So many times we run across homeowners that think that by not paying their mortgage they will somehow help themselves or their case. The logic I guess is that somehow you will have more leverage over the bank to re-finance or many people just think that they are teaching the bank a lesson or showing…
Many things can cause damage to a house here in Florida. The obvious being hurricanes and storms and the less obvious being below the ground. We all know about sinkholes but many other conditions exist that can cause settlement of a property. Two things we deal with a lot here in Florida are clay and…
Recently insurance companies and their lawyers have been making the argument that homeowners in Florida have no legal rights whatsoever to challenge the repair plan set forth by their own engineers. They base this argument on language in the policy and statute that they only have to pay for the repairs of their chosen engineer….
If there is anything more annoying than an insurance company denying a claim and then asking a homeowner to let them know if they do their own investigation I don’t know what it is. These days we see the trend of insurance carrier hiring the same engineering companies to investigate a claim then deny the…
Have you encountered an insurer refusing to pay even when a valid contract exists with contractor, but insurer is concerned that lender will withhold insurance proceeds for past due mortgage? Does 627.707 (e) create an affirmative obligation for insurer to address with lienholder? Generally speaking, a lien holder does have a equal right to be…
You really are going to see four types of sinkhole policies these days. Where you want to look is at the separate sinkhole endorsement. This will typically be a one or two page form that is added to your policy packet and will not be included in the actual policy itself, which is usually about…
I just moved out of my house and rented it out. During the move I noticed several cracks in my house. There seems to be a hole that has widened in a neighboring lot that is quite large now. Will my insurance company cover me if I have moved out and put renters in? What…
In the ever changing world of sinkhole law, we always see tweaks to policies and some insurance companies may have their policies read slightly different than others. Most insurance policies will read very similar to all the others because usually insurance policy language has to be approved by the Office of Insurance Regulation before it…
Does FIGA only have to pay contractors to do the work and not include the homeowners and also does FIGA not have to pay attorney fees? Two separate issues here. The first is whether FIGA can only issue payment to contractors and not homeowners. This is debatable. The issue arises because the statute that governs…
Will my insurance pay for sinkhole underpinning? In many cases, underpinning is the best way to fix the damage caused by a sinkhole. Unfortunately, this is also the most expensive route to take, and the only way to do the job right. So, when we look to our insurance company to help foot the bill,…
