Property Insurance Policy Changes Challenged

The Restoration Association of Florida and Air Top quality Assessors, LLC, an Orange County-based mostly business that does operate this sort of as mould and leak detection, submitted the lawsuit Monday in Leon County circuit court docket against Altmaier, American Integrity Insurance policy Firm of Florida and Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance policies Co.

In component, the lawsuit alleges that Altmaier violated the constitutional separation of powers by approving policy adjustments for the organizations that conflict with state regulation.

“By approving the policies, Commissioner Altmaier infringed upon the general public policies of the state of Florida as enacted by the Legislature, which will consequence in injury to plaintiffs if the alterations are not rescinded,” the lawsuit claimed.

The lawsuit was submitted a week in advance of the start out of a special legislative session that Gov. Ron DeSantis referred to as to address popular difficulties in the residence-insurance coverage process that involve householders getting rid of coverage and viewing soaring rates.

Insurers have very long argued that a main cause of the problems is contractors and attorneys driving litigation over statements. As part of that, they blame a necessity that, in a lot of instances, requires insurers to spend attorney service fees for the plaintiffs.

The lawsuit targets policy changes that the point out Place of work of Insurance policies Regulation, headed by Altmaier, authorised for the providers in the latest months.

The American Integrity alterations contain an effort to shift promises disputes to mediation and arbitration. The variations give a top quality reduction to policyholders for agreement to use mediation and, if that does not take care of the disputes, to go to binding arbitration.

Also, the lawsuit reported, customers would have to pay out their attorney costs in disputes that go to mediation and arbitration. It explained that would raise legal charges for property owners and contractors, which are typically assigned positive aspects beneath homeowners’ guidelines.

“While the plan text states insureds have a correct to be represented by counsel equally during mediation and arbitration, it strips away the correct to get better these (attorney) service fees otherwise codified by the Florida Legislature as set forth in … Florida law,” the lawsuit reported.

The Heritage coverage improvements require excluding payment for individuals this sort of as appraisers, inspectors, engineers and contractors to estimate losses, until Heritage requests or approves the work.

The lawsuit alleges that the alterations reduce householders from picking contractors and proficiently stops assigning gains to contractors. In assignment of advantages, contractors go after payment of statements from insurers — a exercise that insurers have long argued potential customers to more litigation.

The plaintiffs argue that the Heritage policy adjustments would strip policyholders of lawful rights and would guide to delays in house repairs right after incidents this sort of as hurricanes.

In addition to demanding the legality of the plan improvements, the lawsuit seeks an injunction. It has been assigned to Leon County Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey, in accordance to a courtroom docket.