State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

crunch

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Rant on.

This has always baffled me... why do people continue to build in low lands or other disaster prone areas, then expect the insurance companies (contrary to the policy written) or the Fed to bail their dumb a**es out?

A sterling example of this is along the San Andreas fault, specifically The San Andreas River.(which, duhhh, run right down the fault) There are numerous dams on that river with a town built right below the dam... anyone want to guess what the odds are that those dams will fail, not if, but when that long overdue fault shift happens? Any bets on whether the insurance companies have clauses in their coverage that exclude "acts of god"? Any bets on whether we, the tax payer will cover those low percentage bets?

Rant over. :p

State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes
NEW ORLEANS (CNN) -- Insurance giant State Farm announced Wednesday that it is pulling back from Mississippi, citing the "unpredictable" legal risk from disgruntled Gulf Coast policyholders in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The company "reluctantly" announced it would not issue any new homeowners or commercial insurance policies in the state, complaining that policies "are being reinterpreted after the fact to provide for coverages that were not contemplated when the policies were written."

The Bloomington, Ill.-based company is the second major insurer to curtail business in the region battered by Katrina in August 2005. In December, St. Paul Travelers said it would no longer write new commercial policies in southeastern Louisiana.

The withdrawal of two major insurers for large segments of the Gulf Coast market has raised fears that reconstruction efforts after the storm -- already criticized for their slow pace -- could be even further damaged. (Posted 4:40 p.m. )
 

ZmOz

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

The first thing I thought when I saw the thread title is "good idea". Anybody rebuilding there is an idiot, no ifs, ands, or buts. It would make no sense what so ever for anybody to insure them, unless they charge ridiculous amounts, which we all know they can't pay.
 

JRJ

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

Build in a bath tub. Build on a cliff above the ocean. Build under an airport runway.
You bet we the tax payers underwrite the risk.
 

crunch

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

Then there are all of those multi-million dollar homes that get burned out every other year in Southern California... yet they constantly rebuild from insurance $'s or from when the Governor declares an emergency and seeks Fed aid... usually a bigger, grander home than the first time!!!

I'm all for insurance on my homes and properties, and dog knows I pay enough in premiums, but I'm not stupid enough to build or live where an act of god, or a fluke of nature can wipe me out, or I'm not insured from that act of whatever, and then have to suck up Fed aid to recoup my losses... and then build there again!!!

Another prime example is here locally. We all call it Tsunami shores... It’s a two story condo development (30 units, $400,000 each) that is built on sand, right where they had to move 3' in Dia. logs in their ground clearing preps... like what? Did they think the Seagulls dropped those logs for a nest? I mean, this is on the beach, not 200 ft from high tide and not 20 ft from normal winter storm tides....

How the He// did they get permits in the first place, and who is going to pay them off when the next ripple comes down from Alaska or right off our beach?

Sigh... maybe the human race is doomed, we sure don’t, as individuals show much foresight

(all GW believers best be able to hold your mud) :p.
 

ZmOz

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

I just think it's unfortunate that natural selection doesn't work anymore...
 

roscoe

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

When the Red River and then the Miss River flooded out hundreds or thousands of homes a decade ago, they were not allowed to rebuild. Why are they allowed to rebuild in the drain in N.O. ?

Answer: Money.
Someone stands to make money off of the people building in these holes.
First in line is the local tax man.

Always follow the money.

As for the move by State Farm, well, it makes sense if the courts are making them pay for coverages that were not originally in the policy.
 

tommays

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

In all reality there are very few places in the USA that are safe :)

There is no place on the east coast of the USA that has NOT been wiped out buy a storm over that the last 200 years unless it was just luck that it missed

Any inland area near a river is not safe

Its easy to go on but just were is it safe ?


Tommays
 

ehenry

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

Tommay's is correct. It doesnt matter where you build or buy a natural disaster can wipe you out at any time. We all have insurance on our homes, we pay the premiums and expect coverage when we make a claim.

State Farm refuesed to cover claims on the the MS Coast on the grounds that flood water caused the damage.

I was on the coast shortly after Katrina helping family and saw homes reduced to nothing but concrete slabs or pilings standing. Who is State Farm to say that flood water caused that damage and not the wind? The homes may have already been leveled by the wind or the WIND DRIVEN flood.....WHO knows? The fact remains that the people who owned those homes bought State Farm Insurance paid the premiums with the good faith that their homes would be covered only to be told they werent.

I say 'Kudos' to Jim Hood the Ms Atty General for standing up to State Farm and making them pay.

Me, I say good bye and good ridance to them.
 

Haut Medoc

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

Pick yer poison....
They are all basically the same....
The insurance companies sole purpose is to collect as much money as they can & weasel out of disbursing as much as possible......;)
 

Mark42

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

I got a big fat rebate check from State Farm a month or so ago. So if they won't issue policies on homes that are doomed, I'm all for it!
 

troypolla

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

I live on the MS gulf coast and was not wiped out, but had quite a bit of damage because of a tornado. It was repaired and I was paid. Although I was not alive when Camille came through in 69 I still think this is silly. I think it is state farms loss. If they choose to not write in MS fine everyone will pick another ins company as long as they dont leave. How many millions has been paid into ins. and when disaster strikes they cut and run.
 

18rabbit

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

Insurance is legalized gambling. You are betting against yourself, i.e. you are betting that you will lose, or in this case, experience a disaster. The only way you can “win” is to have something go wrong for you. If you are paying for insurance and nothing goes wrong, you lose.
 

treedancer

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

Here’s an interesting read about State Farm.

<<So, like thousands of his constituents, Lott has sued his insurer, State Farm, which has stonewalled Lott and other South Mississippians who lost their homes on the grounds that their homeowners policies do not cover flood damage.>>

State Farm contends that damage was caused by a flood

not Katrina, Hhm…Wonder what caused the flood?
8)

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/katrina_lott.html

Quote roscoe

When the Red River and then the Miss River flooded out hundreds or thousands of homes a decade ago, they were not allowed to rebuild.



That is not the case In the St.Louis area roscoe, after the flood of 93, they have built a very large industrial park in St,Charles county, it is a suburb St,Louis, they have rebuilt the flood wall, and made it a lot taller ,so it will withstand a larger flood, that was the largest flood on record in this area, and building larger flood wall has the effect of everybody downstream from us will get much more water unless they build larger and better flood walls. By time the water gets to New Orleans area it will be a gushing torrent.

Here is a link to how to build in the flood plane if there is anybody that has the desire to do so.


http://www.saintcharlescounty.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=302


of St,Louis
 

ehenry

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

You pay your premiums for 20 plus years....make a claim and wheather they pay you or not....they cancel your policy
 

ZmOz

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

ehenry said:
Tommay's is correct. It doesnt matter where you build or buy a natural disaster can wipe you out at any time. We all have insurance on our homes, we pay the premiums and expect coverage when we make a claim.

That isn't true at all. Where I live there are no tornados or hurricanes. There are no forests near my house to burn, no bodies of water to flood. I'm far enough from the beach to not be worried about tsunamis, and far enough from the mountains not to worry about eruptions. The only thing that could happen is an earthquake, and my house is mostly earthquake proof. The worst that would happen is a few cracks in the wall.

But more importantly, there's a big difference between places where a natural disaster can happen and a place where it will happen. Building your house UNDER THE OCEAN in a place prone to hurricanes and only protected by a weak dirt wall is complete and total stupidity. It will happen again.
 

ehenry

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

ZmOz, so you dont have any trees in your yard to fall on your house should the wind blow. And judging from what you say a tornado will never touch down on your house.

The point I'm actually trying to make here is....insurance coupmanies seem to be able to refuse claims for what ever reason they dream up. Lets say a guy runs through your house in a car. His insurance claims adjuster comes out takes a look and says he'll be in contact. A week later after he looks at the police report he calls and says the claim is refused cause the driver of the car was drunk therefore we wont pay the claim. You call your insurance folks and explain what happened and the tell you the same thing.....how would you feel about that?
 

rottenray6402

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

I am no big fan of insurance companies and fully agree that you usually have to fight for a claim. That being said I was in Corpus Christi, TX in the late 60's when hurricane Celia came through and destroyed most of the area. I had State Farm on my car and 1 day after the hurricane past they were sitting at desks in a tent writing checks for damage. That was 40 years ago and I'm sure things have changed but I also think it is pretty stupid to rebuild where there is a big chance that you will get flooded, blown away, burnt out, or whatever!
 

Haut Medoc

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

Insurance companies are the most religious of all.....
Everything is an "Act of God"!.....:$
 

tommays

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

WELL a huge amount of homes were MANY MANY miles inland with NO HISTORY OF EVER FLOODING that are being raked over the coals

My house is about 8 miles from the north or south shore of Long Island on the highest ground in the area i can only think what will happen if a storm hits ( it has not gotten storm dammage in the last 50 years)

Tommays
 

ZmOz

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Re: State Farm leaves Mississippi homeowners market amid Katrina disputes

ehenry said:
ZmOz, so you dont have any trees in your yard to fall on your house should the wind blow.

Nope.

ehenry said:
The point I'm actually trying to make here is....insurance coupmanies seem to be able to refuse claims for what ever reason they dream up.

That isn't what this thread is about. This is about State Farm saying "screw you, idiots, if you're going to build there again we're not going to insure you". That is a very smart thing for them to do. It has nothing to do with previous claims that they may or may not be paying out. Obviously it's not profitable to insure people who you know are going to get totally wiped out again. That would be like giving life insurance to aids patients.

As far as not paying claims, that's just how insurance works. State farm is no more guilty than anybody else.
 
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