TAMPA, Florida — It's what practically every homeowner across the Tampa Bay area is facing right now – home insurance premiums continuing to rise.
Insurance companies and analysts believe frivolous lawsuits and fraud are part of what's been driving the cost for everyone. Lawmakers have passed reforms aiming to cut back on problem litigation, but some who file those suits say they have legitimate issues, including a Tampa woman who’s been without her home since Hurricane Ian hit last year.
“If it wasn’t for my friends and family, I would be homeless,” said Barbara Glover, standing outside an empty lot in Tampa where her home used to be.
When Hurricane Ian barreled through the area last year, Glover’s place was not spared as she was inside when a big oak tree came crashing through.
“I didn't know if I needed to run and hide in the closet or go out the door because, at that time, the wind and the rain were so bad. But I did manage to get out safely,” Glover recalled.
When the rain cleared, she got ahold of her insurer – Universal Property and Casualty Insurance Company.
“They did send an adjuster out and when he came, he automatically just [said], 'Whoa, I've never seen a tree do this much damage,'” Glover said.
Glover says after a few weeks she received payments from her insurer totaling $100,000 but without being told what it was for.
“I had to end up using some of those funds, to get the tree removed, put a tarp on the house," Glover said. "Shortly thereafter the city condemned it.”
The city condemned her home in April and marked it for demolition, saying it was unfit to live in. A demolition report shows the home had substantial roof and wall damage, damage to the plumbing and HVAC components, mold and mildew.
Glover filed a lawsuit against UPCIC.
“I’m just hoping if they will pay me my maximum amount on my policy,” she explained.
In a statement, Travis Miller, a spokesperson for UPCIC, told 10 Tampa Bay the company made payments to Glover "well over" $100,000 thousand within a month of receiving her claim" and “the replacement cost value used by UPCIC in making these payments exactly matched the estimated amount of loss as demanded by the attorney in the initial notice of intent to initiate litigation.”
Adding the condemnation order, “occurred in mid-2023, after the plaintiff had filed the lawsuit and many months after the plaintiff’s lawyer had notified UPCIC of his intent to sue to the company.”
Glover contends the home was totaled from the start.
“It's condemned. It's gone. And you still don't want to pay.”
The lawsuit says she seeking payments in excess of $50,000 including attorney fees and interest.
In the meantime, Glover says she still is paying homeowners insurance on her empty lot, and her premium cost just went up.
“They went up another $531.”
There are more than 48,000 homeowners’ insurance claims still open after Hurricane Ian, according to the Office of Insurance Regulation. The storm caused an estimated $19,383,519,287 in insured losses.
If you have an issue with your policy or with a claim you made, the state insurance advocate could help you with your issue. To submit an inquiry, click here.