Estero Council of Community Leaders

Property and Casualty Task Force

Background

As a result of the 2004 and 2005 Hurricane seasons all Florida property owners, especially those with homes or businesses near the Gulf, have and will continue to experience exceptionally large property and casualty insurance rate increases (that is when they can get insurance) whether or not they have filed any claims. In response to this crisis Governor Bush last summer appointed a Governor’s Property and Casualty Insurance Reform Committee. In late November the Committee issued its 100 page report. See this Report and much more at http://www.esterofl.org/eccl/committees/insurance.htm.

Governor-elect Christ and the newly elected leaders of the Florida House and Senate scheduled a special legislative session beginning on January 16th “to begin an effort to restructure Florida’s property insurance market and provide relief to Florida residents and businesses.”

To make sure that our problems are addressed and our voice is heard, the ECCL formed a Property and Casualty Insurance Task Force and asked one of our residents, Scotty Wood, who was an insurance underwriter with the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies and an insurance broker with the Marsh & McLennan Companies and Arthur J. Gallagher, & Company, Inc….some of the largest insurance service firms in the country, to Chair the Task Force, review the report and develop some recommendations that the ECCL could support. During his career, Scotty underwrote property insurance on risks in many parts of the country, including Florida. 

Scotty reviewed the Governor’s Insurance Reform Committee report and met with the ECCL Insurance Reform Task Force on December 8th and presented his suggestions after hearing the concerns of a wide variety of Estero’s residents. Luke Kosar, Senator Aronberg’s assistant, also briefed the Task Force and about 50 Estero residents about the plans for the special session.

On December 18th Scotty Wood presented the attached testimony (http://www.esterofl.org/eccl/library/Wood%20Testimony%20to%20Lee%20County%20Legislative%20Session%20doc%2012-18-06.doc ) to the Lee County Legislative Delegation at their 2007 Legislative Issues forum in Ft Myers. The Legislators picked up on Scotty’s statement that the Reform Committee’s recommendations were good but would not have much immediate impact…thus his testimony focused upon actions that would have more immediate impact. Upon their request they were provided copies of the testimony for review prior to the Special Session.

Estero Development Report Articles

May 2011 - Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL) Property & Casualty Insurance Task Force
Apr 2007 - Condominium Insurance Rate Relief
Mar 2007 - Reforming Condominium Association Insurance
Feb 2007 - Implementing Condo Association Insurance Reform