Official: Residents being duped by FPL

A Century Village East board member is warning residents not to waste their money on insurance plans that do not apply to condominium living.

CVE Master Management Board Member Amy Conner is urging City of Deerfield Beach officials to intervene into solicitations residents are receiving from FPL Home.

Conner said residents of the village have been receiving mail solicitations offering insurance-style warranty plans covering items such as electrical lines, plumbing, and sewer and water service lines

But Conner says this coverage is unnecessary because in the village it’s the buildings, not the owners that are responsible for the lines. She says residents, some of which are on tight fixed incomes, have been fooled into purchasing the plans. She says the official-looking FPL material has misled some into thinking it is required by the utility company.

On its website, FPL Home says it is “an unregulated subsidiary of Florida Power & Light Company,” and that the “products, plans and services are offered by FPL Home and its affiliates and not FPL.”

It also claims “integrity is the foundation of everything we do. We always prioritize doing what’s right for our customers, ensuring transparency and honesty in every interaction.”

Conner specifically cited the FPL Home electrical line and sewer line warranty plans. She said she has received multiple complaints from residents who later realized they were paying for coverage they did not need.

“The FPL Home electrical line warranty and the Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA) sewer and water line warranty plans should not be mailed to our residents,” said Conner. 

“I have received multiple complaints from residents who have purchased these plans unnecessarily after receiving these mailings. Because these warranties do not apply to condominium units, residents are just wasting their money,” Conner said.

Conner is asking city officials to demand FPL remove Century Village East residents from the mailing lists for these solicitations, citing the financial impact on residents who may believe the plans are required or beneficial when they are not.

In a series of subsequent emails between the city attorney and Commissioner Dan  Shanetzky and obtained by the CVE Reporter, the city attorney wrote “the city manager’s office will have staff reach out to the company to seek their commitment not to solicit for services within communities where the community association (not the homeowner/unit owner) is responsible for the utility lines on the subject property (or common area within the HOA).”

It is unclear, however, what authority the city has to make such a demand of a private company. It is also unclear whether FPL Home, which is suspected of simply using a general mailing list of all FPL customers, would be able to separate out customers to whom the services would not apply.

The city attorney also referred to a yet-to-be executed contract, and adding a provision into the contract blocking future solicitations. It was not clear what contract was being referred to, what services it covers, or who the parties are.