Attorney general sues First Street Technology over climate-risk scores shown on home listings

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office sued First Street Technology Inc. on Friday, Oct. 23, accusing it of violating the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.¹ The company scores individual properties for climate risk, according to the complaint. The complaint was e-filed in Polk County circuit court at 12:54 p.m. that day; the copy the office posted does not show a case number.² The Florida Phoenix and HousingWire each reported that First Street had not responded to their requests for comment.³⁴ Bloomberg, in a story carried by Insurance Journal, reported that MSCI Inc., which the complaint says acquired First Street, did not respond.⁵

What the state alleges

The complaint names only the company, a Delaware public benefit corporation based in New York, as a defendant. It says the company scores properties from 1 to 10 for flood, fire, wind, air quality and heat risk, and that the scores have been displayed on listings on Zillow, Realtor.com and Redfin.²

The state brings two counts: one for unfair and unconscionable practices and one for deceptive practices. The complaint alleges that First Street describes its scores as accurate, transparent and peer reviewed without disclosing their uncertainty and keeps underlying data behind a paywall. It alleges the company called its wind model peer reviewed months before the research paper describing it was published in November 2023.²

Among its Florida examples, the complaint cites a home in Oldsmar, in Pinellas County, that it says federal flood maps place in Zone X, which it calls the lowest federal flood-risk classification. It says Redfin shows the home with a flood score of 7 and a 74% to 82% chance of flooding over 30 years, while First Street’s own methodology ties scores of 6 or higher to at least a 99% chance.²

The complaint alleges that homes with high scores take longer to sell and sell for less, and says Zillow stopped showing First Street data directly on listings in December 2025.²

What the state is asking for

The complaint asks the court to permanently bar the practices it lists, including calling the scores the “most accurate estimate of risk” without disclosing their uncertainty. It also seeks consumer redress, disgorgement, civil penalties of $10,000 per violation, or $15,000 per violation involving a senior citizen or a person with a disability, plus attorney’s fees and costs.²

In a video posted on X, Uthmeier said, “We are holding First Street accountable,” according to the Florida Phoenix.³

First Street’s published policy

First Street’s help-center page on disputed scores, which the complaint quotes, says the company as a rule does not change scores because of individual requests or disputes. It makes exceptions for owners who provide certain FEMA flood documentation and for buildings too new to appear on its maps.⁶ The complaint says First Street’s terms of use require claims to be brought in New York within one year.²

A similar suit in Nebraska

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers sued First Street on Aug. 27 in Dakota County District Court, alleging its property-level flood and fire risk predictions are inaccurate and misleading for many properties and seeking fines, a return of profits and an order to stop the practices, his office said.⁷ The Florida complaint does not mention the Nebraska case.²

What the records do not show

• These are the state’s allegations. No court has ruled on them, and First Street has not been found liable.²
• No answer or public statement from First Street was found. The Polk County docket was not checked, so the case number and any hearings are not reported.
• The complaint gives no total penalty figure; any amount would depend on how many violations a court found.²
• The complaint says MSCI bought First Street for $120 million in August 2026 but cites a June 24, 2026, announcement; it also dates Zillow’s change to both late 2025 and December 2025.²