The Florida Supreme Court has overruled prior precedent and ruled against appraisers charging a contingent fee or having a contingent interest in the outcome of an appraisal.1 This case will immediately impact all ongoing and future appraisals. If you are in an appraisal with a contingent interested appraiser, you need to immediately seek legal advice about your next steps. 

Continue Reading Florida Prohibits a Disinterested Appraiser From Having a Contingent Interest in the Appraisal Award

My sister, Emily Merlin, has a bachelor’s degree in paralegal administration from the University of West Florida. She reminds me that she can do anything that I can as a lawyer except give legal advice, take depositions or go to hearings. The truth is that paralegals help our policyholder clients and can become subject matter experts. They can make the difference between winning and losing a case. 

Continue Reading Marine, Boat, and Yacht Claims Files Are Discoverable In New York—A Tribute Post To Retiring Paralegal Bob Bluni 

On July 16, 2022, I wrote a blog regarding a recent decision in Wisconsin where the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin limited appraisal to “valuation” disputes. Today, I am pleased to announce that upon a Motion to Reconsider, the court reversed its decision and entered an order requiring the parties to submit their disputes to the appraisal process.1
Continue Reading Wisconsin Federal Court Corrects Its Error and Orders State Farm to Appraisal

Former State Farm adjusters laugh during speeches I give when the topic of State Farm operation guides arises. State Farm uses Operation Guides to make processes for every activity it does. Most insurance companies have these. The funny thing about State Farm’s is that if printed out, they can literally take up twenty feet of pure paper—and this is just for claims.
Continue Reading State Farm Operation Guide Regarding Appraisal