While it’s troubling to watch FL residents suffer soaring rate increases, I’m still hoping some meaningful legislation will be passed that will “immediately” impact rates and help property holders. The frustrating part is the partisan politicians who turn a blind eye when good amendments are put forward that could easily provide some rate relief. Just watch the consumer-friendly amendments laid out by Senator Gary Farmer who very eloquently explains the insurance shell game.  

Start at 1:57:30 - https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/5-24-22-senate-session-part-1/

WIND held its annual 2022 conference at the Lowes Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando at the end of January.  I have to say that I was a little hesitant attending this conference as it is a multi-day event held in a venue which is a closed environment inside of a very large resort. Based on past year’s attendance I would have expected well over 1000 insurance professionals, experts and vendors showing up to network, learn best practices and refresh their knowledge. To my surprise despite the virus threat, over 1000 people did in fact register and that didn’t include late walk ins, who decided they did not want to be behind the learning curve.  For me, besides seeing old friends and meeting new people from various disciplines, the highlight of the conference was the keynote speaker presentation.

The complexities of a property insurance claim are many. This is even more true with the variables that exist in claims for country clubs and resorts. Owners and managers are not only tasked with navigating a building damage claim and policy coverage issues, but they also have the monumental task of addressing, assessing, and seeking compensation for damages to business personal property, maintenance equipment, golf carts, golf course and grounds, supplies, saleable goods Inventory, food & beverage stock, debris removal, and costs incurred for engineers, architects, and auditors. Moreover, owners will be tasked with addressing and projecting intangible damages for items like business interruption, extra expense, lost sales revenue, and lost membership dues. For business managers not familiar with the insurance claims process this is a daunting task that takes away large chunks of time from their primary responsibilities to efficiently operate the business. Learn how Public Adjuster Mike Stabile put his expertise to work for this client and acheived a fair claim settlement. 

As Tropical Storm Elsa approaches the Tampa Bay area residents need to take this storm seriously and prepare accordingly as the path continues to evolve. This type of storm can throw off tornado activity and pockets of heavy wind gusts. As a result, thousands of homeowners may be contacting their insurance company to file an insurance claim. Resources are likely to be stretched and frustration with claims will grow as our public insurance adjusters have seen with past storms. We want everyone to stay safe and also be in a condition to recover as best they can. Below are a few popular pre-storm claim tips that we always try to share with clients. Please feel free to pass them along. Bottom line – PREPARE NOW!

As the Champlain Tower collapse unfolds, people must understand this is a very fluid situation. Now is not the time to be pointing fingers but instead supporting the victims' families and conducting a thorough and objective investigation. That being said, as a 45-year veteran of insurance adjusting in Florida, I have seen and been involved in all types of condo claims in Florida for decades. I concur, water is the cause or should I say the most frequent cause of all insurance losses. Water damage has and still is occurring and causing failures of building components particularly in ocean side concrete structures.

We were so glad to be able to work with Tampa Bay Times seasoned reporter Philip Morgan to help educate the public regarding insurance claims and the value of having a public adjuster professionally manage the claim. Read here: The Policyholder's Champion in Tampa Bay

So let me see if I have this right. Of course, I have this right! Déjà vu all over again. Within House Bill 305 there is language that not only treads on but stomps on the rights of two business entities which by the way are both licensed and pay fees to two branches of the Florida state government in order to conduct legal and necessary business. Why else would they be issued a license and required to mail fees to Tallahassee if they were not legal and necessary?

So proud of our very own Florida Public Adjuster, Michael Platts who took time out of his busy holiday schedule to play Santa and deliver his yearly childrens' gifts to Metropolitan Ministries in Tampa. It's been a busy storm season for all of us this past year. We want everyone of our readers to have a safe and healthy holiday and look forward with hope to the new year.

We’ve seen anecdotal evidence that some insurance companies as well as adjusters are already talking to policyholders about invoking the Appraisal Clause in their property insurance policy. While appraisal can play an important role in the insurance claim settlement process, it is not for everyone and policyholders need to understand both the costs and limitations. We have several certified appraisers on our staff and one of the first things we do when asked to represent a client is to review the suitability based on the claim facts. Here is a Q&A I did for the media after Hurricane Michael (and now Hurricane Sally) to help policyholders better understand property damage Appraisal.

There is no escaping the property damage that Hurricane Eta will cause to the Tampa Bay region. This type of storm can throw off tornadic activity and pockets of heavy wind gusts. As a result, thousands of homeowners may be contacting their insurance company to file an insurance claim. Resources are likely to be stretched and frustration with claims will grow as our public insurance adjusters have seen with past storms. We want everyone to stay safe and also be in a condition to recover as best they can. If you experience property damage from Hurricane Eta, here are a few claim tips for filing your insurance claim that will make the process easier and possibly protect your claim from denial or other problems, especially if you have to evacuate.