Florida property insurers News

Florida Launches AOB Resource, Education Webpage for Consumers

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) has launched a new webpage as part of its efforts to educate Florida consumers about the state’s ongoing challenges with assignment of benefits abuse. The AOB resource webpage has been added to the …

Florida Senator Alleges ‘Smear Campaign’ After Industry-Backed AOB Bill Stalls

A bill backed by the insurance industry to curb the abuse of Florida’s one-way attorney fee statute in assignment of benefit claims has stalled as lawmakers opted to instead advance what the insurance industry and the state’s regulator feel is …

Citizens Posts Net Loss of $27M for 2016; Says Water Losses, AOB Abuse to Blame

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will post a net loss for 2016, its first loss in more than a decade, as water loss claims, assignment of benefit (AOB) abuse and litigation costs increasingly impact the company’s bottom line, according to a …

2017 Florida Insurance Legislation to Watch

The Florida insurance market has been a hotbed of controversy over the last year, and many are looking at the Florida State Legislature to alleviate some of the concerns coming from consumers, businesses and the industry itself. From insurance fraud …

First Florida Bill Addressing AOB Introduced for 2017 Session

Florida now has legislation backed by the top Florida insurance regulator and the industry that promises to curtail homeowners insurance abuse under the assignment of benefits (AOB) feature. Senate Bill 1038, filed Feb. 17 by State Sen. Dorothy Hukill and …

Heat Is on Florida Lawmakers to Fix Assignment of Benefits Crisis

Florida’s insurance industry will apply significant pressure on lawmakers to pass assignments of benefit (AOB) reform in the upcoming legislative session as consumers face rate increases and a looming coverage availability crisis due to serious and costly abuse of the …

Florida’s AOB Abuse by the Numbers: ‘Alarming Trend’ Reaches Crisis Point

Assignment of benefits abuse has escalated over the last five years to the point where it is now a serious disruption to Florida’s insurance market. The abuse, which is especially rampant in South Florida, stems from unscrupulous contractors and attorneys …

Top Florida Stories of 2016: The AOB ‘Insurance Crisis’

Assignment of benefits abuse has become such a well-known problem in the state of Florida this year that it now just goes by the nickname “AOB.” The issue with AOB comes from when a policyholder suffers a loss, such as …

Florida’s Citizens to Lawmakers: AOB Reform Must be Passed in 2017

Florida lawmakers can expect substantial pressure to tackle the assignment of benefits (AOB) and water loss claims crisis from the state’s insurer of last resort when Florida’s legislative session begins early next year. At a governing board meeting Wednesday, leaders …

Florida Regulators Approve Rate Increase for Citizens Policyholders

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation approved a 6.4 percent overall rate increase for 2017 for Citizens Property Insurance Corp. homeowners’ multiperil policyholders across the state. According to Citizens, the increase is necessary to address what it calls a disturbing …