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The Florida Senate passed SB 122 back in April focusing on the abuse of post-loss AOBs for residential or commercial property insurance claims, among other things. Some of the provisions found in the bill would prohibit certain fees and make changes to policy provisions related to managed repairs in an assignment agreement. Service providers would also be obligated to give an insurer and the consumer at least ten days of prior written notice before filing a claim lawsuit.

If a major storm causes damage to several homes, homeowners can expect insurance companies to become inundated with claims. The longer a person waits to file a claim, the longer the wait for an adjuster to visit the property, survey the damage and have the home repaired. It is not unusual for the entire process to take several months.

Among the two bills, one of them is receiving wide discussion during hearings involving insurance carriers, regulators and homeowners that are against AOB agreements versus home restoration contractors, attorneys, and homeowners that support AOB.

Despite placing coverage limits on policyholders in regards to water damage if they choose to go with contractors not approved by the insurer, the company is still raising insurance policy premiums, a move expected to go into effect in September.

A recent Senate Bill 122 has been introduced with the intention of fixing the one-way attorney fee provision currently found in Florida’s assignment of benefits (AOB) law. Attorney fees would be awarded solely to the policyholders that win the litigated claims instead of “vendors” that have been assigned benefits in the AOB agreement.

Now that 2019 is here, several new Florida laws are in effect. A new homeowners’ insurance makes some stipulations current and future homeowners may wish to familiarize themselves with.

Holiday dinners are a tradition and most people know what to do and what not to do. When preparing food, ensure that any flammable items that are being used or happen to be nearby are kept far from a stove or any conductible appliance. Never leave an oven or stove unattended.

As the heavy flooding from Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Irma in 2017 reminds us, a storm can result in millions of dollars in damages, which reinforces the importance of ensuring that homeowners are properly covered before a storm hits. Waiting too long could mean not having the coverage ready when a storm arrives.

Most standard policies cover a quartet of things: the home's structure (also referred to as the dwelling), detached units such as a garage, a homeowner's belongings (or personal property), and living expenses should the homeowner be displaced. When it comes to personal property coverage, most policies will only provide coverage for a definite amount. Homeowners may wish to add more coverage if they have a significant amount of big-ticket items, though this may also mean having to pay more.

There are important distinctions between coverage homeowners should be familiar with. Should water enter a home, there is a possibility a standard policy may not cover water damages as that typically requires having flood insurance. However, if a scenario occurs such as a tree falling onto the roof hard enough that it allows rain to come into the home, it is possible that damage would be covered under a standard policy. Homeowners may also wish to consider the amount of coverage they require and how low of a deductible they can manage if an emergency were to happen.