Chinese Drywall-Buyer Beware

Disclosing and inspecting for defective Chinese drywall

The Florida Realtors website recently reported on a Miami family that was awarded $2.4 million because of having defective Chinese drywall installed in their home. Defective Chinese drywall can smell like sulfur and corrodes appliances, wiring and other metal. Research is ongoing to determine health hazards and risks of exposure to the drywall.

A potential home buyer concerned with buying a home which may have drywall problems should take the precautionary steps needed to reduce the possibility of discovering the bad drywall after closing. Selling homes in the Orlando-Kissimmee area require that the owner disclose the existence of Chinese drywall and a strong recommendation that the buyer obtain a full and complete home inspection that includes inspecting for defective Chinese drywall.

Seller disclosure

Buyer should ask the owner of the house that they are thinking of buying for a written property disclosure. The seller can alert the buyer of any mechanical, structural or related issues with the home including the existence of Chinese drywall.

In addition to a detailed seller property disclosure, both buyer and seller can complete the Chinese/Defective Drywall Addendum to Contract. This addendum asks the seller to indicate in writing any knowledge they have pertaining to Chinese Drywall in the home. Equally as important, the addendum makes it clear to the buyer that they have the right to conduct an inspection or risk assessment of the property for Chinese drywall prior to closing of the contract.

Disclosing and inspecting for defective Chinese drywall benefits all parties in the transaction. Contact  a Realtor if you are looking for a home!

Reprinted from Florida Real Estate Review

Chinese Drywall affects homes built between 2004 and 2007.  

Don't trust a seller will voluntarily disclose a home has or has had chinese drywall.  Not only should you consult with your  LicensedRealtor,  but also a Licensed Home Inspector.  I recommend  Rob Whalen of Second Opinion Home Inspection.  http://www.secondopinionhomeinspection.com/

The old saying "Buyer Beware"  Do your homework before you make a   expen$ive mistake.

Matt Lehn

Lehn Insurance
4478 N Access Rd
Englewood, FL 34224
941 698 8876

PIP Fraud Cost us ALL $$$$

Florida Arrests 15 in Alleged Food Truck Insurance Scam

Florida officials said they have busted an alleged $800,000 insurance claims scam in which food trucks were used to stage accidents.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced the outcome of a two-year insurance fraud investigation resulting in the arrests of 15 defendants for their roles in a Miami ring that used lunch trucks to stage more than a dozen accidents and file more than $800,000 in fraudulent property damage and personal injury protection (PIP) claims.

The owners of the lunch trucks allegedly recruited participants to pose as the owners and stage auto accidents. Between 2008 and 2010, the ring staged more than a dozen accidents, according to officials.

Atwater’s office said those arrested last week were Armando Alonso, Yordan Martin Mata, Yanet Soriano, Dunaikis Roche, April Caridad Sequinot, Alberto Paz Hernandez, Yoandris Benitez, Eduardo Alonso Castellanos, Lucia Amigot, Alicia Iris Laurenco Cuesta, Ivan Silva, Robert Jabani Hinklein, Abraham Alliegro, Evelyn Yero Noy and Jesus Iluminado Guerrero. Yoandris Benitez surrendered today.

Atwater said additional arrests are anticipated.

This case is part of a crackdown by the CFO’s Division of Insurance Fraud and the National Insurance Crime Bureau against auto insurance fraud in Florida. The division has arrested 392 individuals for PIP fraud in 2011, a 44 percent increase from 2010, and 166 so far in 2012.

The Florida Legislature this past session passed reforms of the PIP system in an effort to further reduce fraud.

“I am confident that reforms passed this session will help stop fraud at the source while giving us more tools to go after scam artists,” Atwater said.

Reprinted from Insurance Journal 

PIP insurance fraud cost Florida  auto insurance policy holders $300 a year on average,  If you suspect insurance fraud contact the local authorities or your state dept of insurance.

Matt  Lehn

Lehn  Insurance

4478 N Access Rd

Englewood, FL 34224

941 698 8876

www.lehninsurance.com

How to save on HOME INSURANCE

Home insurance rates are still on the rise.  Many factors contribute to the  insurance rating of your home.  Year built, construction, roof type, location, use of home and so on.   There are a few ways to help save on premium. One is a higher deductible.  Raising a deductible can lower your premium by between 5%and 15%.
Another way is to get a wind mitigation inspection.  A wind mitigation inspection checks for a verifies certain building features of your home. Roof type and construction, construction of your home, roof attachment and shutters.  Most insurance companies only give the basic deduction for year built. If you want the credits you deserve it is up to you to get the inspection. The average wind mitigation inspection cost between $75 and $125 depending on the company.  That nominal investment can save you between $200-$800 on average per year. Check out the following links for more information on wind mitigation.
http://www.secondopinionhomeinspection.com/
http://www.nachi.org/wind-mitigation.htm


For a competetive home visit our website atwww.lehninsurance.com or eamil us atmatt@floridaci.com

Matt Lehn
Lehn Insurance
4478 N Access Rd
Englewood, FL 34224
941-698-8876
AUTO-HOME-FLOOD-BUSINESS-LIFE

Value of an Independent Agent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_Vg7HVRS10
https://www.travelersagentvideo.com/VLP2FE92D.aspx

Flood Insurance

http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/pages/flood_facts.jsp

Easy Insurance Savings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggWY7OPag0s
Check out Flo as she introduces Progressive Snapshot.  An easy way to save on Car Insurance.

Matt Lehn
Lehn Insurance
4478 N Access Rd
Englewood, FL 34224
941 698 8876
matt@floridaci.com

www.lehninsurance.com

Safest Cars 2012

2012 Safest Car

Value Plan is a CROCK

 Do you really think Allstate has a value plan?? I think not.  They just lower  your coverage until you can afford their high rates.  Contact a local independent agent. Independent agents can shop your coverage with several major carriers.  Don't sacrifice  coverage for  savings.

Englewood, FL Auto Insurance   www.lehninsurance.com

Auto Insurance Reform Passes

Florida Passes PIP Reform Bill

Gov. Rick Scott got the legislation he wanted to reform Florida’s mandatory motor vehicle no-fault law and crack down on the abuses in personal injury protection cases that have led to skyrocketing increases for coverage.

Whether the new measure will be effective remains to be seen.

The measure (HB 119) passed on a 22-17 vote in the Senate after some heavy duty lobbying by Scott and others on Friday before lawmakers adjourned at the stroke of midnight.

“I think it’ll make a big difference in cutting down on fraud,” Sen. Joe Negron said Saturday. Negron, R-Stuart, was the architect of the Senate bill and lead negotiator on finding a compromise with the House.

The personal injury protection (PIP) law was adopted in 1972 to make sure anyone injured in an auto accident would quickly get money to treat their injuries. The legislation provided that a driver’s insurance company pay up to $10,000 to cover medical bills and lost wages after an accident, no matter who is at fault.

PIP costs have risen by $1.4 billion since 2008, largely because of the runaway fraud that threatens the system, most notably in the metropolitan Miami and Tampa areas. Florida ranks first nationally in staged accidents.

The legislation requires an accident victim to obtain treatment within 14 days in an ambulance or hospital, or from a physician, osteopathic physician, chiropractic physician, or dentist. The full $10,000 PIP medical benefit is available only if a physician, osteopathic physician, dentist, or a supervised physician’s assistant or advanced registered nurse practitioner determines that the insured has an “emergency medical condition.” Otherwise, the PIP medical benefit is limited to $2,500.

Follow-up services and care requires a referral from a physician, osteopath, chiropractor or dentist. Massage therapists and acupuncture was eliminated from eligibility for PIP benefits.

“Floridians are in for a rude awakening,” Florida Consumer Action Network spokesman Bill Newton said. “Instead of measures aimed at preventing true fraud, we’re left with a bill that pads the pockets of big insurance companies.”

Some lawmakers agreed.

“The formula is controlled by the insurance companies,” said Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami.

The measure almost didn’t make it to a final vote. Senators voted to accept House changes to its proposal by a 21-19 vote, with Sen. Bill Montford of Tallahassee the lone Democrat to vote for it. A tie vote would have doomed the measure for at least another year unless Scott ordered lawmakers back for a special session.

“It was not a perfect bill,” Montford said. “This is one at least that we can begin to address the PIP issue. There will be a risk.”

Whether or not Montford needed any persuading, some of his colleagues did.

Senate President Mike Haridopolos collected some IOUs to get the measure passed.

“I was focused on getting PIP passed and delivering those votes to the governor,” Haridopolos said. “When I had to call in a couple of favors today on a tough vote that will lower the cost on auto insurance, some people on the fence said, ‘you know what Mike, I’m going to give you this vote.”’

The 23 senators and 80 state representatives who voted for PIP immediately received hand-written thank you notes from Scott, who had made PIP reform his marquee issue of the session.

The final product, however, was very different from where both the House and Senate began.

The Senate sought a guaranteed 25 percent rate reduction on PIP, but settled for a 10 percent reduction that’s not guaranteed. If insurers who offer PIP do not provide their customers a minimum 10 percent rate reduction, they must explain in detail why not. A second rate filing required on Jan. 1, 2014, proposes insurers have a 25 percent premium reduction for policyholders unless they can show why they’re unable to provide the cut.

“Can we trust what insurance companies tell us?” Rep. Scott Randolph, D-Orlando, asked during Friday’s floor debate in the House.