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Consumer Protection Coalition

Florida Chamber and allies unload on Senate for skipping AOB reform this year

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The Legislature stiffed the Florida Chamber of Commerce on one of its top priorities this year — abuse of assignment of benefits agreements, or AOBs. The Chamber isn’t hiding how it feels about that. “Florida’s hardworking families should remember this – the Florida Senate chose to side with anti-consumer special interests, instead of stepping up and protecting consumers from an AOB loophole that has attracted plaintiffs’ attorneys like gold rush miners,” Chamber spokeswoman Edie Ousley said in a written statement…

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Florida House approves assignment of benefits reform legislation

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Assignment of benefits reforms ardently sought by the insurance industry and business passed the Florida House Wednesday on a vote of 91-26. A spokeswoman for the Consumer Protection Coalition, a business-oriented lobby aligned with the Florida Chamber of Commerce, immediately praised the action. “The House’s action is a big step toward ending costly AOB abuse and protecting Florida’s homeowners and businesses,” chamber spokeswoman Edie Ousley said in a written statement. “With less than two weeks left in the legislative session,…

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Consumer Protection Coalition launches ad on Assignment of Benefits claims

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The Consumer Protection Coalition launched a radio and television ad campaign Monday to warn homeowners of how Assignment of Benefits abuse could cause insurance rates to skyrocket in Florida. Assignment of Benefits, or AOB, is a system where homeowners can sign over their insurance policy to a contractor or lawyer in exchange for a quick repair. Often, AOB claims are costlier and many end up in court in order to get insurers to pay up. The coalition includes several insurance…

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Drive for assignment of benefits reform picks up steam

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The prospect that a national rating firm might downgrade Florida insurance companies because of rising costs linked to assignment of benefits agreements has lit a fire under advocates of reforming those contracts. “This issue is having a real effect on the pocketbooks of working Floridians and it’s time we take steps to clean up the process,” state Rep. Ben Diamond said in a written statement Wednesday. “Homeowners deserve a real, consumer-driven solution that ensures that legitimate claims are paid while putting a…

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Consumer Protection Coalition calls for reforming Assignment of Benefits abuse in 2017 Session

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As the Sunshine State enters peak hurricane season, a consumer advocacy group is calling on state lawmakers to “get serious’’ about insurance fraud related to Assignment of Benefits, an increasingly widespread abuse that could raise costs for all Floridians. That’s the position of the Consumer Protection Coalition, which claims AOB abuse has led to skyrocketing non-weather-related water claims, as well as frivolous lawsuits that hamper both affordability and accessibility of insurance. An Aug. 30 editorial in the Palm Beach Post echoes…

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Insurance, real estate coalition seeks homeowners insurance reform in 2016

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More than a dozen Florida real estate, construction and insurance groups announced Tuesday that they are teaming up to push for homeowners’ insurance reform in the 2016 Legislative Session. The Consumer Protection Coalition seeks to curb a practice known as “assignment of benefits,” where owners sign away their insurance policy to a third party who will collect on their behalf. The 17-member coalition, led by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, contends AOB is being abused to extract more cash from…

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