The insurance industry successfully pushed a bill through the Legislature in 2008 to ban public adjusters from soliciting homeowners for 48 hours after an event like a hurricane, sinkhole or tornado.

Recently that ban—to the chagrin of the industry—was deemed by the state Supreme Court to be unconstitutional.

"We are very happy about the ruling," says Wolfman, who adds that public adjusters never supported the legislation, as some in the industry have said. "That time right after an event is the most important time."  

While Wolfman acknowledges some bad apples among public adjusters, FAPIA has made it a point to make sure it is more difficult to obtain and sustain a license, in order to reduce the number of public adjusters in the state—which climbed to nearly in 3,000 in 2009.

After the active hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, public adjusters and wannabe public adjusters flocked to the Sunshine State, seeing an opportunity to make money. Then, the licensing process was much easier—a 3-day course.

"[Instructors] structured the course around the answers to the test—that's basically what it was," Wolfman says. "So, of course, there were some who got into this business without the best intentions. Everyone was taking the exam."

FAPIA has worked to change that in order to reduce the fodder for critics and bring more respectability to honest public adjusters.

Now, potential public adjusters must complete a one-year apprenticeship, and continuing education is a must. After two years on the job, public adjusters have to complete 24 hours of courses, including two hours on ethics, explains Wolfman, who says he worked for an insurer for many years.

The new process has discouraged some. There are currently 1,792 public adjusters licensed by the state Department of Financial Services (DFS) and 1,204 are licensed and appointed to do business in Florida.

Of those, FAPIA estimates that about 700 are actually practicing and about 400 are members of FAPIA.

Public adjusters will likely never be accepted by insurers. "If you're a cost-driver, they are going to look to step on you," Wolfman says. And the fact is claims involving a public adjuster typically cost insurers more money.

The difference between an estimate from a public adjuster and an insurer's adjuster can be eye-opening. Wolfman says he is working on a claim right now in which the insurance adjuster came back with an estimate of $4,000. Wolfman's estimate is close to $180,000.

"Now, I don't have their policy; I don't know what's covered," he explains. "And I can make mistakes too. 

"The point is we are around to try and get homeowners the money they need to make repairs and sometimes what they hear back from their insurer doesn't come close to that," Wolfman says.

In the meantime, FAPIA will continue to get those public adjusters giving the profession a bad name out of the business. FAPIA reports unethical public adjusters and contractors to DFS, says Wolfman, who adds that FAPIA sent a letter to every insurer in the state asking them for help in policing the public adjuster industry.

"We got one letter back and it said no," he says.