Florida debt collection lawyer – Page 7

October 6, 2014

Weekly Review for Florida Insurance Law for Monday, October 6, 2014

Here are some recent articles of interest that I found this week for the insurance industry, Florida insurance law, Florida insurance claims, and Florida insurance trends. Enjoy!

Florida Insurance Law: Florida’s Citizens Pays Off Bond, Drops Surcharge 2 Years Early
Florida’s state-backed property insurer will stop collecting a one-percent assessment that had been used to retire a bond issued following the 2004-2005 hurricane season.

The Citizens Property Insurance Corp. board of directors decided the insurer will have the necessary funds to retire the bonds as of June 15. The bonds had been scheduled to be paid off in June 2017.

Citizens Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Montero said the decision follows last year’s vote to continue the assessments.

“When we came before the board last year, we recommended continuation of the one percent for another year in anticipation in the future or even elimination of the assessment,” said Montero.

Citizens issued the bonds after the 2004-2005 hurricane season when eight major storms struck the state. Those storms left Citizens with a $1.7 billion shortfall. As a result, in 2007 the insurer levied a 1.4 percent emergency assessment paid for by all the state’s property policyholder.

That funding decision allowed Citizens to start paying down a 10-year post-event bond issuance that had a total price tax of $1.38 billion.

Read more here…

Thank you for reading (and sharing). Stay tuned for next week’s weekly review for Florida Insurance Law!

September 26, 2014

Weekly Review for Florida Insurance Law for Friday, September 26, 2014

Here are some recent articles of interest that I found this week for the insurance industry, Florida insurance law, Florida insurance claims, and Florida insurance trends. Enjoy!

Miami Hopes Storm Pumps, Seawall Will Protect Against Rising Seas
Climate change is not only already visible in iconic South Beach, but so is climate change adaptation, in the form of new storm water pumps meant to keep rising sea levels from swamping low-lying streets, city officials said Wednesday.

Extreme high tides in the fall and spring push seawater up through aging infrastructure, flooding some Miami Beach streets with more than a foot of water even on sunny days, snarling vehicle and pedestrian traffic. National and regional climate change risk assessments have used the flooding to illustrate the Miami area’s vulnerability to rising sea levels.

Watching a new storm water pump being readied for installation along the city’s bay front, officials said they hoped the project would make Miami Beach, a barrier island with an average elevation of 4.4 feet above sea level, an example of climate change adaptation instead of only risk.

A system of about 60 new pumps across the city will keep streets dry for the next 25 to 30 years, said Mayor Philip Levine. A higher sea wall also is being built to cope with storm surge flooding.

Read more here…

Commercial Rates in Florida’s Citizens Going Up 3.3%
Rates for the almost 100,000 commercial property risks insured by Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will rise an average 3.3 percent next February.

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) has approved the increase, which is less that the average 5.2 percent increase requested by Citizens. The decision came after 45-day deliberative process and a public hearing on Aug. 27 in Tallahassee.

Commercial polices are found in both Citizens’ Commercial Lines and Coastal Accounts and represent 99,009 of Citizens’ total 933,807 policies statewide.
OIR previously approved new rates for homeowners accounts, a statewide average rate decrease of 3.7 percent.

Read more here…

Thank you for reading (and sharing). Stay tuned for next week’s weekly review for Florida Insurance Law!

September 15, 2014September 10, 2018

Weekly Review for Florida Insurance Law for Monday, September 15, 2014

Here are some recent articles of interest that I found this week for the insurance industry, Florida insurance law, Florida insurance claims, and Florida insurance trends. Enjoy!

Florida Insurance Law: Florida’s Citizens No Longer ‘Out of Control,’ Says Exec Defending Rate Cut
Its successes in reducing its insured population and securing low cost catastrophic coverage are driving the request by Florida’s state-backed property insurer for a statewide average 2.9 percent decrease on residential policies.

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. officials in a public hearing before the state’s Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) painted a picture of an insurer that has downsized significantly while financially improving over the last several years.

Read more here…

Florida Insurance Law: Crist, Scott Spar Over Property Insurance in Race for Governor
Democrat Charlie Crist said he successfully reduced rising property insurance rates as governor and will do so again if elected, vowing to repeal a law enacted under Republican Gov. Rick Scott that he said provides weaker coverage at a higher price.

It’s a familiar theme for Crist, who campaigned in 2006 on a pledge to lower insurance rates that were skyrocketing after eight hurricanes battered Florida in two years. One of his first acts as governor was to call a special session to deal with rising rates. Lawmakers expanded the amount of state-sponsored reinsurance, which brought down costs for private carriers, and froze rates by the state-created Citizen’s Property Insurance Corp., which took on more policies as national companies backed away from Florida.

Read more here…

Florida Fraud Law: Home Depot Confirms Its Payment Systems Were Hacked
Home Depot Inc. confirmed on Monday its payment security systems have been breached, a data theft analysts warn could rival Target Corp.’s massive breach last year.

Home Depot said the data theft could impact its customers in stores across the United States and Canada, but there was no evidence that online customers were affected or debit personal identification numbers (PINs) were compromised.

Read more here…

Florida Real Estate Law: Free Florida Quit Claim Deed Form and Filing?
Reading this article will teach you the hazards for using a free Florida quit claim deed form and other do-it-yourself solutions to transfer your home or property.

Countless people are searching for and using free Florida quit claim deed forms they find online. These same people then without legal knowledge or training try to fill out the quit claim deed not even knowing if the form itself is proper for the State of Florida or for their specific purposes. As a Florida real estate lawyer, I am horrified that people think this is actually a good, prudent and financially wise decision.

Read more here…

Florida Real Estate Law: How Strong Is Florida’s ‘Revived’ Homeowners Market?
As Florida seeks to revive its private home insurance market after almost a decade without a hurricane, homeowners are pouring $6 billion a year in premiums into a new generation of small, in-state insurance companies with an unproven record of withstanding a major hurricane.

A consumer-oriented rating agency, Weiss Ratings, recently awarded the companies a median grade of C-minus, and even without a major storm to drive up claims, 11 of them have already failed in Florida since 2006, according to state records.

Read more here…

Thank you for reading (and sharing). Stay tuned for next week’s weekly review for Florida Insurance Law!

September 5, 2014

Weekly Review for Florida Insurance Law for Friday, September 5, 2014

Here are some recent articles of interest that I found this week for the insurance industry, Florida insurance law, Florida insurance claims, and Florida insurance trends. Enjoy!

Those with bad credit pay more for homeowners insurance
STUDY HIGHLIGHTS THE FINANCIAL DISPARITY BETWEEN THOSE WITH POOR CREDIT AND THOSE WITH GOOD CREDIT
A new study from InsuranceQuotes.com shows that credit score is having a major impact on the out-of-pockets costs of homeowners insurance in Alabama. Credit is one of the foundational tools that the insurance industry uses to assess risks in any given market. Credit is a gauge of financial risk, allowing the financial service industry to properly assess liability in any given scenario. Poor credit represents a significant risk, which is why those with a low credit score often have trouble finding loans and receiving credit cards. Read more here…

Yeah, right…Florida’s Citizens’ Gilway Defends Overseas Travel
The top official of Florida’s state-backed property insurer stepped forward yesterday to defend his organization’s international travel, arguing it was necessary to conclude a $3.1 billion risk transfer plan.

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. President Barry Gilway has found himself under fire in recent weeks by Gov. Rick Scott over press reports that detailed the insurer’s overseas travel.

Specifically, Scott questioned the role of Citizens Chair Chris Gardner, who on a trip to Bermuda was reimbursed for a two-night hotel stay at $104 above Citizens overseas travel guidelines. Gardner reimbursed Citizens for the overage, which was caught by the insurer in an internal review. Read more here…

Florida’s Flood Agency Stops Writing New Business in Tampa Bay Region
One of the first entities to step forward and provide private flood insurance in Florida has announced it will stop writing new business in the Tampa Bay region in order to manage its exposure.

The Flood Agency, which offers private flood coverage that are backed by the surplus lines insurer Lloyd’s Private Flood, announced the move some nine months after it began offering the coverage.

The Gainesville-based agency’s decision affects Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Sarasota and Manatee counties. Flood Agency President Evan Hecht told reporters the decision to stop providing new policies in those areas are based on the need to balance Lloyd’s exposure. Read more here…

Thank you for reading (and sharing). Stay tuned for next week’s weekly review for Florida Insurance Law!

August 13, 2014

Weekly Review for Florida Insurance Law for Friday, August 15, 2014

Here are some recent articles of interest that I found this week for the insurance industry, Florida insurance law, Florida insurance claims, and Florida insurance trends. Enjoy!

Florida Legal Help: When Should I File a Florida Legal Claim?
Normally I do not write in such broad strokes. Originally, I was going to write about when a Florida insurance claim should be filed. Then after thinking about it for a moment, I decided the advice applicable to insurance claims is equally important to all Florida legal claims. So, if you have a Florida legal claim that involves business deals gone wrong; contracts breached; monies that have not been paid; insurance claims denied; personal injuries suffered; or real estate deals that are upside down; then this article is for you!
Read more here…

Thank you for reading (and sharing). Stay tuned for next week’s weekly review for Florida Insurance Law!

August 2, 2014

Weekly Review for Florida Insurance Law for Monday, August 4, 2014

Here are some recent articles of interest that I found this week for the insurance industry, Florida insurance law, Florida insurance claims, and Florida insurance trends. Enjoy!

Hurricane Watch: Tropical Storm Bertha forms in the Atlantic
Tropical Storm Bertha barreled toward the northern end of the island of Martinique in the eastern Caribbean on Friday, the National Hurricane Center said.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was churning through the Atlantic at 24 mph. Bertha was located about 20 miles northwest of Fort de France, Martinique, the hurricane center’s 5 p.m. advisory said. It formed on Thursday.

Read more here…

Florida Insurance News: Federated National Launching Another Florida Home Insurer, Monarch National
Florida homeowners’ insurer Federated National Holding Co. and the Canadian bank and investment manager C.A. Bancorp Inc. have agreed to form a new Florida-based homeowners insurance carrier to be named Monarch National Insurance Co.

Both FNHC and C.A. Bancorp are each putting up $14 million for a 42 percent ownership stake each in the new venture.

Read more here…

Florida Insurance: Homeowners insurance fee may soon expire
Florida’s so called “Hurricane Tax” on homeowners and drivers is expected to come to an end at the beginning of 2015. Policyholders have been paying an extra fee for their property and auto coverage for some time, but the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has ordered that insurers put an end to these fees 18 months ahead of when these fees were initially meant to expire.

Insurers have until January 1, 2015, to put these fees to rest.

Read more here…

Thank you for reading (and sharing). Stay tuned for next week’s weekly review for Florida Insurance Law!

July 23, 2014

Weekly Review for Florida Insurance Law for Friday, July 25, 2014

Here are some recent articles of interest that I found this week for the insurance industry, Florida insurance law, Florida insurance claims, and Florida insurance trends. Enjoy!

Florida Gov. Scott Agrees to Meet with Climate Scientists
Florida Gov. Rick Scott said his administration would be “happy to meet” with 10 scientists from Florida universities who want to talk about climate change, a subject he has been reluctant to address.

A letter from the scientists was delivered to Scott’s office Tuesday. Scott and other Republicans have been skeptical of global warming and the governor has worked with the GOP-controlled Legislature to dismantle climate change initiatives.

When a federal report earlier this year highlighted Florida — and Miami in particular — among the parts of the country most vulnerable to global warming and rising sea levels, Scott said: “I’m not a scientist” when asked about it. Read more here…

Is this a bad thing? Florida Frets That With Proposed Rate Cut, Citizens Could Be Too Competitive
Florida’s state-backed property insurer’s proposed rate reduction is raising questions about whether it will make the insurer competitive with the private market.

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. recently proposed 2015 rates that include a statewide average 2.9 percent rate decrease on all residential policyholders.
The proposed rate cut comes after eight years without any significant hurricane losses and five years of rate increases following the so-called “glide-path,” which limits annual rate increases to 10 percent.
The rate changes also follow Citizens’ recent decision to transfer $3.1 billion in risk for the 2014 hurricane season through a combination of traditional reinsurance and catastrophe bonds, a $1.5 billion deal that is the largest of its kind on record. Read more here…

Flood Insurance Rates Set to Rise in Florida
Flood insurance rates in Florida are set to increase yet again. Thousands of homeowners throughout the state are likely to see higher rates in the coming months as the National Flood Insurance Program continues to raise rates throughout the country. These rates are based on flood maps devised by FEMA. The federal agency has been making revisions to these flood maps recently in order to better account for the changing risks associated with natural disasters and provide insurance entities a better understanding of these risks. Read more here…

Thank you for reading (and sharing). Stay tuned for next week’s weekly review for Florida Insurance Law!

July 7, 2014

Weekly Review for Florida Insurance Law for Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Here are some recent articles of interest that I found this week for the insurance industry, Florida insurance law, Florida insurance claims, and Florida insurance trends. Enjoy!

Florida Approves Southern Oak Take-Out of 10,000 Policies from Citizens
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) said it has approved the removal of up to 10,000 multi-peril personal residential policies from the state-backed property insurer Citizens Property Insurance Corp. by Southern Oak Insurance Co.

Southern Oak requested in April to remove 8,500 policies from Citizens’ personal lines account (non-coastal properties) and 1,500 from the coastal account (coastal properties) for the September 16, 2014 take-out period, according to OIR.

This is part of the state’s ongoing effort to reduce the number of policies in Citizens and transfer them into the private insurance market. OIR said this announcement brings the total number of policies approved for take-outs this year to 369,341.

Read more here…

Keep a Hurricane Preparation Checklist
In areas where hurricanes can strike, it’s a good idea to have a closet or an area set aside for storm preparedness storage. There, you can keep items you’ll need in case disaster strikes suddenly or you need to evacuate.
It’s also important to know the difference between a watch and a warning, and when they are issued for tropical storms and hurricanes.

Read more here…

Don’t Forget About Flood Insurance
The Atlantic hurricane season has arrived and that means people may need to consider ways to protect themselves. This year’s hurricane season has already been somewhat active, but no devastating storms have yet struck the U.S. This does not mean that the country is safe from such disasters, only that one hasn’t showed up yet. It is impossible to tell when or where a powerful hurricane will form, so it may be a good idea to get a better understanding of flood insurance.
Read more here…

Thank you for reading (and sharing). Stay tuned for next week’s weekly review for Florida Insurance Law!

July 2, 2014September 10, 2018

When do I need a lawyer for my Florida Debt Collection Case?

Reading this article will teach you when and why you need a Miami debt collection lawyer.

Times have been tough, we all know that. Been there done that. The economy has thrown many business plans and transactions for a loop. Often this meant broken promises and non-payment. As a business, you took your lumps but often could do nothing about it. The debtors got a free pass. You had bigger problems of your own like surviving the Great Recession and making payroll. Fortunately times are better and now it is time to revoke that free pass and get what is owed to you.

Florida Debt Collection

Let’s be honest, there is nothing easy about debt collection. Any one that tells you this is easy work or guarantees you a result is a charlatan. Separating a person from their money is harder than almost anything out there. People will stop at nothing to frustrate you and not to pay. And why not, this means they got something for free from you.

The Do Nothing Lose All Approach

The choice is clear. You can do absolutely nothing and you are ensured of your result which is a total loss. Nothing less and nothing more. Show me a person that voluntarily pays a bad debt without a request and I will show you a unicorn. The total loss can be written off as bad business or a lesson learned. The only problem is bad business and lessons do not pay bills or replace the product or services you rendered.

Debt Collection Company Approach

The second choice is to pursue debt collection with a debt collection company. Debt collection companies work on a percentage basis meaning they keep a portion of your money they collect. That is the best case scenario. That can cost you up to 50% of what you are owed. If they collect nothing then you owe nothing. This seems like debt collectors work for free and many people feel this is a good deal. Why would you weigh this negative and most likely outcome as a good deal? Remember, debt collectors have a limited arsenal at their disposal such as calling and pestering debtors with lots of form letters. By law a debt collection company cannot do much more as they are not lawyers. The problem is debtors become immune to these tactics quickly like insects to repellent. At that point, the calls and collection letters are recognized for what they are and are ignored. Often that leaves you in the same position as you started but just months or years later with no results. You are worse off since the chance for recovery has been shown to lower with each passing day you do not take collection action.

Hire a Florida Debt Collection Lawyer

That leaves us with the final choice. Hire a debt collection lawyer. Unlike a debt collection company, a debt collection lawyer can take your debtor to task in court. Instead of telephone calls and dunning letters, a collection lawyer uses a lawsuit, subpoena, deposition, trial and final judgment as his tools. These tools can be very effective in recovering funds on your behalf. A resulting final judgment will allow the debt collection attorney to levy upon the debtor’s assets or seize the debtor’s bank accounts or wages through garnishment. If this does not work, then nothing will as no debt collector has any power greater than this. All you have to ask yourself is who puts you in the better position to recover your funds, which is the ultimate goal.

Hiring a debt collection lawyer need not be scary. Think of us as a possible solution to your problem and not a dental visit. The idea here to come up with an affordable and sensible budget you control to maximize your recovery. This is not an endless money pit. You are in control of that budget and decide if and when to stop the case. Our job is to put you in the best possible position to recover what you are owed. Not every case can be won, that much is clear, but it is equally clear that no case can be won if you do not try.

If you have a Florida debt collection case, please contact us to arrange for a consultation to see how a Miami Debt Collection Lawyer can help you. We have been doing this for over twenty-years and in that time there has been little that we have not already seen. By consulting with us, you have nothing to lose but everything to gain.

Related Topics: Florida debt collection, Miami debt collection, Florida collection lawyer, Miami collection lawyer, Florida collection lawsuit, Florida judgment collection, Florida garnishment, Florida levy, Florida civil theft, Florida fraudulent transfers

July 2, 2014

Weekly Review for Florida Insurance Law for Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Here are some recent articles of interest that I found this week for the insurance industry, Florida insurance law, Florida insurance claims, and Florida insurance trends. Enjoy!

No New Rights in Florida’s Homeowners’ Bill of Rights
Florida’s passage of a homeowners’ claims bill of rights left few satisfied after lawmakers largely codified current law while avoiding controversial issues such as the practice of policyholders assigning their claims payments to contractors.
The bill of rights was a priority of the state’s Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and was initially drafted by the state’s insurance consumer advocate’s office.
Read more here…

Homeowners insurance rate reductions coming to Florida
Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance, the state’s largest provider of homeowners insurance coverage, has announced rate reductions for 2015. This will be the first time the state-run insurance organization has been able to offer a rate reduction in several years. The insurer has been facing monumental financial problems recently and has been struggling to overcome these issues while also complying with it duty to provide coverage to its policyholders. The forthcoming rate reduction may go a long way in improving the tarnished relationship that the organization has with its customers.
Read more here…

Thank you for reading (and sharing). Stay tuned for next week’s weekly review for Florida Insurance Law!