“This irresponsible legislation picks insurance companies as winners and makes homeowners losers. It is the insurance industry’s wish list. Under this legislation, homeowners in desperate need of emergency repairs would have to either provide large amounts of cash up front, or face having liens placed on their property. That is because contractors making emergency home repairs will no longer agree to deal directly with the homeowners’ insurance company for payment.“The legislation will force more homeowners to deal with a construction lien on their property and force homeowners to sue their own insurance company in order to pay the bill. ““Taking away people’s property rights is not the answer to this problem. The solution is simple: Good contractors should be able to require Insurance companies to keep their word to their customers and stop denying and underpaying legitimate claims – and if they don’t, the homeowner shouldn’t have to be burdened with liens and lawsuits.
“The Florida Justice Association has been supportive of efforts to curb problems with water mediation and other issues with first-party insurance, but this legislation is an outright blow to homeowners and their property rights. This legislation tips the playing field against homeowners in favor of insurance companies.”
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Contact: Ryan Banfill
Communications Director
Florida Justice Association
850-521-1047 (direct)
rbanfill@floridajusticeassociation.org
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Lee Jacobson is an attorney with the Orlando firm of Hale, Hale and Jacobson. He is vice-chair of the Florida Justice Association Property Insurance Committee.
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