Florida § 627.70151 - Appraisal; conflicts of interest.

§ 627.70151. Appraisal; conflicts of interest.

An insurer that offers residential coverage as defined in s. 627.4025, or a policyholder that uses an appraisal clause in a property insurance contract to establish a process for estimating or evaluating the amount of loss through the use of an impartial umpire, may challenge an umpire’s impartiality and disqualify the proposed umpire only if: (1) A familial relationship within the third degree exists between the umpire and a party or a representative of a party; (2) The umpire has previously represented a party in a professional capacity in the same claim or matter involving the same property; (3) The umpire has represented another person in a professional capacity on the same or a substantially related matter that includes the claim, the same property or an adjacent property, and the other person’s interests are materially adverse to the interests of a party; or (4) The umpire has worked as an employer or employee of a party within the preceding 5 years.