U.S. House panel heads to West Palm to review property insurance problems
by Michael C. Bender | June 26th, 2009
The U.S. House Financial Services Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee will hold a hearing in West Palm Beach on Thursday at 10 a.m. in the city commission chambers to review the availability and affordability of homeowners insurance in the country.
The subcommittee will examine insurance industry coverage of catastrophic natural disasters, the withdrawal of insurance companies from offering policies in coastal areas, rising homeowners’ insurance premiums and the resulting economic impact on state and local governments, as well as possible solutions to the homeowners’ insurance crisis.
U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, will also participate in the hearing.
Tags: Property Insurance, Ron Klein, U.S. House Financial Services Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
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Sentenced to die for crimes judged heinous and cruel, inmates await execution in a 9 feet by 6 feet cell.
June 26th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
HURRICANE SCAM ALERT!!!
Here’s how it works. You suffer damage to your property. Your insurance company refuses to pay the full amount that it will take to repair your property. Someone recommends a Public Adjuster Claim Service to you. The salesman (who works on commission) states that his company is the best in the business, guarantees that he will get you the additional money that you need to fully repair the damage and will do all of this quickly. All of this is offered for a fee of 20% of the additional money you get when the claim is settled. Out of financial and emotional desperation, you sign their contract. You are now officially scammed.
Be advised that a Public Adjuster Claim Service is nothing more than a licensed insurance salesman. He has no more influence over your insurance company than you do.
Before you sign a Public Adjuster Claim Service contract (they are all from the same “boilerplate”), know that this contract can NEVER be cancelled (after the three-day right to rescind has passed), does not have a termination or expiration date, does not specify what will be specifically provided or delivered, lives on until the claim is settled, cannot be terminated for failure to deliver (breach of contract) and the Public Adjuster Claim Service is legally entitled to receive his fee (because of the contract wording) even if he has nothing to do with the settlement. In fact, he doesn’t have to do a thing to collect his full fee!
In my case, after I signed his contract, it was filed away waiting for someone to settle the claim. It is guaranteed money to the Public Adjuster Claim Service.
The Public Adjuster Claim Service that I contracted with did nothing for seven months – not even call me. I fired them – I thought. I hired an attorney who settled the case/claim 15 months later. Because of the Public Adjuster Claim Service contract, I was still obligated to pay his $19,000 fee.
If this sounds like sour grapes, call the State of Florida Consumer Protection Agency (877-693-5236) and ask them to verify my statements and the reputation of the Public Adjuster Claim Service. The only way to stop this cheating scam is to change the law. Better yet, don’t sign a Public Adjuster Claim Service contract.
Hire an attorney if you need to and don’t let them charge you more than a 20% fee. And a reputable contractor will provide a free quote to repair your damage that can be given to your attorney to forward to your insurance company.
BEWARE. DON’T HIRE A PUBLIC ADJUSTER CLAIM SERVICE. You will be scammed like me.
June 26th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
My business has comprehensive commercial insurance for all risks. Not one insurance company will include windstorm coverage, even as an option for any price. They all took away windstorm coverage after 2005, they just never lowered their rates.
My building is west of I95. If it sustains windstorm damage I will be out of business, I will be forced into bankruptcy and the bank will have damaged collateral.
June 27th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
The above Hurricane Scam alert, written by someone by the name of Mordi Ki is a fraud. For whatever reason Mordi Ki is prepetuating a fraud by saying that a company called Public Adjuster Claim Service cheated him/her by signing a contract and taking $19,000.00 for a fee. Anyone with any knowledge of insurance claims or work at adjusting claims can read this and know that whoever Mordi Ki is he/she is lying. Why I have no idea but that story holds no water. Sorry Mordi Ki but blow your smoke up someone else’s arse.