“True comprehensive AOB reform must protect homeowners’ property rights, including the long-standing right to assign benefits. While some want to line up behind the campaign by insurance companies and their front groups to steal homeowners’ rights, we stand on the side of the small businesses who answer the call when disaster strikes a home.
“The numbers that drive these employers – 24/7/365 – don’t appear on a balance sheet. It’s when they’re on call to homeowners. These small businesses are the homeowners’ good neighbors, not big insurance. It would be a mistake to run these employers out of business. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what the insurance companies want to do.
“This is a self-inflicted fake crisis, just like the ‘crisis’ before this one and the one before last. Insurance carriers’ have always threatened raising premiums if they don’t get what they want – and then when they get what they need from the Legislature they raise rates anyway. They then find the next scapegoat crisis to keep the money train rolling.
“Just look at Senator Anitere Flores’ comments at the end Monday’s hearing on AOB when she said:
‘This is the issue du jour that property insurance companies have said is the rate driver. We went through sinkholes. We went through a variety of different issues. And as we fixed those things, the only people who have been hurt have been consumers and those who have benefited are others.’
“With OIR’s help, big insurance is seeking to trample on homeowners’ rights and put people out of business. We have been at the table for years to work on a comprehensive solution to this issue that protect long-standing rights and will continue to be there for consumers. Those are the stakeholders that matter to our small businesses.”
FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF RESTORATION SPECIALISTS (FLARS) is a group of restoration specialists which include vendors, contractors, suppliers, all specializing in or supporting the restoration industry.
