Planning, Communications, Advocacy
Google “fronting organizations” and you’ll find a variety of definitions and examples.
Wiktionary says a fronting organization is one that “…secretly acts as the public face of a covert group.” Wikipedia says it’s “…any entity set up by and controlled by another organization”. Examples are intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious groups, political groups, corporations, and… “advocacy groups”. [Read more…]
Pssst… abuse of Assignment of Benefits is about insurance rates!
Sure, hundreds of lives are upset by scammers twisting the original intent of AOB. And yes, this generates exponential increases in litigation. And sure, if you insist…it’s because some roofers, public adjusters, water firms, plumbers and attorneys are simply greedy, but…
…AOB is mostly about the gargantuan premiums we will all be paying if trial lawyers in the legislature continue to roadblock reforms. (See The Politics of AOB) [Read more…]
Those looking to understand the politics of AOB need look no further than the next two words: ATTORNEY FEES!
At its core, Assignment of Benefits is a scheme birthed by one law firm and materially employed by roughly two dozen others—solely to stuff their pockets via a perversion of Florida’s well intended “one-way” attorney fee statute fs. 627.428. (fs. 626.9373 for the non-admitted market). [Read more…]
I may have been in the insurance industry for 40 years, but…when it comes to Florida’s mediation statute, I’ve been a lay person. I had no idea how useful and easy (and free) state sponsored mediation could be. That’s until December 2010 when, late one holiday evening, our cozy fireplace popped a small flaming ember onto the rug immediately in front of the hearth.
In the seconds it took to find the TV remote and pause our movie, locate the appropriate fireside tool and flick the menacing cinder back from whence it came, a silver-dollar sized hole was seared into our high-end, deep pile carpet. [Read more…]
A personal note: for those thinking I don’t like public adjusters, don’t even go there. It’s neither relevant or true. I have friends who are public adjusters. They are honest, hardworking professionals. They agree with me on this. As do many I do not know. [Read more…]
Several months ago I called a plumber to my home. The supply line behind the master bathroom toilet was leaking and needed immediate attention.
This plumbing firm was well known to me. Its’ technicians had previously installed a tankless gas water heater (that has worked flawlessly for 10 years) and even replumbed an entire residence I rented to tenants. You may remember my July 2014 blog about this plumbers excellent work repairing a leak beneath my garage slab. Read the blog I wrote here. And, see pictures on my Facebook page here.
In fact, after posting the blog and pictures I was contacted by local insurance agents asking for the plumbers’ name, which I gladly provided. They wanted to recommend the firm to their clients. Or, more wisely perhaps, just put the firms name on a list of plumbers and water remediators to give to clients in need of assistance.
Anyway, after my trusted plumber plugged this most recent leak, which had been going on for some time creating a moisture problem behind the walls and on the floor in an adjoining bedroom, it was obvious a complete dry out was needed. So… I did exactly what I advise everyone else to do when they have a moisture problem… I called Rytech.
A handful of trial lawyers serving in Florida’s Senate blocked any reform of Assignment of Benefits (AOB) this year. In fact, fearing it would pass, they didn’t even allow debate on a compromise House version overwhelmingly adopted each of the last two years—this year 82-20. [Read more…]
In 2015 I reported on the arrest of Jorge Fausto Espinosa Sr., arguably one of the most criminal public adjusters in Florida history. Now I’m happy to share recent reports of his 20-year sentencing.
Unfortunately, these reports only scratch the surface of the decades of havoc this scumbag wrought. [Read more…]
Insurance 101 teaches about “Moral Hazards” –when mismanaged insurance systems incentivize individuals, often entire segments of society, to behave in irresponsible or criminal ways.
You’ve read what “some” attorneys, public adjusters, water extractors, plumbers and roofers are doing with AOB. It’s the result of a moral hazard–bad public policy enabling and incentivizing bad behavior. [Read more…]
Like many catastrophe prone states, Florida can suffer from an abundance of public adjusters before, and immediately following, any disaster. In California it’s wildfires and earthquakes. Here it’s hurricanes. [Read more…]
