***UPDATE!!!!!!***
Before reading below,
this is one of many messages I just received from a Facebook friend. Our sewing community is so big and I thank everyone out there for helping to investigate and helping others.
We believe my friend was misinformed by her agent. Here is the post I received--
"Christopher, we called and our agent of Citizens she said "nonsense".
I called this crazy, absurd and mostly un-American."
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I was having a conversation today with a friend who has rental property here in Florida.
She was telling me that she found out that if she rents to a person who sews, they can only move in with one sewing machine and it cannot be an industrial sewing machine.
If they have more than one sewing machine or just one machine and it is an industrial machine, it is considered running a factory per Citizens insurance in Florida.
Which means (as told to her by Citizens of which she told me ), that if something were to happen to her home like a fire and the insurance adjuster came in and saw an industrial sewing machine or more than one home sewing machine, the home owner's insurance would be voided because it would be considered a commercial business / factory being operated in a residential home.
I find this a bit harsh. As a sewing artist, author, and educator, I know many, many people who sew at home for enjoyment and they are avid sewing machine collectors, just like some people love to collect shoes or have a stamp collection. The majority of sewers I know are not running a business but according to Citizens insurance, more than one machine would mean they are.
Extra insurance coverage would not be granted either because the home is considered residential and the renter is labeled commercial with their ownership of more than one sewing machine.
Many insurance companies have pulled out of Florida which would leave home owners without home owner's insurance, and Citizens is the only one who will take on new home owners.
Don't you think not allowing people to own more than one sewing machine is over the top?
Many people sew for a hobby. People like myself write books, and teach on the road. I myself own several sewing machines because in my job, I have to know about machines to teach sewing and use these different types of machines to be able to teach different genres of sewing in my class rooms.
Many people own machines given to them by their parents or grandparents and some are industrial machines. People today love an embroidery machine and are buying the multi- needle embroidery machines. A small handful buy them for a small home based business, but many more buy them because they love how much faster it is to embroider out an item.
Many quilters have multiple machines and it is a known fact they give their work away. The majority of quilters are retired people who enjoy making quilts for family, friends, and those in need. Some even own an industrial long arm machine to quilt their quilt tops. That is considered an industrial machine in a residential rental home.
Be it a home machine or an industrial machine, neither one requires a special circuit breaker for electric. They plug into the wall like a coffee machine.
Now what if you buy a commercial grade wash machine now?? Would you be considered a launder mat according to Citizens Insurance?
What is happening in our nation when companies like insurance companies are preventing people from enjoying a creative hobby or even being able to make an item and enter it in a competition. Or even making items to sell at the local art festival?
What about sewing educators who work for sewing machine companies that have several machines in their rental home they use to learn on so they can go out there and teach the customers on how to use them? These people work from home like an iT tech gets to work from home on their computer(s).
Why are sewers being attacked in Florida? Hobbyist sewers are being told only one machine is allowed. And people trying to do a side small business even just mending clothes for people are being dictated to on how many machines they can own.
Jobs have left our country, and people who are fortunate enough to be able to sew just for a hobby are being scolded for owning more than one machine.
What will this do to the sewing machine industry? So many people in Florida have lost their homes and have to rent. Now they are being told you can only own one machine and it has to be a home machine according to Citizens insurance. What if someone loves to reupholster their furniture and wants to have an industrial machine to sew on? They are not permitted in a residential rental home according to Citizens insurance.
Why are these insurance companies preventing people from living a creative lifestyle? Or enjoying a personal collection of sewing machines? What crime is being committed here?
Or the single mom or dad who is taking on small tailoring jobs to help feed their kids?
Have you ever been told you can only own one pair of shoes or one handbag? If you own more, you are considered a retail store? That might be next.
Or if you collect comic books, you might in the future be told you are a comic book store trying to operate a business in a residential home. What about record album or CD collectors? Lord forbid if you own more than one computer. You might be considered a computer repair or sales store operating in a residential home.
What is our country coming to when companies are telling you what you are allowed to collect and own that is a non life form?
Something just did not sound right to this whole story. But let me tell you, I have known my friend for many, many years and she is a highly credited professional woman.
So now, home owners that rent their homes in Florida have to have a check list to see if the person they are renting to own more than one machine or an industrial machine.
With this economy, more and more single family homes are now being occupied by multiple extended family members. Or even more roommates. What if all the roommates or family members are sewers or quilters? Only one sewing machine allowed per household?
I have a huge fan base following and I wanted to get the word out of what the insurance company is doing to us sewers / quilters / embroiders. Again, this pertains to if you rent a house and the owner of the home.
American corporations like this insurance company do not want to build talent and independence or allow a family to make extra money to feed their kids at home. They want you to keep relying on buying China made products.
And it doesn't matter if you have renters insurance. The home owner will not be able to collect on the home if something happens like a fire if the renter has more than one sewing machine or one machine and it is an industrial machine. This is what my friend told me who is a landlord that she said Citizens Insurance told her.
Have any of you heard of this insurance stipulation?
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