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The Office of Insurance Regulation has scheduled a public hearing for the following pending rate filings submitted by Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Citizens submits rate filings for all of its programs each year. In connection with the OIR’s review, the OIR holds a public hearing at which Citizens presents information regarding the filings and the […]
The Florida Department of Financial Services reminds adjusting firms that the primary adjuster law requires each person operating an adjusting firm, and each location of a multiple location adjusting firm, to designate a primary adjuster for each such firm or location. The law defines a primary adjuster as the licensed adjuster who is responsible for the hiring […]
The Florida Department of Financial Services has issued guidance to agents regarding unlawful or unauthorized charges. The department advises that it has received an increasing number of inquiries from Florida agents asking if they can charge fees for services ancillary to placing insurance, such as issuing certificates of coverage. The department responds that charging these types […]
Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater has named Sha’Ron James as the state’s Insurance Consumer Advocate effective August 3. Ms. James most recently has been the Director of the Division of Rehabilitation & Liquidation within the Department of Financial Services. “Sha’Ron’s experience holding insurance companies accountable and her in-depth understanding of the insurance industry raises […]
The Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) in its Insurance Insights publication has reminded life and health agents using “virtual offices” to list their home addresses as their business addresses on file with DFS if their records are kept at home. DFS notes that many agents do not lease permanent locations but instead rent conference […]
The Florida Department of Revenue has issued Tax Information Publication (TIP) 15ADM-03 relating to the community contribution tax credit. Insurers may be interested in the tax credit against the insurance premium tax. The credit also may be taken against the sales and use tax and the corporate income tax. The text of the TIP is […]
The First District Court of Appeal has issued its second opinion on assignment of benefit issues in recent weeks. In its most recent opinion, the court in United Water Restoration Group, Inc. v. State Farm Florida Insurance Company found that a county court had improperly dismissed United Water’s complaint based on coverage issues raised by […]
Bills passed by the Florida legislature specify when their provisions take effect, either upon the bills’ becoming law or upon a specific date. For insurance-related legislation, the legislature often establishes July 1 as the effective date. This is the case with several bills passed during 2015. Insurers therefore should consider the impact of 2015 legislation […]
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeal in Allen v. USAA Casualty Insurance Company considered whether section 627.7011(2), Florida Statutes, requires an insurer to confirm both increases and decreases of law and ordinance coverage on an OIR-approved form, or whether the requirement to use an approved form applies only when a policyholder decreases coverage below the […]
In Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, Inc. v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co., Case No. 2D14-2001 (Fla. 1st DCA 2015), the 1st DCA overturned the trial court’s discovery order, because it was an abuse of discretion and exceeded the scope of discovery allowable under sections 627.736(6)(b) and (c), F.S., which is part of the PIP […]
