A quick blog posts for those residents of Florida who have been enjoying state-enabled discounts for storm-preparedness: get them while you can as they might not be around much longer. “What we’re giving them now is not right,” Apopka State Representative Bryan Nelson (R) said. Nelson is both a lawmaker…
Insurance Dispute Lawyer Blog
Investigation shifts to China in faulty drywall investigation
The Wall Street Journal reports that government officials will be visiting China to investigate drywall manufacturing sites to better understand the problem occurring in homes across the United States. The report states U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission officials have received approval to visit several sites in China later this month…
Chinese drywall litigation fast-tracked, trials by end of the year
It looks like the MDL proceedings dealing with Chinese drywall will be moving along quite quickly, or is at least planned to be according to the judge in charge. Meeting with attorneys, with attorney Jeffrey Berniard in attendance, Judge Fallon notified both sides that the litigation would be moving forward…
State Farm prices to rise by almost 30 percent in Florida
Reported late last week, State Farm Florida is looking to shore up its finances and reduce discounts for customers… at the expense of those very customers. The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports Trying to shore up its finances, State Farm Florida will eliminate or reduce some insurance discounts it offers to…
Evictions begin over Chinese drywall contamination
Perhaps one of the saddest recent stories coming out of the Chinese drywall disaster is the following, where the poor and elderly have been kicked out of their homes as a result of the buildings being built with the faulty wallboard. The News Inferno reports Dozens of low-income elderly people…
Wall St Journal does feature on Chinese drywall ‘prison’
Beginning with the unfortunately typical story of a family looking for a new home to raise their family, the Wall Street Journal’s poignant piece on the uphill battle faced by families dealing with Chinese drywall brings more attention to the unfortunate situation. The piece opens Shortly after buying their home…
Reminder: Louisiana sales tax holiday today and tomorrow
Just a reminder to Louisiana residents that Friday and Saturday are sales tax holidays, where “eligible items will be exempt from the state’s 4 percent sales tax, though parish and municipal taxes will still apply.” The Daily Advertiser reports Because the savings are greatest on big-ticket items, furniture and electronics…
Steering committee for Chinese drywall MDL set
The MDL has decided on the steering committees for the Chinese drywall lawsuit and while they did not include the Berniard Law Firm, our firm is in a key position to be highly involved as pretrial motions go on in the city of New Orleans. U.S. District Judge Eldon E.…
Even builders’ homes vulnerable to Chinese drywall
A story coming out of Coral Gables, FL, demonstrates it’s not just the everyday homeowner who has been struck by Chinese drywall. Even builders have constructed homes for themselves unwittingly with the faulty wallboard. With timelines unclear in regards to when progress will develop, this builder decided not to wait…
House extends National Flood Insurance Program
A quick news blurb regarding a topic we brought up earlier: the nearing expiration of the National Flood Insurance Program. Such an expiration has been delayed another six months as the House agreed to extend the program through the 2009 hurricane season: Set to expire on Sept. 30, the House…