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Insurers say sinkholes impact Marion market
William “Chip” Merlin, president of Tampa-based Merlin Law Group, which specializes in sinkhole claims, said population growth and development is more to blame for rising sinkhole claims.Dolphin Tower's troubles stack up
Dolphin Tower homeowners also have hired the Merlin Law Group, of Tampa, to contest the anticipated insurance denial.Florida Commissioner Intends To Survey Insurers About Sinkholes
In his blog, attorney William “Chip” Merlin said that a sinkhole problem exists for insurers in Florida because it is a natural problem in the state. The problem is not fueled by attorneys, he said.
Hurricane Katrina: 5 Years Later. How State Farm fought through the second storm
State Farm is known for taking a broader view of each disputed case than other insurers, said Chip Merlin, a Florida attorney who said he's handled hundreds of Katrina claim cases, including many State Farm customers.
"It's about what (the case) might mean not just today, but five years from now," said Merlin, who only has a half-dozen cases still pending. "They're very worthy adversaries."
Tampa Tribune: Other side in sinkhole controversy responds
"The insurance industry does not like for sinkholes to happen because they hurt profits," William "Chip" Merlin, Jr., president and the founder of Merlin Law Group based in Tampa, remarked. The resident suffers a big drop in a home's value.Houston Chronicle: Insurer won't pay Ike claim without documentation for lost items
After Hurricane Ike swept away the first floor of Donald Box's Bayou Vista home, he and his wife made a list of 376 missing items for their flood insurer, which quickly paid the claim.A few months later, they compiled another list of things they'd missed or didn't have time to estimate values for the first time around: guns, a drill press and 126 other items. But the insurer wouldn't pay that claim unless the couple could provide receipts to prove they owned the items, Box said.
