What is a force placed policy? Of all the insurance policies we see every day, the force placed policy is the most difficult to deal with, both for us and for you. This is because it’s a policy purchased by the mortgage company, for the mortgage company, when the homeowner fails to insure the home…
Where or not homeowners are entitled to monetary awards or whether they are forced to actually repair their home with any insurance benefits paid out has been a hotly contested debate for years. The debate stems from language in the sinkhole statutes that says insurance companies do not have to issue payment for the “sinkhole”…
The Johnson v. Omega Insurance story Our firm has been representing Kathy Johnson in a case against Omega Insurance for a denied sinkhole claim. Johnson’s home has been severely damaged, however, the insurance company has claimed that the damage was not covered under Johnson’s policy, and that sinkhole activity was not discovered. After analyzing the…
The sinkhole deductible While a sinkhole deductible may sound like a simple, normal aspect of an insurance policy, it is something that should be avoided at all costs; it can make for a very expensive sinkhole repair, even with your insurance coverage. A sinkhole deductible acts differently In insurance policies of all types, like health…
Citizens sends “settlement” letters Citizens Insurance has recently executed a public relations move that may sound great to insureds but is no surprise for legal professionals. This move is sending “settlement” offers to every insured client with a confirmed sinkhole claim. This offer is three pages long and largely too good to be true. “Confidential…
Property value after sinkhole repair After your home has experienced any sinkhole history and all repairs are completed, the story is far from over. Even if your repairs are successful and you never face a sinkhole again, you’re still left to deal with the property value of a home decreasing. So what can be done…
The offer to settle a sinkhole claim If you open a sinkhole claim with your insurance company, you may be invited to receive a settlement to be used to pay for the repairs yourself, as opposed to the situation remaining in the hands of your insurance company. In many cases, this settlement will not cover…
One of the most prominent defenses we are seeing today from insurance carriers is the “we didn’t know we did anything wrong defense”. As stupid as it sounds on paper it is equally as stupid when you say it but, somehow someway judges are occasionally buying it. From my perspective I wonder when the world…
My insurance company denied my sinkhole claim and stated that the damage to my home was caused by organic material. What does that mean? Organic material is one of the causes of distress to a residence here in Florida. Organic material can consist of many different things but the result is similar….it is bad for…
Allow me to provide another great example of the hypocricy of insurance companies. For how many years now have we been hearing complaints of insureds running out and filing sinkhole claims when they see one little crack? That has been the main gripe of these carriers, especially in Tallahassee. Too many people were just jumping…
