Book Description

In Florida, the legal authorities governing and relating to property insurance, associated claims, and insurance adjusting are scattered in various bodies of law (beyond the “Florida Insurance Code”). Unfortunately, they are not always easy to locate, or logically categorized or ordered. This book contains a comprehensive compilation of these statutes, rules, and other legal authorities. To compile the materials in this publication, an exhaustive review was undertaken of the Florida Statutes, Florida Administrative Code, and other bodies of law. Once compiled, the authorities were then re-categorized and re-ordered in an effort to make them easier to search. In addition, this book includes a helpful list of over one hundred (100) important deadlines and timing issues, as well as a list of other selected statutes, an extensive list of state and federal cases (arranged by topic), and a list of resources relevant to property insurance and public adjusting. Public adjusters should find this book helpful to their adjustment and handling of claims, and in dealing with insurance representatives. It should also assist public adjusters in becoming more familiar with the relevant legal authorities, and the legislative process, which has become more important in recent years with the passage of restrictive regulations for public adjusters. This publication is not designed to be read from cover to cover like a traditional book; rather, it is to be used as a reference tool. Table of Contents Segment 1 – Important Deadlines and Timing Issues Segment 2 – Statutes of Limitations and Notice Issues Segment 3 – Public Adjusters and Insurance Representatives – Licensing and Appointments Segment 4 – Public Adjusters and Insurance Representatives – Continuing Education Segment 5 – Public Adjusters and Insurance Representatives – Ethical Rules and Other Similar Authorities Segment 6 – Public Adjusters and Insurance Representatives – Advertising and Soliciting Segment 7 – Public Adjuster Contracts Segment 8 – Public Adjuster Fees, and Other Fees Segment 9 – Public Adjusters and Insurance Representatives – Unlicensed Practice of Law and Adjusting Segment 10 – Public Adjusters and Insurance Representatives – Other Rules Segment 11 – Collection Issues Segment 12 – Insurance Policies Segment 13 – Cancellation, Renewal, and Nonrenewal of Insurance Policies” Segment 14 – Claims Handling Issues Segment 15 – Payment Issues Segment 16 – Bad Faith and Unfair Trade Practices Segment 17 – Fraud Segment 18 – Disciplinary Issues for Public Adjusters, Insurance Representatives, and Insurers Segment 19 – Mortgage and Banking Issues, and Lender Placed Insurance Segment 20 – Ordinance or Law Coverage, including Building Codes, etc. Segment 21 – Condominium and Timeshare Issues Segment 22 – Sinkhole Claims Segment 23 – Hurricane and Windstorm Issues Segment 24 – Flood Insurance Claims Segment 25 – Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Segment 26 – Surplus Lines Insurance and Insurers Segment 27 – Florida Insurance Guaranty Association (“F.I.G.A.”) Segment 28 – Relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“F.E.M.A.”) Segment 29 – Right to Access Information Segment 30 – Policyholder’s Bill of Rights Segment 31 – Various Definitions Segment 32 – Mediation of Property Insurance Claims Segment 33 – Litigation Issues Appendix I – Other Selected Statutes, Rules, etc. Appendix II – Selected Florida and Federal Cases Appendix III – Resources Index