General Property Issues

This is the report I promised in my last report. My last report was about roofers and homeowners playing the Assignment of Benefits (AOB) “blame game”. Like that report, this one, including the end notes, is replete with information that may take some time to digest. Lots of links to documents, video’s and so forth. I apologize for that but, it’s necessary, I believe, to show my sources (when I can) and to provide a foundation for the conclusions and opinions herein. [Read more…] about AOB…The Blame Game II

Chatting recently with a Tallahassee realtor friend of mine I learned that homeowners in several upscale neighborhoods were getting new roofs. “For Free!” she said, excited about their good fortune and, I assumed, how it might help the Real Estate market, particularly the sale of older homes. [Read more…] about AOB…The Blame Game!

Last week’s bad news was disappointing but, not unexpected. Legislation reforming Assignment of Benefits (AOB) in 2015 is dead, having failed to even muster a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee chaired by Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla-R. The House version has languished in the Regulatory Affairs committee chaired by Representative Jose Felix Diaz-R. Neither committee is scheduled to meet again this session. 

Again, bad news. [Read more…] about AOB Reform…Good & Bad News!

In a recent telephone discussion with the Division of Insurance Fraud (DIF) concerning Florida’s nearly 50,000 annual AOB lawsuits, I was told they’re investigating nearly 200 complaints of AOB abuse from roofers–many are likely to become full blown fraud investigations, all from the same part of the state. [Read more…] about AOB…the woods are on fire!

Some say every insurance crisis inevitably traces back to a handful of lawyers and that abuse of Assignment of Benefits (AOB) is no exception. What I’ve recently uncovered seems to bear this out in mind-boggling terms.   [Read more…] about AOB… an ugly iceberg!

Rapidly becoming Florida’s biggest residential insurance cost driver and once thought to involve mostly water extraction companies, abuse of AOB (Assignment of Benefits) has now metastasized into the roofing industry.

I use the phrase “roofing industry” loosely. The prime abusers don’t appear to be roofers at all but, fly-by-nighters, scammers and sometimes even criminals–with no experience, no license and, far too often… no conscience! [Read more…] about AOB & Roofers?!

For months now you’ve been reading my posts on the rampant abuse of assignment of benefits (AOB)– mostly by emergency restoration companies, more specifically water extraction companies. You know how I feel about it and should know, therefore, how insurers, abused claimants, agents and even some public adjusters feel about it.

They don’t like it, nor do they believe anyone should sign a contract assigning the benefits of their insurance policy to someone else.

Insurance agents should be particularly interested in knowing which emergency restoration companies do not use AOB and which do not pay inflated plumber referral fee’s but make referrals based on quality of service and workmanship. [Read more…] about Rytech–A company agents can trust!

Public Adjusters appear to strongly oppose Assignment of Benefits (AOB). Like every insurer I talk to, they point to consumer mistreatment and warn claimants to avoid contracts assigning the benefits of their insurance policy to someone else. [Read more…] about Public Adjuster Conundrum–AOB & Direct Pay

There’s a storm brewing! Widespread mistreatment of consumers by emergency remediators, mostly water extraction contractors and roofers, continues with no end in sight. Lured by the potential of huge payoffs with little chance of any consequences and enabled by Assignment of Benefits (AOB) they routinely kidnap the claim and leave premium payers with the ransom note. [Read more…] about Assignment of Benefits…The Brewing Storm!