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!
Charlie’s “new” Plan & The Way We Were
You’ve already heard about Charlie Crist’s New Insurance Plan. A rewrite of the historical record ignoring some facts and distorting others to obfuscate damage from the first insurance plan he pushed through in early 2007. [Read more…] about Charlie’s “new” Plan & The Way We Were
AOB…a flicker of common ground?
Common ground was visible recently between public adjusters and insurer’s. A brief flicker, sure. But, it was there.
Sparked by an article from Dick Tutwiler, CPCLA, PCLA opining on coverage reductions for water losses, abuse of Assignment of Benefits (AOB) by water extraction companies and the unlicensed practice of public adjusting. [Read more…] about AOB…a flicker of common ground?
Barn Burners II
Last week you read of a hatchet job by the Palm Beach Post. Writer Charles Elmore was hell bent on connecting the rates and underwriting of Citizens with the international travel necessary to save $233 million on reinsurance premiums.
Anything favorable to Citizens, or the reinsurance deal it secured, was sullied with Elmore’s fact selection, the words he put in the mouths of others, sales puffery he cut/pasted from travel brochures and spa pictures downloaded from the internet.
Not a good day for journalism.
The Palm Beach Barn Burners!
Those with barrels of ink never really get their comeuppance.
But…when a major Florida daily that fancies itself an advocate for insurance consumers is accused by a leading advocate for insurance consumers of mistreating an insurance company, well…that’s about as close as it gets. [Read more…] about The Palm Beach Barn Burners!
Water Extraction… Florida’s biggest cost driver?!
It’s Thursday, 2:15 in the afternoon. A Tallahassee plumber, who arrived at 9:00AM, has just left my home.
The result of a call from the utility company warning of a potential water leak. My previous months water bill was $191.22 for 24,339 gallons of water (I had the sprinklers on every day).
But…since paying that bill I began hemorrhaging nearly 128,610 gallons in three weeks at a cost of nearly $400. And, I was told “… it’s still leaking!”
After checking the irrigation system (sprinklers) I discovered my worst water leak nightmare. A pipe beneath the garage slab was leaking. Water was pouring outside and into the neighbors yard. Drywall was wet up to 18″ high. Outside the brick wall was wet to the same height. The fifteen year old indoor/outdoor garage carpet was soaked. [Read more…] about Water Extraction… Florida’s biggest cost driver?!
SEAN SHAW… for which people?!
Sean Shaw, a Democrat from Tampa and Florida’s former Insurance Consumer Advocate (ICA) now favored to win the District 61 house seat (See Note #1 below), appears to have completely sold out.
True. His leanings were never much in question. Even as the ICA he pushed for free access to “Citizens”, meaningless sound-bite regulations like Insurer Report Cards and subsidies over sound premiums. The Charlie Crist Plan.
Occasionally dispensation is due statewide advocates representing inland policyholders and wealthy coastal homeowners simultaneously.
But, not anymore. Not for Shaw. [Read more…] about SEAN SHAW… for which people?!
PA’s & Claim Inflation…it happens!
After my May 28 post titled “PA’s & Chip Merlin; “…until proven guilty!” I was contacted by a Miami public adjuster. He was “fed up” with his “entire profession.” He wanted to quit and do something else.
He talked about fraud and corruption. He spoke of fancy cars PA’s drive and how they couldn’t afford them if they acted ethically. He talked about how fraud is motivated by exorbitant contingency fees subtracted from amounts otherwise due the claimant.
Except for the anecdote on “fancy cars” I thought he was reading from one of my blogs. [Read more…] about PA’s & Claim Inflation…it happens!
CHARLIE’S CURSE
The curse of any perfectionist is in seeing only that which keeps perfection out of reach. Never being thankful for what’s been gained. Never being satisfied with the status quo.
For me Florida’s improved property market is such a curse. I’m a perfectionist.
The market, however, has it’s own curse–Charlie Crist’s overreaction to a temporary market adjustment. We were helpless as he stuck pins in the industry voo-doo doll. Bragging as he did and chiding “…good riddance” to Florida’s future. [Read more…] about CHARLIE’S CURSE
PA’s & CHIP MERLIN; “…until proven guilty!”
Despite declining ranks, a decade of reform and record level prosecutions, news of dishonest public adjusters hasn’t abated. Prompting one subscriber to comment on my “failure” to report recent arrests. A bit strong I thought. Frequency, after all, can jeopardize classifying some occurrences as news. Besides most public adjusters are honorable. [Read more…] about PA’s & CHIP MERLIN; “…until proven guilty!”