For this newsletter edition we open with a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who taught us to celebrate service as a way to build a better future. I often spend a bit of time to read the many speeches of our nation’s heroes from days gone by.
In 1967, Dr. King presented remarks …
Last week, there were several Senate and House Committees that discussed, debated and dreaded the facts about the Florida property insurance market. Senate Banking and Insurance Committee Chairman and Manatee/Sarasota Counties Senator Jim Boyd used the word “sobering” on more than one occasion as he provided feedback to committee presenters Barry Gilway, …
More than one-third of Americans eliminated one insurance policy in 2020, but those out of work because of COVID-19 were much more likely to shed coverage. The news comes as workers’ compensation insurance cases related to the pandemic are rising and homeowners insurance companies are ready to resume policy cancellations and nonrenewals. It’s …
There’s another significant development from over the past holiday to report, this one concerning the appraisal of property insurance claims. It has been common practice for Florida courts to deny a property owner’s motion to compel an appraisal during a dispute with the insurance company, until defense arguments are heard …
We know that flooding is the most frequent natural disaster in the U.S. And it’s certainly been raining more in many regions of the country over the past few years, contributing to the problem. Now there’s a report that puts a dollar figure on flood damage caused by “historical precipitation change” …
Climate change is also on the mind of Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature this year as the state again attempts to formalize a new approach to the study of its potential effects, especially sea-level rise and coastal flooding. Legislators began discussions this past week at the Capitol on a series of …
With the growing use of drone aircraft by insurance companies to help with property inspection and damage claims, we’ve been following with interest efforts by the Federal Aviation Administration to develop rules on their use. Final Rules were just issued this past week and we have the details.
The two …
Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has begun implementing a new program using trained dogs to track down and eradicate invasive species that threaten the state’s ecosystem. Two new dogs to the program, Truman and Eleanor, have already proven themselves to be effective at detecting the scent of invasive snakes – Burmese Pythons.
These elusive …
