A Civil Remedy Notice is a formal complaint filed against an insurance company with Florida's Department of Financial Services. Filing one is the step Florida law requires before a policyholder can sue an insurer for bad faith. It is a public record, and the insurer gets 60 days to fix the problem before that right opens up.
So this is the policyholder's side of a dispute, written by their side, and it is an allegation rather than a finding. The insurer answered it, and its answer is published below alongside the complaint. Read both. Names, addresses, and policy and claim numbers have been removed here; everything else is quoted from the filing.
| Who the filing is against | UNIVERSAL PROPERTY & CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY (NAIC #10861) |
|---|---|
| Who filed it | The policyholder |
| Attorney of record | Mohad Abbass |
| Where the property is | Orange Park, Florida |
| When it was accepted by the state | December 2, 2024 |
| When the 60-day cure window closed | January 31, 2025 |
| Why, in the state’s own categories | Claim Delay, Claim Denial, Unsatisfactory Settlement Offer, Unfair Trade Practice |
| Type of insurance | Residential Property & Casualty |
| Policy language at issue | Coverage A - Dwelling. All Optional Coverage provisions. All Additional Coverage provisions. All Coverage(s) provided by Endorsement or Rider. The Declarations Page. Loss Payment and Settlement provisions. Duties in Event of Loss Policy provision. The insurance policy's definition section. The insurance policy's exclusion of coverage provisions. All insurance policy provisions that provide coverage to the Insured's property. All policy provisions. |
| Did the insurer respond | Yes, on January 21, 2025 |
I. INTRODUCTION This Civil Remedy Notice (CRN) is filed on behalf of the insured, [name redacted] against Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company ("Universal"), for its deliberate actions and statutory violations concerning a property damage claim filed under policy no. [redacted]. [name redacted] sustained damages to his property caused by a covered peril on June 28, 2024. Upon filing a claim, Universal's adjuster intentionally manipulated the date of loss and misapplied the deductible, causing significant financial harm to the insured. These acts were performed with the intent to reduce Universal's liability and minimize its financial obligation to [name redacted] contrary to the terms of the insurance policy and Florida law. II. STATEMENT OF FACTS
1. The Covered Loss On June 28, 2024, [name redacted] 's property sustained significant damages caused by a covered peril under the terms of his policy with Universal. [name redacted] promptly reported the loss to Universal and cooperated fully with the claims process.
2. The Adjuster's [name redacted] inspection, Universal's assigned adjuster correctly documented the loss as occurring on June 28, 2024, as reflected in the insurance company's internal estimates. However, the adjuster deliberately altered the reported date of loss to August 5, 2024. This manipulation was intentional, as the adjusted date triggered a higher hurricane deductible of $9,448.72, rather than the applicable all-other-peril deductible of $2,500.00. By altering the date of loss, the adjuster's actions served to increase the out-of-pocket costs borne by [name redacted] while reducing Universal's financial liability for the claim. This deliberate misrepresentation constitutes bad faith and unfair claims handling in violation of Florida law.
3. The Financial [name redacted] to the wrongful application of the hurricane deductible, [name redacted] was deprived of $6,948.72 that he was rightfully entitled to under the terms of his policy. Despite multiple attempts to resolve this matter amicably and ample evidence that the actual date of loss was June 28, 2024, Universal has refused to rectify this issue or pay the outstanding balance owed to [name redacted] .
4. Universal's Failure to [name redacted] has demonstrated an unwillingness to act in good faith by refusing to acknowledge the improper deductible application and continuing to withhold funds owed to the insured. This refusal has caused [name redacted] to experience unnecessary financial hardship, as well as additional damages in the form of accrued interest on the wrongfully withheld payment. III. VIOLATIONS OF FLORIDA STATUTES Universal's actions, including the adjuster's intentional manipulation of the date of loss and the improper application of the deductible, violate the following sections of Florida Statutes:
1. Florida Statute 624.155(1)(b)(1): Failing to settle claims in good faith where it could and should have done so had it acted fairly and honestly toward the insured and with due regard for his interests.
2. Florida Statute 626.9541(1)(i)(3)(a): Engaging in unfair claims settlement practices by misrepresenting pertinent facts or policy provisions related to coverages. Universal's adjuster intentionally altered the date of loss to increase the deductible unfairly.
3. Florida Statute 626.9541(1)(i)(3)(b): Failing to acknowledge and act promptly upon communications with respect to claims. Universal ignored multiple communications from [name redacted] attempting to resolve the discrepancy in the deductible and date of loss.
4. Florida Statute 626.9541(1)(i)(3)(i): Conducting unfair claims settlement practices by altering the date of loss to create a financial advantage for the insurer at the insured's expense. IV. REMEDY SOUGHT [name redacted] respectfully demands that Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company immediately:
1. Correct the Date of Loss: Acknowledge that the date of loss for the claim is June 28, 2024, and amend all records to reflect this accurate date.
2. Apply the [name redacted] : Adjust the deductible to the all-other-peril deductible of $2,500.00, as required by the policy terms for the loss sustained on June 28, 2024.
3. Pay the [name redacted] : Issue payment for the withheld amount of $6,948.72, along with applicable interest accrued due to the delay in payment.
4. [name redacted] Assurance: Provide a written acknowledgment of the insurer's errors and confirmation that the claim has been adjusted appropriately and in compliance with Florida law.
5. [name redacted] Damages: Compensate [name redacted] for any additional damages, including interest and costs incurred due to Universal's bad faith actions. V. NOTICE TO INSURER This Civil Remedy Notice is filed pursuant to Florida Statutes and must be responded to within 60 days of filing. Failure to address the violations outlined herein, including failure to settle the claim fairly and promptly, will result in further legal action against Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company, including but not limited to a lawsuit for bad faith damages under Florida law.
These are the statutes named on the form. The wording under each is the statute's own, as the state prints it on the notice.
| 624.155(1)(b)(1) | Not attempting in good faith to settle claims when, under all the circumstances, it could and should have done so, had it acted fairly and honestly toward its insured and with due regard for her or his interests. |
|---|---|
| 626.9541(1)(i)(3)(a) | Failing to adopt and implement standards for the proper investigation of claims. |
| 626.9541(1)(i)(3)(b) | Misrepresenting pertinent facts or insurance policy provisions relating to coverages at issue. |
| 626.9541(1)(i)(3)(i) | Failing to pay personal injury protection insurance claims within the time periods required by s. 627.736(4)(b). |
Filed with the state on January 21, 2025. This is the insurer's own written response to the complaint above, quoted from the same public record.
Florida DFS Civil Remedy Notice, filing number 794842. Read the filing on the state's site ↗
A Civil Remedy Notice records an allegation, not a finding. Nothing here has been decided by a court or by the Department. Not legal advice; consult an attorney about your specific claim.
The date of loss is worth money, and this filing shows exactly how much: $6,948.72. The policyholder reported a June 28 loss; per the filing, the adjuster moved the date to August 5, Hurricane Debby’s landfall date, which swapped the flat all-perils deductible for the percentage hurricane deductible and consumed most of the payment.
A hurricane deductible legally applies only to losses caused by a named hurricane during its Florida windows, and reclassifying a pre-storm loss into a storm loss is deductible arithmetic dressed as adjusting. The filing calls the alteration deliberate; that characterization is the policyholder’s allegation, and the carrier’s response sits in the same public record. What is not in dispute is the mechanism, which is why the anatomy guide tells every reader to verify the date of loss on the caption block first: it is the single number on the letter that silently reprices the whole claim.
Fla. DFS Civil Remedy Notice, Filing No. 794842 (Riley v. Universal P&C), Orange Park, FL · public record ↗
Quotes are verbatim from the cited public record. Case status and statute summaries drafted August 2026; verify against the current docket and statute. Not legal advice; consult an attorney about your specific claim.
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