Citizens’ Reps Appeal to Florida Agents for Help, Cooperation

June 20, 2006

  • June 20, 2006 at 9:38 am
    tigertail says:
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    I was at the first of three \”briefings\” which were short on specifics and long on agent complaints. I don\’t think anything new was revealed by Citizens or solved in general. Their take, rightly so, is that they got 320,000 home/condo and 1,500 condo association policies dumped on them without their input (that is essentially correct, Tom Gallagher just decided that Citizens should handle, end of story). They admitted they were overwhelmed with apps, claims, problems, etc. They didn\’t really address the problem, that is the transition between Poe and Citizens and the go forward posture of Citizens in general to get rid of policies once they get them. Unless we sneak out of the season unscathed by storms (highly unlikely at this point) it\’s going to be real economic chaos in Florida. Citizens doesn\’t have the money, management structure, manpower or ability to get through a $50 billion storm season and that could spell the end of the private market for homes and habitational property in Florida.

  • June 20, 2006 at 2:55 am
    Meghan says:
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    I can\’t help the commerical business going into Citizens, but I have markets for single family homes, townhomes, and condos.
    If anyone needs assistance, email me at Mhul513245@aol.com

  • June 20, 2006 at 3:55 am
    Curious says:
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    Is this the same Paul Palumbo that used to be employed at Tower Hill Insurance?

  • June 20, 2006 at 4:45 am
    critic says:
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    I believe you are correct.

  • June 20, 2006 at 4:55 am
    Curious says:
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    I do not believe Mr. Palumbo was an actuary as stated in this article.

  • June 20, 2006 at 5:10 am
    critic says:
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    His official title at Citizens is
    Chief Underwriting Officer.

  • June 20, 2006 at 6:18 am
    Sniffy says:
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    I was at one of these meetings, and what I noticed was a defencive attitude that Citizens is doing everything properly. and that if agents did not waste their time with incomplete apps they would not be so backlogged. The truth is that if their workflow processes were not so ridiculous they would have time to do a lot more. 45 days to respond to an agent request is just not acceptable. Why does Citizens require so much work, this just creates the backlog for them. Higher more people, train them, allow agents to do their own endorsements like any other company does, and eliminate the paper. Processing time is cut in half and we all go home at 5:00 with no overtime. Look to others that are efficent and do what they are doing, dont whine about how busy you are, change the way you do things. Like it or not Citizens is the only market for a lot of people. The post about having market for ho3 and condos etc, we all have those same markets and 99% of what goes to Citizens does not fit the other markets. then you have the ethical question of , do I place business with a carrier that is on its way down the POE road and will be in liquidation in 3 weeks? Citizens says yes place them with the insolvent admitted carrier, and Citizens will pick up the slack as they did with POE when they fail. My E&O carrier says something a little different.
    We are need to work with Citizens, but they need to change to make it easier for all of us.

  • June 26, 2006 at 3:36 am
    Brevard says:
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    For some reason whenever I read about Citiznes it brings back memories of my school days and watching the old Bell and Howell 16mm film projectors showing films on what to do when the nuclear weapon hit.

    I think it was something like \”flash duck and roll\”

  • June 26, 2006 at 3:51 am
    Dismayed says:
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    What do you people mean by work with Citizens? Citizens shouldn\’t even exist !!!!! And, now policyholders from all other the state have to pay a new \”fee\”, which should be called a tax, to pay for Citizens and Poes shortfall and mis-management.

    When are you people going to wake up, take responsibility for living in a state surrounded by water sitting in the ocean where hurricanes past by every season, kick Gallegher out for being the politician he is, and quit trying to place resonsibilyt for everything on government !!!

  • June 26, 2006 at 4:34 am
    Total agreement says:
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    If you want to live in a part of the country that is susceptible to natural catastrophes, be prepared to pay the total cost of replacing your belongings, or a large enough premium to adequately support an insurer marketing solely in your state. Don\’t make the rest of us subsidize your stupidity.



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