Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeal (DCA) has certified the following question pertaining to Assignments of Benefits (AOB) to the Florida Supreme Court as a matter of great public importance: Does article X, section 4(c) of the Florida Constitution allow the owner of homestead real property, joined by the spouse, if married, to assign post-loss […]
For a licensee needing additional time to complete continuing education requirements due to the pandemic or otherwise, The Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) may grant a 90-day extension of time for good cause. “Good cause” means an incident or occurrence which is beyond the control of the applicant and which prevents the completion of […]
The Florida surplus lines tax charged by the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) decreased from 5.0% to 4.94% effective July 1, 2020. The reduction applies to all new and renewal policies with an effective date on or after July 1, 2020. The tax applies to the total gross premium as defined in Florida Statute […]
Florida’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is scheduled to reopen today after a recent closure due to 12 positive COVID-19 tests among its personnel. The state Division of Emergency Management began testing EOC personnel about three weeks ago as part of its precautionary measures. When 12 of the 150 employees tested positive, the EOC quickly moved […]
Governor Ron DeSantis has allowed Florida to move into Phase 2 of its gradual reopening plans. Phase Two includes the limited reopening of bars, movie theaters and entertainment venues. Phase Two also includes allowing increased capacity at most businesses that were allowed to open on a limited basis during Phase One. Phase Two marks a […]
The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF) begins the 2020 in a strong position to pay reimbursements to insurers if the need arises this year. The FHCF releases estimates of its claims-paying capacity in May and October of each year. The FHCF projects having $11.62 billion of cash on hand plus $650 million in pre-event note […]
June 1 marks the official start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, although tropical storms Arthur and Bertha chose to not follow arbitrary calendar dates. Forecasters warn that the United States will have a more active hurricane season than usual this year. This prediction would cause concerns in any year. This is especially the case in […]
Florida has moved into a full implementation of Phase 1 reopening. This follows a brief period in which the state reopened at a pace more conservative than most commonly described as Phase 1. Governor Ron DeSantis described the increase in Phase 1 activities as “things the state could have done but didn’t do initially.” In […]
Most parts of Florida have moved into “Phase One” of resuming daily activities as the country gradually, and hopefully, moves past the height of COVID-19 concerns. Phase One marks the expiration of Florida’s “Safer at Home” directive in which citizens were asked to largely remain in their homes and avoid non-essential activity. For Phase One, […]
Florida’s Division of Emergency Management is revisiting hurricane response plans in light of the potential continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins in a little over a month, so the state faces a likelihood that its hurricane response efforts might need to be adjusted this year compared to prior years. In […]