Citizens awards contract without RFP

[Greg Bell]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/busines...stions/1051605

Just how bad can this state get?

[Dennis J. Bonner]

i saw that. i guess i was right, the wind mit jig is up! why would a h/o or agent pay for wind mit, when citizens is gonna pay for it and backcharge them anyway. i hope they come up with a new inproved scam so i can get in on that next.

[Greg Bell]

Hey Dennis,

I think that you are missing the point. This has nothing to do with why a person would get a wind mit. This is about reinspecting wind mits that have already been performed. Citizens is not giving away wind mits.

[Greg Bell]

I don't understand why you think it is a scam. I have saved 2100 dollars in premiums since the wind mits were introduced. This is the only insurance inspection I know of that has value for the homeowner.

[Dennis J. Bonner]

no, i know they are not giving them away and its not a total scam. we save money now , but they are raising the rates every year.

[Dennis J. Bonner]

Having contemplated the re-inspection project, I have concluded that this is a good move and will in fact raise the bar of the industry and make inspectors more culpable.

[kboyer]

Have you guys gone to inspection depot's site? They plan on re-training, which they will make money on (even if you are a Architect,Contractor etc) and charge $500-$600. for application for there software.This guy hit the Jackpot!

[wsiegel]

Hate him or love him, you have to give Michael credit for what he has done. I wish it was me. That is one hell of a contract.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

......

[wsiegel]

You sound jealous James.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

.......

[Jose F. Uz]

My thoughts:

1. The company awarded this $ 60,000,000.00 contract is a competitor to all of us. This is the fox guarding the hen house.

2. Conflict--what will stop them from targeting there competitors and how will they assess inspections performed by them?

3. This company not only has a complete unfair business advantage over all of us by huge State agency funded cash flow, access and judgmental powers over competitors, no apparent appeals process for homeowners (I mean what makes them perfect) they didn't receive very good scores on there performance from MSFH to begin with.

4. I would like to see if maybe INTERNachi being the largest representative of our industry would take up the fight against this and preserve our member’s right to a FREE MARKET.

5. At a minimum ethically they shouldn't be allowed to be an active participant to this Association, it's like having an entity which works behind closed doors undermining what we all stand for within us.

6. With as many members as we have in Florida; how about a petition to the Governor and the OIR condemning this unethical assault on our industries economy. Remember the damage that MSFH caused--By-The-Way this is 1 of the privileged 9 WCE's.

7. This same tactic has been used by other WCE's with other underwriters as an alternative route to monopoly, since they have been stopped at the OIR from there attempts to monopolize the mitigation inspection industry by manipulating revisions to the OIR-B1-1802 form that would have given them almost exclusive rights, coincidentally right after MSFH funding ceased.

So, is everyone going to stand down and be submissive? Do you believe this will end hear at the mitigation only? How long before its 4 points or before they get there greedy hands on the real estate market? how much stronger and how much more of our business must these entities take from us using the unjust enrichment dollars courtesy from MSFH and the State of Florida before we make a stand. Will INTERNachi support us? Will you take you rightful place as our industry leader and draw a line in the sand?

Gratefully,

[IMG]file:///c:/docume~1/jose/locals~1/applic~1/im/identi~1/%7B207a3~1/signat~1/%7Bfff6b7bb-0ad7-4157-b374-212c8a082a3e%7D/sg-0.gif[/IMG]
  

Jose’ F. Uz, Ph.D., CRC, CPO, CHI, CHC, M-NFPA, NACHI, FHA INSP., Fellow ABI
President

CaribbeanRealty Support Services, Inc.
Toll Free 866-261-2242
Serving 15 Florida Counties
Inspections, Surveys & Engineering Services

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent their government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."

Thomas Jefferson 1787

[Brian C. Hoagland]

One of the problems with the MSFH program when it came to the 1802 forms is that the different WCE's actually had different instructions for their inspectors about how to fill out the form. The state never really gave any info about that. Started out that 7/16" sheathing would be not 1/2" then it would be if it was nailed appropriately. I've never seen any 7/16" wide 1/2" sheathing. Then we could talk about reinforcement in the foundation, at the corners and at least a window and door? How about where required, I won't bore you with what that is supposed to be. The sad fact is that this is going to end up looking like the MSFH inspectors screwed up when in fact it was a screwed up program a screwed up form and multiple screw ups by the various WCE's.

[Jose F. Uz]

I can not disagree; the inspectors are just victims of the program and the WCE's and when looked at the only winners in the whole thing are the WCE's. About the training they got I can tell you first hand from training many past MSFH inspectors that the OIR-B1-1802 form was barely talked about, and when it was the mis-information and technically wrong instructions at best has been horrifying. I won't bore you with great details, but one short example is that the MSFH instruction to the inspectors was that if the "ZIRCON" metal detector got a hit in a corner or 2 of the structure and around a door and window they are to check off as 100% re-enforced masonry--HA HA HA HA, the only way by construction standards to achieve 100% re-enforcement on a structure is to steel re-enforce every hollow cell in the blocks and backfill with concrete. A hit in the places indicated by MSFH is the steel inside columns, lintels and so forth--it's supposed to be there, that’s not 100% of the structure.

I can go on for days, but believe me I teach this around the State with an approved 7 hours of continuing education including 1 core for Engineers, Architects and Contractors. Part of our curriculum is detailed brake down and step wise approach of all 8 sections of the OIR-B1-1802 form, MSFH didn't do that.

But I will stand strong unless proven otherwise that the WCE's being given the kind of additional unwarranted powers to perform a witch hunt against competitors is an unfair competitive advantage, and the 60 million bid less contract just like when MSFH added free 1802 forms to the program is unjust enrichment and interference with the private market. I can not understand how I do not see more outrage from my fellow inspectors since MSFH took so much away from us and these new witch hunts will obviously take even more away. I know how this new Citizens deal will work and not only will the benefactor get the $150 for the "Re-inspection" since someone decided they are the mitigation gods--but when the homeowners complaints about having lost the credits they will not be told the why, they will be referred back to the benefactor and then they will be sold on a subsequent inspection for there use to resubmit for credits. Driving the business is what it is, and I can tell you it's already happening with other underwriters that are doing it with other WCE's. I'm not speculating.

Good hearing from you,

Jose'

[mvanek]

I have made alot of money doing the 4 point inspection over the past 4 years. I went to the class in jax, but decided agaist it at the time. Im glad I never got into any of that circle. They were not training people properly and I have saw Inspectors hiring anyone to do the inspection for them in this area and the person with the credits is down south some where. We all know probably 90% have some issues and are done wrong. At that time anyone one was doing it and as fast as they could. I remember hearing one guy brag how he could knock out 20 in a day. LOL Funny **** is they are gonna get paid to do it again and wrong another time around..... ALL Waist of time and money.