Hattersley Faults Patronis for Inaction on Florida Insurance Crisis

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A Democratic challenger to Florida’s chief financial officer this week laid the blame for some of the state’s property insurance woes at the feet of incumbent Jimmy Patronis.

“Patronis has had five years to get in front of this,” Adam Hattersley told a meeting of the Duval County Democratic Party, according to the Florida Politics news site.

Hattersley, a former state legislator, said that Patronis, who has been the head of the Department of Financial Services since 2017, has “absolutely cost you money.”

Florida has seen double-digit insurance premium spikes from many property insurers in the last three years, as insurers have said they have faced a perfect storm of fraudulent roof claims, extreme amounts of claims litigation and soaring reinsurance prices.

The DFS oversees the Office of Insurance Regulation and insurer insolvencies, and licenses and polices adjusters and insurance agents. Hattersley, who trails his opponent severely in fundraising, offered few details about what Patronis should have done differently during the insurance crisis.

But regulators have come under new scrutiny this year from some lawmakers after four carriers have been declared insolvent and others have stopped writing new policies in Florida.

Patronis’ campaign office responded Wednesday to some of Hattersley’s comments.

“LOL. The reality is that the CFO’s leadership has led the way for consumers to recover more than $100 million, and counting, from insurance companies with the help of state insurance specialists,” Patronis’ campaign manager, Caleb Spencer, said in an email.

He was referring to the DFS Division of Consumer Services, which has specialists who assist policyholders in claims disputes with their insurers.

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