What is ordinance and law coverage?
Ordinance and law coverage is extremely important for many reasons and many people don’t have a good understanding of how it works. Ordinance and law coverage is additional coverage that is available to you so that the repairs you do are brought up to the current code.
Imagine that you have a home built in the 1980s with original windows and there is a hurricane that causes your windows to fail and you don’t have ordinance and law coverage. That means that your policy would only allow for a like-kind replacement of the windows that you had rather than windows that are likely more expensive and built to withstand the types of winds that we have in Florida. Ordinance and law coverage is extremely important in our state because we have learned a lot about building materials and weather resistance.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that in Florida insurance carriers are required to offer you ordinance and law coverage up to 25% of the dwelling limit pursuant to Florida State statute 627.7011 unless you have refused the coverage in writing. Many insurance carriers will tell you otherwise, but if they don’t have your written rejection of ordinance and law you may still be able to get it up to the 25% limit. Similarly, many insurance carriers will attempt to limit coverage with endorsements or legalese where most consumers will not realize what is happening.
As with many issues regarding a denied or underpaid homeowner’s insurance claim, it is important that you know your rights under your insurance policy. It is extremely important that you speak with a competent attorney who can help you make an informed decision on what to do with your claim.
Gregory Greenberg, Esq.
Learn more about Gregory here!
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