Effort To Limit 3rd-Party Property Insurance Claims Stalls In Florida

Insurance industry-backed bills aimed at restricting repair contractors’ ability to require homeowners to sign over insurance benefits before repairs can commence likely won’t become law this year, supporters and opponents concede.
The bills -- in the state House and Senate -- stemmed from arguments by insurers that water restoration companies in South Florida are padding bills for repair work and then filing hundreds of lawsuits if insurers failed to pay the bills in full.
Contractors counter that allowing homeowners to sign over benefits lets repair work get started immediately -- without homeowners having to pay money upfront.