A Florida appeals court has rejected a claim for legal fees and interest filed by homeowners against state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. The dispute followed disagreements over repairs for storm damage caused by Hurricane Ian. In an opinion issued on October 16, Florida’s Sixth District Court of Appeal ruled that two Lee County homeowners could not force the insurer to pay their legal bills under the confession of judgment rule. The homeowners had filed a lawsuit while an out-of-court appraisal was still underway, in what the court described as a "race to the courthouse." The case, Susan Reed and Kent Lonngren v. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, involved a home damaged by Hurricane Ian in October 2022. The court found that Citizens had met all its obligations under the insurance policy and paid the final binding appraisal award within the deadline set by the contract.
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