Pass Along to your membership to take Action, today
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From
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Wayne Bertsch
Many of your members perform Wind Mitigation Inspections, OIR (via statute changes to 627.711) has had several workshops related to changing the form. Tomorrow, the Florida Cabinet sitting as the Financial Services Commission, will be voting on the final changes. Many home inspectors, as well as myself represent the Council, have expressed concern with the Form. In an effort to continue expressing concerns, please ask your Members to send an email to each of the Cabinet Aides sharing concern.
Below, I have included the contact information to the relevant cabinet aide and also suggested comments.
Thank you,
Wayne Bertsch
******** TO BE SENT TO MEMBERSHIPS *********
The Florida Cabinet, sitting as the Financial Services Commission, will be taking up for Approval the changes to the Uniform Wind Mitigation Form OIR-B1-1802. Many licensed home inspectors perform these inspections as a service, however the changes being made to the form have been raising concerns among the profession. Several home inspectors have attended the OIR Workshops, testifying and making recommendations, however many of those have not been addressed in the Form being considered by the Commission.
In an effort to share concern, please email an appeal (TODAY!) to the members of the Financial Services Commission (i.e. the Florida Cabinet) who meet tomorrow, Tuesday, December 6, beginning at 9:30am. Their cabinet aides email contacts are below, please take a moment to share your concern regarding the changes being made to the FORM OIR-B1-1802. Suggested comments are below, however please edit them specific to your own experience. Thank you in advance for your advocacy.
Governor Rick Scott
Mark Slager - Mark.Slager@eog.myflorida.com Rachel Goodson - Rachel.Goodson@eog.myflorida.com
Attorney General Pam Bondi
Rob Johnson - Rob.Johnson@myfloridalegal.com Erin Sumpter - Erin.Sumpter@myfloridalegal.com
CFO Jeff Atwater
Robert Tornillo - Robert.Tornillo@myfloridacfo.com Abby Vail - Abby.Vail@myfloridacfo.com
Agriculture Commissioner
Jim Boxold - Jim.Boxold@freshfromflorida.com Brooke McKnight - Brooke.McKnight@freshfromflorida.com
Dear Cabinet Member-
I would like to express my concern with respect to Agenda Item 3 of the Financial Services Commission Requesting Approval for Adoption of Amendments to Proposed Rule 69O-170.0155, implementing Legislative changes (FS 627.711) made to Form OIR-B1-1802, the “Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection.”
The proposed changes insist on documentation that may not always be available because it is either not kept by a particular local government, time constraints don’t allow research (e.g. short sales) or there is an additional cost that may not be covered.
There has been additional language included allowing insurers to ask follow up questions, but at whose expense is this intended - the customer, the inspector or the insurer? This is form addition is not addressed in FS 627.711.
The requirement for photos is also not included in the statute changes. These photos are have been misinterpreted by unqualified personnel. Photos should only be required to document that the structure has been inspected. Anything otherwise is open to interpretation and doesn’t or may not support the intent of the statute.
An unintended consequence has been using the Form OIR-B1-1802 to base an insurance quote for a resale. If this is and additional intended use of the form by real estate and insurance, then form should include the name of the client and not necessarily the property owner. If “Insurance Quote” inspections are required, then consideration should be paid for by the insurance company.
I would respectfully request that as a Member of the Financial Services Commission, that you reject the adoption of Form OIR-B1-1802 and request that amendments be made to the form and to also follow the statute 627.711 in regards to what should be addressed by the form.
Thank you in advance for your time and favorable consideration,