Advocacy

Florida’s property market is in total free fall and there are only two culprits. One is something we can’t do anything about. The other is not only something we can do something about, it’s also something that makes the first one much worse.

The first culprit is reinsurance—it reimburses carriers for hurricane losses and can sometimes be as much as 60% of the total homeowners premium. The second culprit (the one that also makes reinsurance more costly) is frivolous, sometimes downright fraudulent litigation, proffered by a litany of complicit players, including public adjusters, roofers, rebuild contractors and dishonest attorneys. [Read more…]

Among those I’ve informally polled there’s a strong sense of disappointment, mixed with very little surprise that referee Dawn Denaro did not accede to the Florida Bar’s request to permanently disbar Scot Strems for his very bad behavior.  Instead she recommended that his license be suspended for two years, followed by one year of supervised probation.

Some have told me it could be a death sentence. Other’s called it a slap on the wrist.  I say… “Strems troubles are far from over!” [Read more…]

I’ve now listened to all eighteen plus hearings (or portions thereof) regarding the disbarment proceedings against Scot Strems. You can learn about this landmark case and my perspectives beginning with Part I here, Part II here, Part III here, Part IV here and Part IV ½  here.  (See NOTE #1 below)

According to the referee, Judge Dawn Denaro in her Oral Ruling on September 23^rd, The Florida Bar has proven that Scot Strems violated fourteen rules enumerated in The Bar’s June 5^th Petition For Emergency Suspension.  (See NOTE #2 below).

My layman’s view is that many key allegations are now facts, albeit those likely to be contested by the defendant–if not in a tribunal then certainly in his court of public opinion. My opinion, however, is this ugly saga has finally morphed from finger pointing to proven “contumacious” behavior.

Next up…sentencing.  [Read more…]

Most of my subscribers know that Jeff Grady, President and CEO of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA), recently retired.  Deserved accolades have circulated; well-earned awards have been presented.

Listed below are some of Jeff’s accomplishments and recent acknowledgements–this, so you can know a little more of what FAIA’s volunteer leaders and myself know about his tenure at America’s best agents association. [Read more…]

This is PART IV ½ because it falls about halfway between part IV and V—the latter is the next report regarding the Supreme Court trial of Scot Strems.  For those just joining read Part I here, Part II here, Part III here and Part IV here. [Read more…]

Until proven true, accusations referenced in this series of articles are only allegations made by various parties including the Florida Bar in its petition to suspend Scot Strems license to practice law. (Read Part I here, Part II here, and Part III here)

To get a sense of how these alleged activities harm both clients and the general administration of justice, I looked through the 700 pages of the Bar’s complaint and found what I think is the most instructive case study of what’s been going on in the litigation known as McEkron vs. Security First (McEkron). In fact, it consumes over 400 pages of the Bar’s documentation and though it’s already been to trial, the parties in McEkron are still arguing over attorney fees—for good reason, as you’ll see. [Read more…]

NOTE: Until proven true, accusations referenced in this series of articles are only allegations made by various parties including the Florida Bar in its petition to suspend Scot Strems license to practice law. (Read Part I here, Part II here)

This Part III of “Collapse of an Evil Empire” begins with the remarkable observation that… the empire may not be collapsing! [Read more…]

Part II begins as Part I ended, with a reminder that the accusations referenced in this series of articles (Read Part I here) until proven true, are only allegations made by various parties including the Florida Bar in its petition to suspend Scot Strems license to practice law.

Part I as Prologue–The Florida Supreme Court’s emergency suspension against Scot Strems alleged he “… sits at the head of a vast campaign of unprofessional, unethical, and fraudulent conduct that now infects courts and communities across the state.” [Read more…]

This is Part I regarding deceptive practices by some attorneys and their cohorts to steal from others, including their own clients.

If allegations in the  numerous documents I’ve been provided are true we may all be witnessing the historical collapse of an enterprise so prolific and sinister it almost defies description.

Since these alleged practices of just this one firm, The Strems Law Firm (SLF), are so instructive regarding Florida’s property insurance market and the need for tort reform, additional articles may be necessary to provide a more complete picture, examine the potential impact on rates and develop meaningful long term solutions.  [Read more…]

In my last report I said that in my next report I would explain what’s driving up residential insurance rates in the Sunshine state. This report is that promised report but, before I tell you about “Fee Multipliers”, let me tell you something else just as relevant and important.

Every session of the Florida legislature is measured to some degree on how much it succeeds in providing the people of Florida what they need and/or deserve.  If this last session is judged by its work reducing premiums for Florida homeowners (something policyholders obviously need and deserve) then the 2020 session was a miserable failure! [Read more…]