MELBOURNE, Fla. — Dozens of Brevard County residents attended a town hall in Melbourne Thursday night addressing rising property insurance costs.
Officials at the meeting, hosted by State Rep. Randy Fine (R-Palm Bay), told homeowners they will be bringing their stories to an upcoming special session in Tallahassee.
Homeowner Stephen Long was among the homeowners who spoke out, saying his insurance costs have gone up by $15,000 in 12 years and that his long-time insurance company denied his claims to have his roof repaired following damage from a recent storm.
“For them to say, ‘We can’t insure your roof because it’s 20 years old.’ No, that’s not right,” he told Spectrum News 13.
The special session begins Monday, May 23. Gov. DeSantis’ proclamation for this special session states the Office of Insurance Regulation reported Florida accounts for nearly 80% of homeowners’ property claim lawsuits filed nationwide.
Alice J. Roden started working for Trending Insurance News at the end of 2021. Alice grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. A writer with a vast insurance industry background Alice has help with several of the biggest insurance companies. Before joining Trending Insurance News, Alice briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers home, renters and other property insurance stories.