has a Department of Insurance and the companies are required to provide their rates of insurance to the department. Any increase in premium has to be justified by the company and proof provided to the Dept. of Ins. for approval. What effects your rates more for instance on homeowners is that rebuilding materials need are in short supply in the state and they pay a higher rate. Meanwhile that material is going to Florida for instance causing a low supply in your state. A low supply means higher prices the insurance company has to pay and you get that increase the next year at your renewal.

[Major Tom]

The American Indian never had a permanent village in/on a flood plain. Homes along major rivers that are supposedly protected by levees are highly prone to floods when the levee breaks. But, after they loose their home to a flood, guess what? They rebuild on same spot! DUMB !!!

[Art]

Nothing is more over valued than waterfront property. As far as I'm concerned, build on a floodplain and you take your chances. In Florida today storm damage insurance is unobtainable in many areas at any price. I don't know about other places, but here it is not uncommon to have property that's flooded one time too many condemned. Most of the houses destroyed in coastal areas of Texas have been rebuilt on piers at least 10 feet off the ground and sometimes as high as 15 feet to get them above the storm surge, seems to have worked. In those places it's quite a climb to get into the house.

John is right. If you don't live in Florida you aren't paying for Florida damage through your insurance. People in Florida are toting the note for that with really, really high rates not just on homeowners insurance, if they can get it but on auto insurance as well. Basic auto insurance in Florida now is running IIRC about $2,200.00 a year base rate if you have an excellent driving record.

[Johnny P]

The Indians lived near the rivers before the white man decided there should be plenty of dams on the river. We live near a large river that I fish on occasionally with my son, and there are several places where you can see cuts where wagons could cross the river. Now only the very tops of the cuts can be seen when the river is normal (as normal as it gets with a series of locks and dams). I have some Civil War era maps of the area, and places where the river can be forded are noted.

Not sure what building material going to Florida has to do with my auto insurance. Auto repair didn't go up 30% in one year.

[Allen]

Not sure what building material going to Florida has to do with my auto insurance. Auto repair didn't go up 30% in one year.

I'm the culprit on bringing homes into the auto insurance topic because the subject was about auto damage from the hurricanes. Where there's homes > there are autos. Where there are no autos there's no hurricane damage to auto's because no one lives there, hence the homes/population areas which get hurricane damage and plenty of claims.

[JohnMOhio]

If you have a 30% increase I would suggest you compare the pricing on each coverage against your last 6 month renewal. It will tell you what the insurance company is paying out in claims. If Bodily Injury went up, it has to do with people getting hurt and I am sure you know that. If it was the coverage listed as "other than collision" you will know it was due to natural disaster claims being paid. It pays to know what your policy covers. You can then determine the why the increase. Might also ad that the "other than collision" part of the policy includes theft of the vehicle.