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Note: This guest post was prepared by Kevin Connor for the American Policyholder Association.

For years, property insurance companies in Florida paid out excessive executive compensation packages and stock dividends, essentially transferring profits into insiders’ pockets instead of preparing for future years of adverse underwriting experiences as most insurers do.

Now these same companies are pointing to the cost of fraud and litigation as reasons for losses and rate increases which seem to be a strategy to divert attention away from the impact of mismanagement and corporate greed. Some continue to pay out generous cash dividends to shareholders even as they file for substantial rate hikes, stop writing policies in parts of the state, or look to withdraw from the Florida markets altogether.
Continue Reading Major Florida property insurers paid out excessive executive compensation packages, dividends for years

Note: This guest post is by Steven Thomas. As President and Owner of Roof Leak Detection Company, Inc., Steven Thomas has evaluated over 20,000 roofing systems on commercial, industrial, and residential properties, and has been qualified in court as an expert regarding roof testing and evaluations. His company is an approved Testing Laboratory and has held this certification since 1994.

Why? The obvious reason is many homeowners and maintenance personnel do not know what to look for. That’s not a knock on them—roof damage can be very obvious or subtle.
Continue Reading Hire A Professional to Inspect Your Roof Following Hurricanes or Severe Weather Events

Note: This guest blog post is by Holly Soffer, Esq., a policyholder attorney and General Counsel to the American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters.

Unfortunately, as I write this, the Tampa Bay area seems to be directly on the path of Hurricane Ian. I have received a few texts today from friends and colleagues who have been asked to evacuate. I start by saying that my thoughts are with everyone affected by the storm.
Continue Reading Advice for Non-resident Public Adjusters and Restoration Contractors Doing Work In Florida

Chip’s Note: This guest post is by Luke Irwin, a public adjuster in the Gulf Coast Region and President of Irwin & Associates.

April 14, 2020, I received the shipment. And with the patience of a child looking at a Christmas gift, I ripped open the box to find eight fresh books… Pay Up! by Chip Merlin. It was a book that forged lifelong friendships across the aisle, opened eyes, molded minds, made carriers, and touched the lives of tens of thousands of lives… so far.
Continue Reading Red Pill, Blue Pill

Note: This guest blog post is by Holly Soffer, Esq., a policyholder attorney and General Counsel to the American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters.

Unfortunately, we are singing the same old song again in Louisiana, having to report new administrative actions filed against public adjusters for the unauthorized practice of law and licensing violations. The pursuit of these types of actions by the Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) has been dormant for a few years. As a result, some public adjusters have relaxed their concern about possible scrutiny by the LDI on their conduct. This is a mistake. Even armed with all the correct types of documents, however, one can still fall outside the law regarding conduct.
Continue Reading Beware Public Adjusters – Danger Ahead in Louisiana!

Note: This guest blog post is by Holly Soffer, Esq., a policyholder attorney and General Counsel to the American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters.

Great food, friendly people, charm, and character all combine to make Louisiana wonderfully unique. What also makes Louisiana unique is its set of laws. Historically, Louisiana law is largely based upon the Napoleonic Code, instead of the English common law, as is the rest of the U.S. The public adjuster law is no exception.
Continue Reading Public Adjusting in Louisiana

Note: This guest post is by Steven Thomas. As President and Owner of Roof Leak Detection Company, Inc., Steven Thomas has evaluated over 20,000 roofing systems on commercial, industrial, and residential properties, and has been qualified in court as an expert in regards to roof testing and evaluations. His company is an approved Testing Laboratory and has held this certification since 1994.

Recently, I have seen a trend following severe weather events, whether the damage is from hail, wind, or extreme amounts of rain (as will occur in Texas and Louisiana this week), where contractors are applying shrink wrap to roofs, apparently to stop water from entering the building.
Continue Reading Read This Before You Shrink Wrap Your Roof!

Note: This guest post is by Kevin Dandridge, certified OSHA instructor and owner of 1 Life Safety. He has certifications in OSHA 500, Asbestos, Lead, CFM, NFPA 70 arc Flash Instruction, disaster worker instruction, MEWP, scissor lift, forklift, and First Aid/CPR/AED instruction, as well as others.

Good morning. I hope you and your workers are doing the absolute best to stay safe during the current pandemic. Also, OSHA has released another mandate for staying safe during the crisis.
Continue Reading OSHA Compliance in a Pandemic World

NOTE: This guest blog post is by Holly Soffer, Esq., a policyholder attorney and General Counsel to the American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters.

Much has changed in the world since my blog on March 24th. Not only are there new phrases in our lexicon such as “Zoom happy hour,” but also the legislative response to COVID-19 Business Interruption claims has taken a new tone. At first, a few states1 offered bill similar to the New Jersey2 one, but then, as Chip has commented, the insurance industry has made its views known—as we knew they would.
Continue Reading Through the Rabbit Hole—Update on proposed COVID-19 Business Interruption Legislation

NOTE: This guest blog post is by Holly Soffer, Esq., a policyholder attorney and General Counsel to the American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters.

While many of us are working at home, we have more time to spend analyzing and contemplating the roles of the government and the insurance industry in responding to the coronavirus crisis. This blog post is an extension of that opportunity.
Continue Reading COVID-19 and The New Jersey Assembly Bill 3844