Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has successfully secured the return of tens of millions of dollars from Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company (UPCIC) to the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF).
The agreement resolves allegations that UPCIC fraudulently submitted ineligible claims for reimbursement, violating the Florida False Claims Act. This marks the first time the Office of the Attorney General has obtained repayment in an insurance fraud case.
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“Thanks to the outstanding work of Associate Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Weilhammer, Director Liz Brady, and Assistant Attorney General Andrew Butler, our office secured the return of more than $30 million to the state’s hurricane fund from fraudulent insurance submission allegations following Hurricane Irma,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “As Floridians, we know the impact that hurricanes can have on our state and how important recovery efforts are in a storm’s aftermath in helping residents start to rebuild. This office is committed to a healthy and stable insurance market for Florida homeowners, meaning insurance companies must play by the rules.”
The FHCF is a state trust fund, administered by the State Board of Administration, that plays a critical role in stabilizing Florida’s insurance market after widespread hurricane damage.
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The FHCF reimburses residential property insurance companies for a portion of their payments to homeowners for hurricane-related property damage, acting as a financial backstop for insurance carriers during major events like Hurricane Irma.
The Office of the Attorney General initiated its investigation into UPCIC following a whistleblower lawsuit filed in Leon County. The investigation aimed to verify the validity of claims submitted by UPCIC to the FHCF. During the investigation, numerous ineligible claims were identified within UPCIC’s submissions.
As a result of the investigation, UPCIC agreed to forgo reimbursement for these ineligible claims, reducing the FHCF payout to the company by more than $30 million. In addition, UPCIC agreed to pay over $4 million in fines and implement changes to its internal policies and procedures.
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