Hurricane Wilma

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As we have indicated in prior blog posts on the Soronson, Slominski, and 1500 Coral Towers cases, late notice issues have been cropping up consistently in Florida in the context of Hurricane Wilma claims being reported years after the storm. Although the above-cases were decided by Florida appellate courts, the latest case to…

In Citizens Property Ins. Corp. v. River Manor Condominium Assoc., Inc., 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 5729 (4th DCA April 10, 2013), the court primarily addressed a potential conflict between a policy exclusion and insurance coverage requirements of the Condominium Act, Fla. Stat. 718.111(11)(b). Ultimately, the court reversed the trial court’s summary judgment ruling in…

In 1500 Coral Towers Condominium Association, Inc. v. Citizens Property Ins.Co., No. 3D12-132 (3rd DCA April 3, 2013), upon rehearing and de novo review, Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal withdrew its February 6, 2013 late notice ruling (see our analysis of that decision in the February 11 posting), and affirmed the…

As we have indicated in prior blog posts on the Soronson and Slominski cases, late notice issues have been cropping up consistently in the Florida appellate courts in the context of Hurricane Wilma claims being reported years after the storm.  Cooperation clauses requiring prompt notice and sworn proof of loss are implicated, and the issue,…

When is an Appraisal Demand Premature?  Southern District of Florida Addresses a Post-Litigation Appraisal Demand

Biscayne Cove Condominium Association, Inc. v. QBE Ins. Corp., 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5194 (S.D. Fla. Jan. 14, 2013), involved a Hurricane Wilma property coverage dispute at a condominium complex. In this case, the court denied the insurer’s (“QBE’)…

This case generally reaffirms the commitment of the Florida courts to contractual appraisal rights in the absence of waiver. In First Protective Ins. Co., v. Schneider Family Partnership, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 19701 (Fla. 2nd DCA, Nov. 14, 2012), the court addressed a claim for insurance coverage for property damage sustained during Hurricane…

A few weeks ago, we reported on the Florida appellate court’s decision in Trafalgar At Greenacres, LTD v. Zurich American Ins. Co., No. 4D11-1376 (Fla. 4th DCA, Sept. 5, 2012), in which the court permitted a policyholder to sue its property insurer for bad faith even though the trial court had ruled that the…

A Florida court of appeal recently held that an insured’s assignment of a claim did not relieve her of the obligation to appear for an examination under oath (EUO). This decision is significant because it makes a distinction between an assignment of proceeds of a property insurance policy and an assignment (or transfer) of the…

In many jurisdictions, a bad faith case predicated on a property insurer’s denial or alleged underpayment of a claim will not reach a jury if it is determined that the insurer fulfilled its obligations under the contract. The rationale is that if the insurer’s alleged conduct does not rise to the level of a breach…

We have seen several recent cases in Florida addressing prompt notice requirements in property policies, many of which are related to Hurricane Wilma claims. This latest decision by the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Leben v. State Farm Florida Ins. Co. 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 12522 (Aug. 1, 2012) seems to be contrary to the…