William Rabb

2 days ago | insurancejournal.com | William Rabb

Sarasota-based Centauri Specialty Insurance, now part of Arbol’s Lilypad Insurance Holdings, used non-appointed adjusters in the wake of Hurricane Ian in 2022 and has agreed to pay a $100,000 fine to Florida regulators. A market conduct examination by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, completed in April, found that Centauri Specialty used adjusters that were not properly appointed in 168 cases. The carrier also failed to disclose when claims payments were not made in full.

2 days ago | insurancejournal.com | William Rabb

A Sarasota County sheriff’s deputy used excessive force on a handicapped, 100-pound driver in 2020 and is not entitled to immunity from lawsuits, a federal appeals court ruled in a case that could affect officers’ insurance coverage in similar cases. In Jeremy Jones vs. David Ceinski Jr., the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said last week that law officers are generally allowed some use of force when a motorist’s firearm is nearby.

1 week ago | insurancejournal.com | William Rabb

Florida lawmakers late last week gave final approval to a long-debated condominium bill, one designed to give condo owners a little relief on the high cost of bringing structures up to code. But the final version of the bill seems to have divided the condo insurance community. Some in the industry now worry that House Bill 913 went too far and may have inadvertently given owners options that could thwart spending on repairs or allow buildings to be undervalued and underinsured.

1 week ago | insurancejournal.com | William Rabb

Starting July 1, Florida insurance agents will no longer need to make a “diligent effort” to find coverage for hard-to-place properties before turning to surplus lines insurance if the governor signs House Bill 1549 into law. But a separate bill that would have rolled back part of a 2024 law requiring agents to be appointed with three carriers before writing Citizens Property Insurance has died.

1 week ago | insurancejournal.com | William Rabb

Two subsidiaries of Auto Club Group have agreed to refund $2.6 million to policyholders and to pay $113,000 in fines after a market conduct examination by the North Carolina Department of Insurance. Members Insurance Co. and Universal Insurance Co., both based in North Carolina, write automobile and property coverage. Auto Club Group is owned by the American Automobile Association, or AAA.