Hurricane Damage and Your Mortgage: What to Do First in Florida

A hurricane does not pause your mortgage, so the first two calls after a storm are to your insurer and your servicer, and both should be followed up in writing. Florida gives you one year from the date of loss to give notice of a property insurance claim and 18 months for a supplemental claim (Fla. Stat. 627.70132). Your servicer can offer temporary help, but only a written agreement changes what you owe this month.

The order matters less than speed and paper. Photos, receipts, and dated letters are what move both processes.

What should you do in the first week?

1. Protect people, then the property. Make only the temporary repairs needed to prevent further damage, and keep every receipt.
2. Document everything. Photos and video of each room and the exterior before cleanup, with the date.
3. Give notice of the claim to your insurer and write down the claim number and the name of everyone you speak with.
4. Call your servicer. Ask what assistance is available for storm-affected borrowers in your area and ask for it in writing.
5. Keep paying if you can. Until a written plan exists, a missed payment is simply a missed payment.

What deadlines does Florida put on your insurer?

Florida’s claims statute sets clocks on the insurance company (Fla. Stat. 627.70131):

• It must review and acknowledge a communication about a claim within 7 calendar days.
• It must begin its investigation within 7 days after receiving proof-of-loss statements, and a physical inspection must happen within 30 days of receiving them.
• It must pay or deny the claim, or a portion of it, within 60 days after receiving notice of an initial, reopened, or supplemental claim, unless factors beyond its control prevent it, and explain the basis in writing.

Your own deadline is the notice window: one year from the date of loss for a new or reopened claim, 18 months for a supplemental claim (Fla. Stat. 627.70132). Put both dates on a calendar now.

Why does the insurance check name your lender?

Most mortgages require the lender to be named on the homeowners policy, because the house secures the loan. That is why a check for structural damage is commonly made payable to you and the servicer together. Servicers usually hold the funds and release them as repairs progress, often after an inspection.

Ask the servicer three questions in writing: where to send the endorsed check, what documents release each draw, and how long a release takes. If your policy lapses or is canceled after the storm, the servicer may buy coverage and charge you for it; our page on force-placed insurance explains how to replace it with your own. Premium increases at renewal are covered in homeowners insurance went up.

What help can your servicer offer?

Options depend on who owns your loan, and servicers often have disaster-specific programs. Common tools are a temporary forbearance, a repayment plan afterward, or a modification. Ask what happens to the paused payments at the end before you agree.

The federal rules protect you if the storm turns into a longer hardship. A servicer generally may not make the first notice or filing for foreclosure until the loan is more than 120 days delinquent, and if a complete loss mitigation application reaches the servicer more than 37 days before a sale, it must evaluate you for all available options and answer in writing within 30 days (12 CFR 1024.41(f)(1) and (c)(1)). See help with mortgage payments for the full list.

When is selling the better answer?

Some owners decide not to rebuild. The claim may not cover the full repair, the insurance renewal may become unaffordable, or the household may need to move. Selling as-is is a legitimate choice.

Three things shape that sale:

• The claim status. Buyers and lenders will ask what was paid, what was repaired, and what is still open. Keep the file organized.
• Disclosure. Florida generally requires sellers to disclose known defects that materially affect value and are not readily observable; storm damage and repairs usually fall in that category. Ask your agent and, if unsure, a Florida attorney.
• The payoff. If the damaged home is worth less than the loan, the sale needs the lender’s approval for less than the balance. Read I owe more than my house is worth and selling before foreclosure in Florida.

Who can help for free?

A HUD-approved housing counselor can help you organize the servicer paperwork at no cost. Be cautious with anyone who knocks on your door offering to handle the mortgage for an upfront fee; our page on foreclosure rescue scams lists the warning signs. And if you are weighing a sale, the short sale qualification checker shows what your loan program would require. Nothing is saved.

Short Sale Guide is a licensed Florida real estate brokerage. This page summarizes Florida insurance statutes and federal servicing rules in general terms and is not legal, insurance, or financial advice; your policy and your servicer’s written terms control. For the real-estate side, use the file checker or call 855-725-3898.