THE KIDWELL GROUP, LLC D/B/A
v.
UNITED PROPERTY & CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY

Fla. 4th DCA | 2022-06-15
No. 2021-2843
343 So. 3d 97 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (2022) Positive Treatment
Also reported at: 333 So. 3d 200
Cited by 7 cases

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Synopsis

The appellate court affirmed the trial court's dismissal of a breach of contract claim. The court found that the assignment of benefits did not comply with Florida statutes requiring an itemized cost estimate at the time of execution.


Holding

No, the assignment of benefits did not comply with the statute. The court found that the provided invoice was unexecuted and dated after the assignment, failing to meet the statutory requirement for an itemized cost estimate at the time of execution.


Headnotes

[1] An assignment of benefits in an insurance policy must be in writing and executed by both the assignor and the assignee.

[2] An assignment agreement for insurance benefits must contain a written, itemized, per-unit cost estimate of the services to be performed by the assignee.

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Key Quotes

“As such, the statute’s plain language requires that at the time the assignment of benefits is signed, the assignor must be provided with a list of the itemized services to be performed by the assignee, as well as the costs thereof.”

Explains the statutory requirement for an assignment of benefits.

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Facts & Procedural History

The Kidwell Group (appellant) filed a breach of contract action against United Property & Casualty Insurance Company (appellee) stemming from a homeow…

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Opinion of the Court

CONNER, J.

Appellant, The Kidwell Group, LLC, d/b/a Air Assessors of Quality Florida a/a/o Ben Kivovitz, appeals the trial court’s dismissal with prejudice of appellant’s complaint for breach of contract. Appellant’s breach of contract action stemmed from a homeowner’s insurance claim dispute pursuant to an assignment of benefits of the homeowner’s residential property insurance policy issued by appellee, United Property & Casualty Insurance Company. Appellee moved to dismiss the complaint pursuant to Florida Small Claims Rules 7.110(a)(2) and 7.135. Appellant raises multiple arguments on appeal, which we affirm without discussion. We write only to explain our affirmance as to Appellant’s argument that the trial court erred in concluding the assignment of benefits failed to comply with sections 627.7152(2)(a)1. and 627.7152(2)(a)4., Florida Statutes (2021).

Section 627.7152(2)(a) provides in pertinent part:

(2)(a) An assignment agreement must:

1. Be in writing and executed by and between the assignor and the assignee.

. . . .

4. Contain a written, itemized, per-unit cost estimate of the services to be performed by the assignee.

§ 627.7152(2)(a)1., 4., Fla. Stat. (2021). As such, the statute’s plain language requires that at the time the assignment of benefits is signed, the assignor must be provided with a list of the itemized services to be performed by the assignee, as well as the costs thereof.

Appellant argues it satisfied the statute by having provided the homeowner with an invoice which it attached to the complaint, along with the assignment of benefits. However, we disagree.

While Appellant included the invoice as an attachment to the complaint along with the assignment of benefits, such invoice was unexecuted and dated five days after the assignment was executed. See K.R. Exch. Servs., Inc. v. Fuerst, Humphrey, Ittleman, PL, 48 So. 3d 889, 894 (Fla. 3d DCA 2010) (“It is well settled that the court must consider an exhibit attached to the complaint together with the complaint’s allegations, and that the exhibit controls when its language is inconsistent with the complaint’s allegations.”). As such, the trial court properly concluded the assignment did not contain a written, itemized, per-unit cost estimate of the services to be performed by Appellant as required by sections 627.7152(2)(a)1. and 627.7152(2)(a)4. Accordingly, the trial court’s dismissal pursuant to rules 7.110(a)(2) and 7.135 was proper. Affirmed.

DAMOORGIAN and CIKLIN, JJ., concur.


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