Florida Archives - Zxcoachoutlet

Suspension recommended for South Florida attorney accused of misconduct in insurance suits

October 12, 2020

A Coral Springs-based attorney accused of misconduct while pursuing thousands of cases against Florida insurance companies should be found guilty and suspended from practice for two years, a referee recommended after an eight-day trial.

The state Supreme Court has final say for how Scot Strems will ultimately be punished. The Florida Bar, which petitioned for an emergency suspension that began on June 9, argued that Strems should be disbarred.

Property insurers saw the Strems suspension and trial as vindicating their often-voiced stance that misconduct by a dozen or so law firms, which they call “bad actors,” are abusing the court system by bombarding insurers with lawsuits that drive up insurance costs for consumers.

Strems Law Firm P.A., they say, is among a dozen or so firms operating as lawsuit mills that target insurers, often without the knowledge of property owners named as plaintiffs, to generate lucrative legal fees worth

Here’s what Florida insurance experts say about the current cost crisis

October 10, 2020

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As home insurance prices are poised to increase sharply, the South Florida Sun Sentinel asked leading insurance experts to provide their views of the disintegrating state of the market. Here’s what they had to say. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

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Locke Burt, president and CEO, Security First Insurance Co.

Insurance cost drivers are well known and have been reported before — bad weather, increased reinsurance costs, shady contractors, aggressive plaintiffs bar with a favorable legal environment, water losses, fraud. What’s different is the trends seem to be accelerating and the Legislature has not done anything meaningful to change the trajectory of increased costs which, under Florida law, must be passed on to consumers in the required annual rate filings.

The private sector is shrinking and raising rates as fast as they can because the losses are not sustainable and the providers of additional investment capital

Insiders sound off on Florida insurance cost hikes

October 10, 2020

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As home insurance prices are poised to increase sharply, the South Florida Sun Sentinel asked leading insurance experts to provide their views of the disintegrating state of the market. Here’s what they had to say. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Locke Burt, president and CEO, Security First Insurance Co.

Insurance cost drivers are well known and have been reported before — bad weather, increased reinsurance costs, shady contractors, aggressive plaintiffs bar with a favorable legal environment, water losses, fraud. What’s different is the trends seem to be accelerating and the Legislature has not done anything meaningful to change the trajectory of increased costs which, under Florida law, must be passed on to consumers in the required annual rate filings.

The private sector is shrinking and raising rates as fast as they can because the losses are not sustainable and the providers of additional investment capital simply do

Florida rapper bought Ferrari with COVID-19 relief money, feds say

October 8, 2020

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Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren tells FOX Business’ Edward Lawrence that there is a ‘definite need for additional stimulus’ and the U.S. won’t get back to record-low unemployment for at least three years.

A Florida rapper allegedly pocketed more than $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds, which he used to buy a Ferrari and other luxe items, federal prosecutors said.

Diamond Blue Smith — who is a member of the group Pretty Ricky — was charged this week for his role in a $17 million coronavirus relief scheme, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

Prosecutors allege that Smith — who also appears on the show “Love & Hip Hop: Miami” — obtained $427,000 through his company, Throwbackjersey.com, by falsifying documents for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.

The PPP program was meant to help struggling small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

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AM Best to Lead Panel Discussion at 2020 Florida Insurance Market Summit

October 7, 2020

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AM Best Chief Rating Officer Stefan Holzberger and Director Michelle Baurkot will lead a panel discussion on key issues affecting the insurance industry at the Florida Insurance Market Summit, which is taking place as a series of webinars throughout fall 2020.

Joining Holzberger and Baurkot in the panel session, which will take place Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, at 11 a.m. (EDT), is Pat Matthews, head of global rating agency advisory, and Kathleen Armstrong, managing director, both of Aon. Topics to be discussed include insurance industry innovation; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry; incorporating stress testing into enterprise risk management and the challenges facing the Florida insurance market. As AM Best’s Chief Rating Officer, Holzberger is responsible for the agency’s global ratings coverage. Baurkot leads a team of property/casualty rating analysts that cover regional personal and commercial lines writers in North America.

The Florida Insurance Market Summit is

South Florida rapper accused of buying Ferrari with federal COVID-19 relief money

October 7, 2020

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In one of the country’s largest coronvirus relief schemes, South Florida rapper and reality star Diamond Blue Smith has been charged and accused of pocketing more than $1 million from a federal loan program for struggling businesses and buying a $96,000 Ferrari with the proceeds.

Smith, 36, a cast member on “Love & Hip Hop: Miami” and a member of the group Pretty Ricky, was arrested this week along with a Pennsylvania tow truck operator for their roles in a $24 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.

Smith and Johnson both face federal charges of wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud in the Southern District of Florida. Smith could not be immediately reached for comment.

Eleven other defendants have also been charged in the alleged racket centered in South Florida to bilk the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program approved by Congress as

South Florida rapper buys Ferrari with coronavirus relief money

October 7, 2020

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In one of the country’s largest coronvirus relief schemes, South Florida rapper and reality star Diamond Blue Smith has been charged and accused of pocketing more than $1 million from a federal loan program for struggling businesses and buying a $96,000 Ferrari with the proceeds.

Smith, 36, a cast member on “Love & Hip Hop: Miami” and a member of the group Pretty Ricky, was arrested this week along with a Pennsylvania tow truck operator for their roles in a $24 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.

Smith and Johnson both face federal charges of wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud in the Southern District of Florida. Smith could not be immediately reached for comment.

Eleven other defendants have also been charged in the alleged racket centered in South Florida to bilk the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program approved by Congress as part

Florida City Among Money’s Best Places To Live In 2020

September 27, 2020

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ACROSS FLORIDA — Oviedo, Florida is one of the 50 best places in the United States to live, according to a new ranking by Money magazine. The annual list, released this week, ranks communities based on factors such as safety, cost of living and diversity.

Out of communities on this year’s list, Oviedo ranked 43rd. The Seminole County city known for its wild chickens is only about 20 miles from Orlando.

To determine this year’s Best Places To Live, Money analyzed a list of 1,890 communities with a population of at least 25,000. The publication then analyzed 115 separate data points on each community’s economy, housing market, education system, employment, weather and more.

Reporters then researched each location to ensure the statistics were an accurate representation of each community.

Money added several additional factors this year to account for the coronavirus pandemic and recent unrest stemming from racial inequality. The

Florida advocates rally to raise money, pay legal obligations, register felons to vote

September 27, 2020

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MTV, Comedy Central and VH1 jointly donated $250,000 to pay fines, fees and restitution for about 1,250 Florida felons otherwise eligible to vote in November’s election.

The donation from the networks’ parent corporation, ViacomCBS, was made to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), which has raised more than $4 million, enough to pay off fines and register 4,000 felons to vote before the state’s Oct. 5 registration deadline.

The donation comes after the U.S. 11th Circuit Court upheld Sept. 11 Florida’s challenge to a federal ruling declaring unconstitutional a 2019 law that requires the state’s 1.4 million eligible felons to pay all legal obligations to vote.

The 6-4 decision ensured 80,000-plus Florida felons who registered to vote by June and the 774,000 projected to do so by Oct. 5 will be prohibited from casting ballots in November unless all fines are resolved.

The ruling will be appealed to the

Florida Republican cooperating with campaign finance probe

September 26, 2020

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FILE - In this Nov. 9, 2017, file photo, the then Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., speaks during a news conference on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programon Capitol Hill in Washington. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the now former Florida Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen accused of spending at least $50,000 of campaign money on vacations and restaurant and luxury hotel bills. WFOR-TV first reported the investigation Wednesday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

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FILE – In this Nov. 9, 2017, file photo, the then Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., speaks during a news conference on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programon Capitol Hill in Washington. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the now former Florida Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen accused of spending at least $50,000 of campaign money on vacations and restaurant and luxury hotel bills. WFOR-TV first reported the investigation Wednesday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

MIAMI (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department is investigating a former Florida congresswoman accused of spending at least $50,000 in campaign money on vacations and restaurant and luxury hotel bills.

The federal department’s Public Integrity Section is looking into the expenditures by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican who retired after three decades representing the Miami area in Congress. They include a 2017 trip to Walt Disney World with her children and grandchildren, rooms