A few days ago, I sent my video about Florida Consumer Complaints to an adjuster with a client who could not find the Florida Department of Financial Services Consumer Complaint information.

This request had me thinking it is time to add a reminder about this underused resource. Thankfully, the CFO’s website has been updated since this video went live almost four years ago so hopefully it is easier for consumers to document their complaints about property insurance issues with Hurricane Irma and other perils they are facing.

However, even with an updated link, there are concerns that our government does not have the proper information about Hurricane Irma claims.

Chip Merlin and others have addressed how the reported information on the claim numbers appears misleading. Specifically, Chip questioned the Hurricane Irma Closed Claim statistics provided by Florida’s Insurance Commissioner, David Altmaier, and the listing that 24% of claims were closed claims. Chip advised that if the statistic was referring to homeowner and commercial property insurance claims, it was misleading.

These two issues prompted me to post about options for an insured concerned about their property insurance claim in Florida to log their complaint. We are getting close to being ninety days post-storm and Floridians should have answers about their losses.

Two different notices can be filed to document the problems, but because they both have different functions, both should be considered because it will aid the Florida Insurance Commissioner in getting real information from those affected by the storm.

  1. Filing a Florida consumer complaint can be done by calling 877-693-5236 or posting to this site: https://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/consumers/needourhelp.htm
  2. Filing a civil remedy notice is best if filed by an attorney. When a party feels they have been damaged by specific acts of the insurer, a civil remedy notice (CRN) can be filed. The Notice requirements are set out in Section 624.155, Florida Statutes. This notice should be filed by counsel familiar with the claims handling standards and Section 624.155. Certain trends and business practices can be addressed in these notices, especially if the carriers are violating 627.70131. Since this notice is the pre-requisite to allegations of extra-contractual damages, it is important that you consult with counsel. Public adjusters can give information about the issues in the field, but a lawyer should send this notice for you.

As an added resource, here is Florida’s Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights:
https://www.myfloridacfo.com/Division/Consumers/understandingCoverage/Guides/documents/HOABillRights.pdf

Questions about these issues can be posted below or feel free to submit a contact form through the link at the top of this page.