New Bill Could Send Property Insurance Higher

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biggest office deals of 2016

Homeowners that want coverage from Citizens Property Insurance could end up with a much more expensive policy from unregulated out-of-state insurers under a new bill passed in the Senate Friday.

The Senate voted 22-16 for the bill that could result in homeowners seeking coverage from Citizens to be shifted to a private surplus line insurance company that aren’t subjected to state regulations.

Several senators, includings some Republicans, objected to the bill. “We have insurance regulation in the state of Florida for a good reason,” said Sen. Jeff Clemens of Lake Worth. “It’s to make sure consumers in Florida aren’t being taken advantage of.”

Since the tea party wave of 2010, the Republican majority in the legislature has chipped away at the policies covered by Citizens. The state-backed insurer was set up to be the insurer of last resort, but grew as private insurers tried to limit their exposure in the state.

Last year legislators approved creating a clearinghouse that requires insurance agents to look at offers from private insurers before allowing someone to purchase a Citizens policy. A customer is ineligible for Citizens if one of the insurers charges premiums that are within 15 percent of Citizens rates.

The Senate bill (SB 1672) would add surplus line insurers to those insurers that could be offered through the clearinghouse starting in January.

Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, defended the bill and said it would give homeowners another choice for coverage. He said homeowners would be told ahead of time that the surplus line insurers are not regulated the same way as other insurers.

Simmons added that homeowners would also be allowed to move back to Citizens after receiving coverage from the surplus line insurer. He also noted some Floridians already insure their homes with these type of insurers.

“We have gone overboard to protect the consumer so the consumer can make an intelligent decision,” Simmons said.

Florida’s former insurance consumer advocate, however, blasted the proposal.

“These surplus lines insurers are a last resort given the lack of regulatory oversight,” said Sean Shaw, founder of Policyholders of Florida and who is running for the Florida Legislature. “These companies would be able to jack up rates on Floridians without state regulation — putting seniors and families at risk. We stopped this from happening before and it needs to be stopped again.”

Source:  NBC Miami

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Building Owners Responsible for Safety of Window Cleaners

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We’ve all seen them hanging from the side of a building and thought to ourselves, “Man, I would never do that. Those guys must be crazy.”

Well, to be honest, some of them are, but most are not. The fact is, the profession of washing windows on high rise buildings is actually very safe when all of the standards and regulations are followed properly. Of course, it still takes a tremendous amount of courage to climb over the side of a building and into a boatswain’s chair or to power that stage down when there is nothing separating you from the ground other than a thin aluminum floor.

So how do these folks do it? What makes them secure enough to make a cognitive decision to walk off of a perfectly good rooftop and into thin air, where, for the next hour or so, they will be suspended from lines as thin as your thumb, all the while cleaning the glass of your office or condo building?

The answer is, or should be, safety. Safety is the most important factor when any suspended maintenance work is being performed. Who is responsible for this safety, and what does working safely really mean?

The first question is being asked all across the United States every day with respect to window cleaning, particularly window cleaning done from a boatswain’s chair. Up until now, there was no clear definitive rule with respect to boatswain’s chair work under Federal OSHA. Federal OSHA does address cleaning windows using a powered platform. While some of those rules can be applied to chair work, there are so many areas of uncertainty that Federal OSHA has made proposed changes to Sub Part D – Walking Working Surfaces where they include some rules with respect to this common form of window cleaning.

The new document and the existing ANSI Standards clarify that it is the responsibility of the building owner to provide anchorages for these window cleaning professionals to attach their suspension and safety lines. This is important when the workers are utilizing boatswain’s chairs because more often than not, they are rigging directly to the rooftop anchors for both the suspension and safety lines. The rules and regulations both state that the suspension (the line supporting the worker) and safety lines (used in the event the suspension line fails) should be attached to separate and independent anchorages.

The standard form of anchorage is a rooftop anchor attached to the building’s structure that has been ideally installed during construction. We do know, however, that most building’s do not have these permanent rooftop anchors. Thus, the window washing professionals are required to make do with what structure is available on the rooftop.

We cannot expect a window washing contractor to obtain permission to drill through the roofing and down into the structure and attach a rooftop anchor as, quite simply, they are not qualified to perform this type of work. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the owner of the building to ensure rooftop anchors are available for workers to attach to prior to commencing their work.

The next burning question, assuming we have rooftop anchors or some other form of structure, is how are these workers to attach safely?

Many buildings, maybe even yours, have some form of window washing system installed. Unfortunately, more often than not, they are not in compliance with today’s rigid standards and proposed regulations. We often see derelict davit bases at an unprotected roof edge. These davit bases were originally designed to be used for suspended stages. However, as you know, most window cleaning operations are performed using a boatswain’s chair. So, how do the window washers work safely if there are no independent rooftop anchors available? The workers do what they must to ensure they can complete the work as safely as possible. This does not mean they complete the work in compliance with all the codes and standards. It means they do what they must, which, at times, really is crazy.

They will attach to vent stacks, stair railings or cinder blocks piled on the roof, none of which are designed to take the applied loads of a fall. Further, if these davit bases are existing at the roof edge, often the window washers will attach a tag line between the davit bases and attach both the suspension and safety lines to this line. The problem is the tag line has not been engineered, and in the event of failure of this line, both suspension and safety lines are attached to the same “anchorage.” The failure of one line leads to a catastrophic failure of this unengineered system, resulting in serious injury or death of the worker.

Now, realizing this is a lot of information to take in, I expect you have a lot of questions about the codes and standards. What is required? How do I know? Etc. The test is simple. Take a walk out onto your rooftop and ask yourself, “If I had to,would I attach my entire life to that anchorage?” If there is any doubt in your mind at all, contact a rooftop anchor design professional and have your building assessed for compliance and safety. Once you have the building assessed and certified and when someone asks you if those window cleaners are crazy, you can confidently answer, “Not as crazy as you think.”

 

Source: Facilities Magazine

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Miami’s First Mixed-Income Multifamily Tower Rising

It’s the newest residential development to go vertical in Downtown Miami—and it tackles two of the biggest challenges in the city’s recovering housing market.

Brickell View Terrace addresses the lack of market-rate rental apartments and the shortage of affordable housing options within the urban core. The multifamily tower is a joint venture between Pinnacle Housing Group and East Little Havana Community Development Corporation. Located at 940 Southwest 1st Avenue, the 23-story apartment building will combine 76 traditional multifamily units and 100 affordable housing units within a single building.

The project marks the first mixed-income multifamily building to be developed in Miami. Miami, ranked as the nation’s least affordable major city according to the Center for Housing Policy, becomes the latest US market to adopt the mixed-income model, which has proven effective in cities from New York to San Francisco.

“Just as Miami’s luxury condo market garners headlines around the world, there’s a growing need for safe, affordable, well-located places to live,” says Mitchell Friedman, partner with Pinnacle. “Brickell View Terrace will offer residents all the conveniences of urban living within close proximity of public transportation links and Miami’s major employment hubs.”

Set for completion in late 2015, the construction of Brickell View Terrace is getting under way just as an amendment to the City’s Miami 21 zoning code passes. The amendment aims to encourage residential development combining market-rate and affordable units.

“The strongest urban cores in the nation are home to a healthy mix of housing types catering to residents from all points of the economic spectrum,” says Pinnacle partner David O. Deutch. “With funding for traditional affordable housing development in Florida becoming increasingly scarce, mixed-income projects are a viable method for meeting demand and getting worthy projects built.”

Brickell View Terrace will offer community rooms, a cyber cafe, two fitness centers, and a picnic area with outdoor game tables, car care area, electric car charging stations, and a park with gazebo. The multifamily project is next to Miami’s Brickell Metro Rail Station, just west of Mary Brickell Village on Southwest 1st Avenue between Southwest 9th street and Southwest 10th Street. Brickell View Terrace will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.

 

Source: GlobeSt

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Miami-Dade County Water & Sewer Rate Hikes Start

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Miami-Dade County has started a series of water and sewer rate hikes to pay for $12.6 billion in proposed improvements to its water and wastewater systems, including a $3 billion project to drastically reduce the amount of treated sewage the county discharges into the Atlantic Ocean by 2025.

The county’s Water and Sewer Department raised rates 8% for the fiscal year that started last October. Annual increases of 6%, 5%, and 5% are planned for the next three fiscal years, department Deputy Director Douglas Yoder told Miami Today.

And there should be more increases in the future – wiping out Miami-Dade’s longtime reputation for low water and sewer rates to raise money to fix an underfunded system that has been rife with unlawful discharges from weak and leaky pipes and system overflows, described by critics as an environmental nightmare. “Rates will continue to be impacted as we get into the actual construction, which is where you spend money quicker,” Mr. Yoder said.

Miami-Dade’s water and sewer rates have been among the nation’s lowest for many years, according to the department. Even with the 8% increase that’s already in effect, a customer using 6,750 gallons a month pays a monthly average of $45.39 – up $3.36 from the previous average. That’s still the lowest among the nine major municipal systems in Florida, the department said.

Under federal and state pressure for years to improve its wastewater system, a centerpiece of the department’s capital improvements plan for the next 15 to 20 years is the $3 billion “ocean outfall” project. The outfall project, Mr. Yoder said, is in response to a state law approved in 2008 that will ban Florida municipalities from flushing treated sewage into the ocean and will require them to reuse 60% of their wastewater by 2025. The law was eased last year, allowing municipalities to discharge up to 5% of their annual treated sewage flow into the ocean, but only due to “peak flow events” such as storms. It also gave municipalities more ways to meet the 60% reuse threshold.

Most of the cost of Miami-Dade’s outfall project – about $2 billion – will involve building a fourth wastewater treatment plant inland, somewhere near the west end of the county. It will also involve improvements to the county’s existing plants closer to the coast, including adding another layer of filtration and other cleansing steps, Mr. Yoder said. He said he expects construction for the outfall improvements to start in three to five years. Currently, he said, the county typically discharges 180 million gallons a day of treated sewage into the ocean – and sometimes 250 million gallons a day or more during peak flows – through two outfall pipes.

One pipe goes out from the Central District Wastewater Treatment Plant on Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay near downtown Miami and empties about three miles offshore, and the other pipe goes out from the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant and empties about two miles offshore, Mr. Yoder said. The central district plant was built in the 1950s and its outfall pipe was extended to its current length in the 1970s. The north district plant at Northeast 156th Street was built in the late 1970s, he said.

Before being discharged into the ocean, he said, the sewage entering the plants goes through a “biological treatment system” that removes about 90% of solids. The sewage also is disinfected with chlorine. The outfall pipes discharge into water about 190 feet deep offshore, where the outflow is swept up in the swift northern Gulf Stream current. “It’s a high volume of water that’s continuously moving,” he said. “It’s like the equivalent of eight Lake Eries going by the coast every day.”

There’s also the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant south of Cutler Bay, but treated sewage from that plant is not discharged offshore. Instead, he added, it’s discharged about 3,000 feet underground into “the boulder zone” amid the Florida saltwater aquifer. That doesn’t have affect drinking water, according to Mr. Yoder, because any saltwater from the aquifer that’s used for public consumption requires a high enough level of treatment anyway that other contaminants also are removed.

Meanwhile, the outfall plan calls for greatly increasing the amount of treated sewage that is reclaimed for reuse. A lot of the reuse, he said, will come from an agreement to send treated sewage to Florida Power & Light Co.’s enlarged and renovated Turkey Point nuclear plant for cooling its reactors.

 

Source: Miami Today

 

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FPL Proposes New Solar Pilot Program

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Florida Power & Light Co. last Wednesday proposed a pilot program that would build community solar energy projects — some with panels spanning the size of half a football field — in select cities including Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

The projects would be financed by customers who choose to give FPL $9 per month, because the company would not seek state approval to be compensated for the cost of construction. Customers who contribute would still  pay the same for their electricity, since energy produced from the projects would be fed into the broader grid, not directed specifically to funders, FPL said.

The new “voluntary” program would differ from an earlier FPL solar rebate program, where the company gave rebates to select customers to install solar on their rooftops but all FPL customers paid for those installations through their electric bills, said FPL President Eric Silagy.

“No one has to pay for this if they don’t want to,” Silagy said.

But some in the solar business questioned the financing model that seems to have FPL coming out as the winner.

“Basically, what they’re saying is ‘A lot of people want solar. So you give us $9 a month and we’ll build it, and you get nothing out of it but a feel-good,’ ” said Wayne Wallace, president of the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association.

Wallace rejected FPL’s claims that rooftop solar is less cost-effective than larger community solar projects.

“Investor-owned utilities don’t want to see a lot of people putting solar on their roofs, because it cuts into their revenues,” said Wallace. For consumers, rooftop solar can be very cost effective by slashing the price of their electric bills, he said.

FPL is the largest solar energy producer in Florida, but it produces only about 110 megawatts of electricity from the sun yearly  — or about one-tenth of 1 percent of all its power, said Silagy.

The company faces huge hurdles to ramp up further, he said, because state regulators are required to approve utility projects with the lowest cost of generation. Solar now is more expensive than natural gas-fired plants or nuclear plants.

That’s why FPL came up with this pilot program, seeking creative ways to add solar capacity, he said. The pilot projects proposed would build up to 2.4 megawatts of solar generation over three years.

“If it’s successful and we have a lot of customers interested, we can go bigger,” Silagy said.

FPL aims to start the first community solar projects in early 2015 and is looking to build in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Sarasota.

“The City of Fort Lauderdale is excited about the possibility of partnering with FPL to bring renewable energy generation to our neighbors,” said City Manager Lee Feldman in a news release.

But other smaller-scale solar options also are open to consumers, with other financing terms.

“What they are doing is great for the environment. We all should move toward solar,” said Joe Spector, vice president of operations for Ygrene Florida, a company negotiating with Broward County to develop a Property Assessed Clean Energy or PACE program.

PACE lets property owners finance solar on their rooftops without paying any upfront cost and then, repay the financing over years with their property taxes.

“In the PACE program, the person who pays is the one that gets the direct financial benefit” by using their own solar to replace energy from the grid and slashing their electric bills, said Spector.

FPL said their new program will help measure the true interest of customers in solar energy. Many customers now say they want solar but may not be willing to pay extra for it, said Silagy.

Yet some see the pilot program as a “flawed referendum” on solar.

“If they don’t get people willing to donate $9 a month, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s no huge interest in solar,” said Michael Wallander, a principal in EcoCity Partners, which also is negotiating with Broward for PACE programs. “People want solar. But many want to generate their own.”

FPL said it would make no profit on the three-year pilot program. It plans to donate $200,000 each year from program funds to nonprofits in Florida. The nonprofits would be selected by customers who choose to contribute to the program.

Regulators at the Public Service Commission must give the go-ahead for the pilot program. Hearings are expected later this year, and if approved, FPL hopes to start in January.

FPL’s parent company, Juno Beach-based NextEra Energy is the largest producer of sun and wind energy in North America.

 

Source:  SunSentinel

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Businessman To Move Entire Company From NY Following $6.5M Condo Purchase

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Fed up with burdensome taxes, a New York businessman is set to relocate to Miami after buying a St. Regis Bal Harbour condo for $6.5 million.

Keller Williams Coral Gables real estate agent Michael Light announced the all-cash transaction in a written statement released Thursday. Light did not disclose the buyer’s identity. The buyer is expected to move his entire company from New York City to downtown Miami.

The three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom condo totals 3,884 square feet.

“Over the last five years, 90 percent of the real estate clients I have worked with are relocating to Miami,” Light said. “These individuals understand not only the value of properties in South Florida, but also the value of Florida’s tax laws.”

 

Source:  The Real Deal

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Homeowners Associations Could Lose Their Statutory Right to Impose Fines

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There are several changes that are being considered during this legislative session which will directly impact HOAs if they become law.  Two of those changes are:

  1. Fines may only be levied if the association was authorized by its original governing documents to impose fines; and
  2. The removal of the provision which allows a lien to be filed if the fine is $1,000 or more.  Thus, an HOA will lose its ability to file a lien for fines.

Currently, 720.305(2) of the Florida Statutes gives HOAs the right to levy reasonable fines of up to $100 per violation against any member or any member’s tenant, guest, or invitee for the failure of the owner of the parcel or its occupant, licensee, or invitee to comply withy any provision of the declaration, the association bylaws, or reasonable rules of the association.

If the law is changed so that an association can only impose a fine if its original governing documents authorize it to do so, HOAs will lose a very inexpensive way to enforce its governing documents.  If an association can’t impose a fine, the association will most likely have to turn to the association’s attorney to try to get an owner to comply with the governing documents whether it is by asking the association’s attorney to send a violation letter or to file an injunction to enforce the covenants and restrictions.  Either way, this will increase the association’s costs.

The statute also provides that a fine of less than $1,000 may not become a lien against a parcel.  Many people interpret this to mean that if a fine is more than $1,000, a lien may be imposed.  SB 1348 is proposing to change the law so that an HOA will lose its ability to file a lien for fines regardless of the amount the amount of the fine.

If you oppose this change, contact your local legislatures and voice your opinion before it is too late.

 

Source: SunSentinel

 

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Miami Makes List Of Top 10 Metros With Highest Apartment Occupancy Rates

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Apartment occupancy outlooks are sunny in Florida markets this year, according to a newly released report.

Three metro areas in the Sunshine State have occupancies greater than 95 percent, according to Axiometrics.

Naples, Fla. has 97.5 percent occupancy and leads the country’s top 90 largest metro areas. North Port, Fla. and Miami, Fla. also made the top 10 with 96.4 percent and 95.8 percent, respectively.

The December report, which was released Tuesday by the Dallas-based research firm, notes the national occupancy rate has been above 94 percent since April 2012.

This year is expected to bring more growth to the top performing metro areas, but with less gusto than in 2013, according to the report.

Other notable metro areas with high occupancies include Lansing, Mich. at 97 percent and Santa Rosa, Calif. with 96.9 percent.

Top 10 Metros with Highest Occupancy Rates

1. Naples, Fla. 97.5 percent

2. Lansing, Mich. 97 percent

3. Santa Rosa, Calif. 96.9 percent

4. North Port, Fla. 96.4 percent

5. Providence, R.I. 96.3 percent

6. Nassau, N.Y. 96.3 percent

7. New York City 96.3 percent

8. Minneapolis, Minn. 96 percent

9. Nashville, Tenn. 95.8 percent

10. Miami, Fla. 95.8 percent

 

Source: Multifamily Executive

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Mega-Yacht Marina Sails Ahead

An aging marina on the Miami River is a step closer to being reborn as a haven for mega-yachts, after action last week by the Miami River Commission.

The plan from property owner Homero Meruelo to build a new marina with exclusive enclosed slips for up to 16 mega-yachts floated to quick approval Monday when the commission approved it unanimously.

The high-end project, to be called Miami Mega Yacht Marina, elicited rave reviews from several commission members. A subcommittee of the commission reviewed the site plan Feb. 19 and recommended approval.

Horacio Stuart Aguirre, commission chairman, called the project exciting, interesting and refreshing.

Now, Mr. Meruelo and his team have to work to secure a pile of permits to bring the unique project to fruition. What’s different about this project is that it provides quarters for each yacht captain and crew, with the temporary living quarters looking out over the big boats. “We believe this type of facility does not exist anywhere in the world,” Mr. Meruelo told the commission. He said the planned marina will enhance the river, both aesthetically and economically.

The developer said the project will bring to the Miami River the very sought-after mega-yacht industry, which has gravitated towards Broward and Palm Beach counties.

The site on the south side of the river, at 1583 NW 24th Ave., has been home to a working marina for decades, with some of the structures dating to the 1940s and ’50s. It operates under the name of Brisas del Rio Marina, and is currently licensed for 45 slips.

The project consists of a private marina for 16 mega-yachts approximately 200 feet long. Each slip would be covered and would be provided with covered parking for three vehicles, indoor storage, and quarters for the captain and crew.

Each vessel would also be provided with covered storage for tenders, an owner’s vault for storage of valuables, as well as a flexible space that could house a repair shop, recreational space or additional storage.

Amenities would also include a clubhouse with coffee shop, Internet room, dining area, spa, exercise room, media room and swimming pool. A warehouse/office building would be built for marine-related businesses.

Mr. Meruelo was asked how the new marina would be operated. He said developers have not yet decided whether the slips would be leased to yacht owners or sold on a “condo basis.”

The architectural design was prepared by Antonio Rodriguez-Tellaheche, director of architecture and real estate with HCD Developers based in Doral.

“The existing use is an eyesore,” said Mr. Rodriguez-Tellaheche. “We are very excited about this,” he said, referring to drawings showing the new marina. “We don’t know of a facility like this – anywhere. We believe it’s the beginning of a new era in Miami-Dade County.”

The developer’s team told the commission they have met with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management and the US Army Corps of Engineers, and those agencies were “receptive” to the project.

Susan Engle of Enviro Care, who is working with the developer, said she expects the permitting process to take 8 to 12 months.

The project does call for some dredging of the river, and the removal from the site of some upland soil. They also plan to build a new seawall. They said they will be doing many environmental studies as part of the project, too.

Commission member Sandy Batchelor said the project would add economic dimension to the area and bring new jobs. It would be “a bonus for the city,” she said. “It’s a great project. I’m excited about it. It’s long overdue,” said commission member Richard Durbin. Commission member Phil Everingham called the new marina plan “a breath of fresh air.”

Miami City Commissioner Frank Carollo, also a river commission member, said it is an interesting concept. He said he sees the project as good for the city as a whole, by providing jobs. Mr. Carollo then quizzed the developer on a timetable, noting that others have made promises to the city about building a mega-yacht marina on city-owned land on Watson Island for more than a decade. “It’s going on 12-13 years now and we’re still waiting,” Mr. Carollo said. Mr. Meruelo said he has an extra incentive to see Miami Mega Yacht Marina built. “I own it,” he said of the property. “Fair enough,” Mr. Carollo said.

“We expect completion in the summer of 2015,” said Mr. Meruelo.

 

Source:  Miami Today

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Electric Bill Scam Targets South Florida Homeowners And Businesses

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A scam in which cons call people asking to collect “debt” for the electric bill has moved Miami-Dade police and Florida Power & Light to issue a warning to the public.

Police say there’s been an increase in the scam calls. Similar cases were reported in 2012, said police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta. “They’ll call you, they’ll identify themselves as FPL employees and try to collect outstanding debt,” Zabaleta said.

The fraudulent callers claim that the victim’s electrical service will be discontinued unless they purchase a prepaid card for amounts ranging from $150 to $500. The scammers then ask for the account and PINs from those cards.

But it’s not only homeowners falling prey to the swindlers. “Lately they’ve been targeting businesses,” Zabaleta said.

Police are reviewing evidence and talking to witnesses, Zabaleta said, but their main focus is to get the word out about the scam. “We want the community to know. Don’t provide any information,” Zabaleta said.

Utility scammers also are hitting Key West customers. Three Key West businesses have reported being targeted by a telephone scam and one, Blossom’s Grocery, is out $1,300.

Keys Energy Services, the Key West-based electric company, is warning customers of a so-called phone spoofing scam. Spokesman Julio Torrado said customers have received phone calls that show up on caller ID as coming from the power company’s main phone number.

“Customers then hear an automated voice alert … to an electrical emergency within their home and the need for a crew to be dispatched,” the utility said. The automated system attempts to capture personal information that can jeopardize the identity of the resident.

Torrado said the Blossom’s incident happened Feb. 15. Faced with what it believed to be a power cutoff threat, store management paid $1,300, although Torrado said he didn’t know with what or to whom.

Miami Subs and Blackfin, a Duval Street restaurant, were also targeted. Miami Subs employee Sean Wright reported the attempted con to Key West Police Officer Thad Calvert on Feb. 11.

Wright said a caller identifying himself as a Keys Energy employee asked for $3,000 to avoid a service interruption and wanted payment by way of six $500 gift cards. Still on the phone with the apparent scammer, Wright called Keys Energy and was alerted to the issue.

If customers are unsure of the authenticity of a call and need to verify its legitimacy, they should hang up and call Keys Energy at 295-1000.

Keys Energy provides service to around 29,000 customers south of the Seven Mile Bridge. It’s overseen by a five-member elected board created in 1965 by the state Legislature.

FPL also urges customers to call the police if they get a suspicious call. Customer can also call the number at the bottom of their FPL bill and report the call to either the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (800-435-7352) or the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (stopfraud.gov).

“FPL will never call and ask for credit card info or take prepaid cards as payment. Also, FPL will never ask for any personal information from you unless you initiate the contact,” said FPL spokeswoman Heather Kirkendall.

Customers wary of whether a call or visit is legitimate, should call the utility for verification.

For further information and safety tips visit www.FPL.com/protect.

 

Source: Miami Herald

 

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