Florida Statutes 626.621 – Grounds for discretionary refusal, suspension, or revocation of agent’s, adjuster’s, customer representative’s, service representative’s, or managing general agent’s license or appointment
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Terms Used In Florida Statutes 626.621
- Adjuster: means a public adjuster as defined in…. See Florida Statutes 626.015
- agent: includes an insurance producer or producer, but does not include a customer representative, limited customer representative, or service representative. See Florida Statutes 626.015
- Appointment: means the authority given by an insurer or employer to a licensee to transact insurance or adjust claims on behalf of an insurer or employer. See Florida Statutes 626.015
- Association: includes the Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA), the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals Florida Chapter (NABIP Florida), the Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies (LAAIA), the Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (FAPIA), the Florida Bail Agents Association (FBAA), or the Professional Bail Agents of the United States (PBUS). See Florida Statutes 626.015
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Customer representative: means an individual appointed by a general lines agent or agency to assist that agent or agency in transacting the business of insurance from the office of that agent or agency. See Florida Statutes 626.015
- Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- License: means a document issued by the department or office authorizing a person to be appointed to transact insurance or adjust claims for the kind, line, or class of insurance identified in the document. See Florida Statutes 626.015
- Life agent: means an individual representing an insurer as to life insurance and annuity contracts, or acting as a viatical settlement broker as defined in…. See Florida Statutes 626.015
- Managing general agent: means any person managing all or part of the insurance business of an insurer, including the management of a separate division, department, or underwriting office, and acting as an agent for that insurer, whether known as a managing general agent, manager, or other similar term, who, with or without authority, separately or together with affiliates, produces directly or indirectly, or underwrites an amount of gross direct written premium equal to or more than 5 percent of the policyholder surplus as reported in the last annual statement of the insurer in any single quarter or year and also does one or more of the following:1. See Florida Statutes 626.015
- Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
- person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
- Resident: means an individual whose home state is the State of Florida. See Florida Statutes 626.015
- Service representative: means an individual employed by an insurer or managing general agent for the purpose of assisting a general lines agent in negotiating and effecting insurance contracts when accompanied by a licensed general lines agent. See Florida Statutes 626.015
- writing: includes handwriting, printing, typewriting, and all other methods and means of forming letters and characters upon paper, stone, wood, or other materials. See Florida Statutes 1.01
The department may, in its discretion, deny an application for, suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew or continue the license or appointment of any applicant, agent, adjuster, customer representative, service representative, or managing general agent, and it may suspend or revoke the eligibility to hold a license or appointment of any such person, if it finds that as to the applicant, licensee, or appointee any one or more of the following applicable grounds exist under circumstances for which such denial, suspension, revocation, or refusal is not mandatory under s. 626.611:(1) Any cause for which issuance of the license or appointment could have been refused had it then existed and been known to the department.(2) Violation of any provision of this code or of any other law applicable to the business of insurance in the course of dealing under the license or appointment.(3) Violation of any lawful order or rule of the department, commission, or office.(4) Failure or refusal, upon demand, to pay over to any insurer he or she represents or has represented any money coming into his or her hands belonging to the insurer.(5) Violation of the provision against twisting, as defined in s. 626.9541(1)(l).(6) In the conduct of business under the license or appointment, engaging in unfair methods of competition or in unfair or deceptive acts or practices, as prohibited under part IX of this chapter, or having otherwise shown himself or herself to be a source of injury or loss to the public.(7) Willful overinsurance of any property or health insurance risk.(8) If a life agent, violation of the code of ethics.(9) Cheating on an examination required for licensure or violating test center or examination procedures published orally, in writing, or electronically at the test site by authorized representatives of the examination program administrator. Communication of test center and examination procedures must be clearly established and documented.(10) Failure to inform the department in writing within 30 days after pleading guilty or nolo contendere to, or being convicted or found guilty of, any felony or a crime punishable by imprisonment of 1 year or more under the law of the United States or of any state thereof, or under the law of any other country without regard to whether a judgment of conviction has been entered by the court having jurisdiction of the case.(11) Knowingly aiding, assisting, procuring, advising, or abetting any person in the violation of or to violate a provision of the insurance code or any order or rule of the department, commission, or office.(12) Has been the subject of or has had a license, permit, appointment, registration, or other authority to conduct business subject to any decision, finding, injunction, suspension, prohibition, revocation, denial, judgment, final agency action, or administrative order by any court of competent jurisdiction, administrative law proceeding, state agency, federal agency, national securities, commodities, or option exchange, or national securities, commodities, or option association involving a violation of any federal or state securities or commodities law or any rule or regulation adopted thereunder, or a violation of any rule or regulation of any national securities, commodities, or options exchange or national securities, commodities, or options association.(13) Failure to comply with any civil, criminal, or administrative action taken by the child support enforcement program under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. ss. 651 et seq., to determine paternity or to establish, modify, enforce, or collect support.(14) Directly or indirectly accepting any compensation, inducement, or reward from an inspector for the referral of the owner of the inspected property to the inspector or inspection company. This prohibition applies to an inspection intended for submission to an insurer in order to obtain property insurance coverage or establish the applicable property insurance premium.(15) Denial, suspension, or revocation of, or any other adverse administrative action against, a license to practice or conduct any regulated profession, business, or vocation by this state, any other state, any nation, any possession or district of the United States, any court, or any lawful agency thereof.(16) Taking an action that allows the personal financial or medical information of a consumer or customer to be made available or accessible to the general public, regardless of the format in which the record is stored.(17) Initiating in-person or telephone solicitation after 9 p.m. or before 8 a.m. local time of the prospective customer unless requested by the prospective customer.(18) Cancellation of the applicant’s, licensee’s, or appointee’s resident license in a state other than Florida.