Update HB909 - A Great Victory
Great victory for the restoration industry and every homeowner in the state of Florida
Submitted by Harvey Cohen
This year in the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida State Senate, lawmakers came together in an attempt to fix citizens insurance which is a state run insurer of last resort in Florida. They included some amendments in their bills that would have destroyed the homeowner's right to assign their post loss benefits to restoration companies. What that means for restoration companies in Florida is that they would no longer have the protections of an assignment of benefits.
House Bill 909 and Senate Bill 1770 had horrible language that would've hurt all of the homeowners in the state of Florida and essentially destroy the restoration industry. Harvey Cohen of Cohen Battisti attorneys at Law met with other attorneys and his clients from different areas throughout the state of Florida. In Tallahassee we went to work lobbying to destroy the bill or the amendment that would take away the homeowners right to assign their benefits. This was truly a grass roots effort on behalf of all of our restoration friends. Many restoration company owners and employees wrote letters, made phone calls, and sent emails to their State representative letting them know that we oppose any law that would take away the homeowners right to assign the post loss benefit. We were a huge success. We were able to have the state representatives strike all language regarding anti-assignments and therefore all anti-assignment language was taken out of their bill.
This had the opposite effect of what the insurance industry had anticipated. Instead of destroying the restoration industry, they have made us all more united and therefore stronger. For example, many Restoration companies have joined forces to start a new association that represents restoration companies in the state of Florida. It doesn't matter if you are an independent restoration company or a big corporate owned company or whether you're on a preferred vendor list or not. If the insurance industry gets to dictate prices it will hurt us all and essentially destroy a great industry.
It is important to support our cause in Florida even if you're not from Florida. Florida, California, New York and a couple of other states are always leading the way for new laws. You can be assured if any bad bill that hurts the industry and helps the insurance industry passes in Florida, it won't be long before it comes to your state.
Florida HB 909 (2013) Can Affect Your Restoration Co.
For Immediate Release: March 20, 2013
The Experience Conference and Exposition announced today that they will hold a meeting of all Florida Restoration Companies at the Hilton Clearwater Beach April 20th at 3:00 pm.
Urgent Topic: House Bill HB 909 (2013) Can Affect Your Restoration Company
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Mobilize against House Bill HB 909 (2013), Join Us at The Experience Conference and Exposition in Clearwater Beach April 20th at 3:00 pm. We will have a meeting for all Florida Restoration Companies to review the proposed Bill so that we can assist you to mobilize against this legislation that can greatly affect your Company. Join us at The Experience, there is no fee for this gathering.
This proposed bill may completely give all of the power back to the insurance company! Every restoration company has an interested in seeking this bill defeated. What if the funds from the restoration jobs went directly to the homeowners? Will you get paid?
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Basic Information:
1) A bill was just filed in the Florida House of Representatives which would prohibit assignments of payments under homeowner's policies. This would be a major blow to the industry and completely give all of the power back to the insurance companies. Please reference Florida House Bill HB 909 (2013). 2) Any homeowner's insurance policy may prohibit the assignment of rights or benefits under the policy, and a third party beneficiary any not accept an assignment or recover against any policy that prohibits assignment. Any Assignment of rights or benefits under a homeowner's insurance policy that prohibits assignment renders the coverage void.
We need to mobilize political support against this bill immediately. Every restoration company has an interest in seeing that this bill is defeated. We are working with attorney Harvey Cohen, Cohen Battista Law Firm and Society of Cleaning and Restoration Technicians (SCRT). SCRT through ICRA is working to bring this meeting together for the Florida Restoration Industry. All restorers in the USA should be watching and be concerned about this bill. This could eventually have an effect on your company.
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We encourage all Restoration Companies to attend the meeting at The Experience Conference and Exposition that will held in Clearwater Beach Florida at the Clearwater Beach Hilton Hotel, April 20th at 3:00 pm. If you have questions you are encouraged to contact: Larry Cooper, Executive Director of ICRA, lcooper@meetingsandevents.com or 888-881-1001 x11.
Jennifer Wilkinson
The Experience
PO Box 21373
Denver, CO 80221
888-881-1001 x10
303-469-0306 x10
Fax 303-469-6749
jennifer@experiencetheevents.com
www.experiencetheevents.com
Watch our You Tube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuvzUht3wUI
