Your claim was closed and no money came. Start here.
A closed claim with no payment feels like a denial, and sometimes it is one. Often it is something narrower: damage that came in under the hurricane deductible, water the policy treats as flood, or a claim closed because a document never arrived. Each of those has a different next step, and the letter you received should tell you which one you are in.
What the insurer owes you, in writing
Under F.S. 627.70131(7), a residential property insurer has 60 days from notice of a claim to pay it or deny it, in whole or in part, and it must give you a reasonable written explanation of the basis in the policy for that decision. If it pays less than its own adjuster's detailed estimate, it must explain the difference in writing. The adjuster who inspects must give you a name and state licence number, and the insurer must send you any detailed estimate within 7 days of it being produced. A closure letter that does not say why is missing the part the law requires.
The order to work through it
Find the reason in the letter
Below the deductible, flood not covered, no proof of loss, no answer to a request for documents: the reason decides everything that follows. If the letter gives none, ask for the written explanation F.S. 627.70131(7) requires.
Ask for the estimate
If an adjuster produced a detailed estimate, the insurer has to send you a copy. It is the document that shows how the damage was valued and how that compared with your deductible.
Check the deductible on your declarations page
A hurricane deductible is usually a percentage of the dwelling limit, not a flat amount, and it applies once per calendar year. Work out your own number before deciding the closure was wrong.
If it closed over paperwork, reopen it
Under F.S. 627.70132, notice of a claim or a reopened claim must reach the insurer within 1 year of the date of loss, and a supplemental claim for more damage from the same event within 18 months. For a hurricane, the date of loss is the day it made landfall.
If you still disagree, ask for state mediation
The Department of Financial Services runs a mediation programme for disputed residential property claims under F.S. 627.7015. It is available before appraisal or a lawsuit, and you may bring a lawyer if you choose.
What it costs you to push back
Asking for the written explanation and the estimate costs nothing. State mediation costs the policyholder nothing either: F.S. 627.7015 puts the cost of the conference on the insurer, and you pay only if you miss a scheduled conference and it has to be rescheduled. Appraisal and a lawsuit are different. If your policy has an appraisal clause, read it before agreeing to one, because what appraisal costs is set by the policy, not by statute.
Under the deductible is a real outcome, not a trick
If the covered damage really is less than the deductible, there is nothing for the policy to pay and the claim closes. That is common after a hurricane, and it is not a denial. What you can check is whether all of the damage was counted, which is why the estimate matters.
Water from the storm
A homeowners policy does not cover flood, and rising water or storm surge is flood even when the wind pushed it. If the closure says flood, the question is whether you held a separate flood policy. The flood zone page explains how the two fit together.
Keep a dated record
Write down every call: the date, the name, and what was said. Under F.S. 627.70131(4) the insurer must keep a log of every adjuster who communicates with you and give you that list on request.
What this touches
Questions people actually ask
Is a claim closed without payment the same as a denial?
Not always. A denial says the loss is not covered. A closure without payment can also mean the covered damage came in below your deductible, or that the claim was closed for missing information. The letter should say which.
How long do I have to reopen a closed claim in Florida?
Under F.S. 627.70132, notice of a claim or a reopened claim must reach the insurer within 1 year of the date of loss, and a supplemental claim within 18 months. For a hurricane, the date of loss is the day it made landfall.
Does state mediation cost me anything?
No, unless you fail to appear and the conference has to be rescheduled. Under F.S. 627.7015 the insurer bears the cost of the mediation conference.
Where can I complain about how my claim was handled?
The Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Consumer Services, takes complaints about insurers and adjusters at myfloridacfo.com. The same division runs the mediation programme.
Other situations
Work it out before anybody sells you anything
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