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Volume 4 Number 32
August 10, 2007 |
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CONSUMER
SERVICES HELPLINE
800-342-2762 |
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Fellow Floridian:
Families
with children going back to school can save money on school supplies this
weekend thanks to a Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday approved by the Florida
Legislature. State and local sales tax will not be collected on clothes,
footwear, books and certain accessories selling for $50 or less through
midnight Monday, August 13, 2007. The sales tax holiday began on August 4.
This is a
great opportunity for your family to get the supplies they need at
significant savings.
Businesses
and shoppers with questions regarding the sales tax holiday can contact the
Department of Revenue toll-free taxpayer assistance line at 1-800-352-3671
between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays. For more information on the sales
tax holiday, visit
www.myflorida.com/dor.
In addition, this is an excellent time
to give back to your community by donating school supplies for needy
students. School supply drives are being sponsored by retailers, communities
and agencies around the state.
For some children, donated supplies mean the
difference between showing up at school prepared with paper and pencils --
or with nothing at all.
Sincerely,
Alex Sink
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www.FLTreasureHunt.org
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CFO SINK: FLORIDA’S UNCLAIMED PROPERTY AUCTION RAISES RECORD FUNDS FOR
FLORIDA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Auction shatters attendance record and raises over $800,000 for education
Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced that the Department of
Financial Services, Bureau of Unclaimed Property (Bureau) broke previous
unclaimed property auction records at Saturday’s auction in Orlando, raising
more money than previous auctions and breaking last year’s attendance
record.
“I am thankful to the Floridians who bid on the wonderful items up for
auction and the members of our Bureau who worked so hard to make this event
a success,” said CFO Sink, who oversees the Bureau. “Not only did we raise a
record-breaking $800,000 for Florida school children, we also raised
awareness about the Bureau’s mission of reuniting Floridians with their
unclaimed property.”
During Saturday’s auction, the Bureau raised over $817,000 for the State
School Trust Fund from the selling of 534 lots, or groups, of items. The top
selling item was a 3.3 ct. pear-shaped diamond that sold for $22,000,
$12,500 over the reserve price. The highest-percentage performing lot
contained a Royal belt buckle and spurs believed to be from the last Empress
of France, Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. It sold for $5,000,
compared to the reserve price of $400.
CONTINUED
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CFO SINK NAMES NEW INSURANCE FRAUD DIVISION
DIRECTOR
Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced that she has named a
30-year law enforcement veteran to run the Department of Financial Services’
nationally recognized Division of Insurance Fraud (DIF), a sworn statewide
agency that investigates fraud in all lines of insurance.
Vicki Cutcliffe most recently served
as Chief of Law Enforcement Support for
the Florida Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Compliance Office,
where she led the agency to full accreditation by the Commission for Florida
Law Enforcement Accreditation. In addition, she managed the Training,
Recruitment and Selection, Policy Development, Public Information,
Facilities Inspection, and Penalty Collection sections. She also is a member
of the State’s Emergency Operations Command Center.
“I am pleased to have someone with Vicki’s experience and expertise lead our
insurance fraud division, which is recognized as a national leader among
state fraud bureaus,” said CFO Sink, who oversees the department. “I am
confident that she will lead us to new heights in the ongoing fight against
costly insurance fraud.”
CONTINUED
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CFO Alex Sink and State Rep. Darren Soto at the Hispanic Roundtable |
CFO SINK HOSTS ROUNDTABLE MEETING
Friday, August 3, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink hosted a
roundtable meeting in Orlando with local leaders in the Hispanic community.
At the event, elected officials and community leaders discussed ways in
which they could work together to educate the Hispanic community on a
variety of financial issues, ranging from the expiration of Florida’s no-fault
insurance to mortgage fraud.
CFO
Sink listened to concerns and promised to use her office to not only
prosecute criminals who try defraud citizens, but also to increase awareness
about the financial and insurance information available through the
Department of Financial Services regional consumer service
offices.
For more information on the department’s Division of Consumer Services
outreach, please visit our Web site at
www.myfloridacfo.com or call 800-342-2762.
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Mary Tyson, CFO Sink and companion Mandy.
CFO Sink addresses the Daytona
Beach/Halifax Area Chamber of Commerce. |
UNCLAIMED
PROPERTY FINDS AN HEIR
Tuesday, August 7,
Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink visited the Daytona Beach
International Airport for a breakfast with the Daytona Beach/ Halifax Area
Chamber of Commerce. While at the airport, CFO Sink met with Mary Tyson, an
airport employee, who discovered about $4,000 in unclaimed property on the
Department of Financial Services
Web site,
www.FLTreasureHunt.org.
Mary visited the Web
site after hearing about the Bureau of Unclaimed Property through press
coverage surrounding the August 4th auction in Orlando. The money Mary
discovered was from dividends left behind for about 25 years that belonged
to her late father.
Mary's story is not
unusual - many Floridians don't know to check for unclaimed property that
might belong to family members or deceased relatives. For that reason, the
bureau works to raise awareness about the importance of checking the Web
site for ancestors as well as current family members.
UPDATE: Since
Tuesday' s meeting with the CFO, Mary has uncovered three additional
unclaimed property accounts belonging to her brother!
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WORKERS’ COMP COMPLIANCE SWEEP NABS 23 EMPLOYERS
Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink commended state workers’
compensation compliance investigators who conducted a recent sweep of 177
businesses in two Panhandle counties that resulted in 23 Stop Work Orders
against employers found to be operating without the required coverage.
The sweep was conducted by the Department of Financial Services’ Division of
Workers Compensation, Bureau of Compliance (District 1A). Two examiners and
13 investigators executed the sweep between July 23 and July 26 in South
Walton County and the Panama City/Panama City Beach area. Seven of the
checks were conducted on a military installation with a federal investigator
attending and observing.
“Our investigators are tenacious about protecting workers by ensuring
employers are complying with the law,” said CFO Sink, who oversees the
department. “Because of our aggressive investigations and tougher laws,
compliance is increasing. Employers are becoming more aware of their
responsibilities and that if they fail to obtain workers’ compensation
coverage, they will be caught.”
CONTINUED
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www.FLTreasureHunt.org
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NEW JERSEY MAN GETS 30 MONTHS IN
PRISON
FOR STEALING FLORIDA UNCLAIMED PROPERTY ACCOUNTS
Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink together with Gregory R. Miller,
United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, and Enrique
Gutierrez, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service,
Miami Division, announced that a New Jersey man who filed fraudulent claims
on two unclaimed property accounts held by the State of Florida has been
sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution.
Arthur Vincent Coppola, Jr., 39, of Kinnelon, N.J., was sentenced in federal
court on July 31. In addition to the prison time, Coppola was ordered to pay
more than $57,000 in restitution after faking the identities of two
Floridians to collect more $290,000 in unclaimed cash being held by the
state.
“This sentence sends a strong message that we will not tolerate anyone
stealing from our citizens,” said CFO Sink. “I commend everyone who worked
to expose this man’s fraud and bring him to justice.”
CONTINUED
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Small Business Owner's Insurance
Finding the best insurance plan to protect your business is one of the many
important decisions you must make as a small-business owner. This guide
explains the required and optional coverage you need to consider.
English
Español |
OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR SELF-EMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS
Unlocking the door to Health Insurance
The month of August is open-enrollment for self-employed individuals seeking
health insurance in the state of Florida. Created in 1992, the Employers
Health Care Access Act ensures health care to small employers and their
employees regardless of their health conditions. While insurance carriers
can inquire about an applicant’s health and medical history, the answers
cannot be used to deny enrollment; however, the applicant may be subject to
a waiting period before medical claims are paid for certain pre-existing
conditions.
During the open enrollment period, participating insurance companies and
Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) will offer applications for coverage
to the self-employed on a guaranteed-issue basis from August 1st to August
31st each year, with a plan start date of October 1st. Self-employed now
covered by a small business plan may also switch to another company’s plan
during this open enrollment period.
Under the Act, each participating carrier is required to offer a Standard
and a Basic benefit plan to allow employers and employees a basis for
comparing prices and benefits between carriers. Open-enrollment can be the
key that opens the doorway to the previously uninsurable. The Department
encourages all that qualify to take advantage of this yearly opportunity to
ensure their financial and physical well being.
A listing of the Small Group Carriers and benefits of the Basic and Standard
plans can be found on our Department’s website:
www.MyFloridaCFO.com or by calling
our toll-free helpline number (800) 342-2762. Our office also offers a free
Small-Business Owner’s Guide, which can answer many of the consumer’s
insurance concerns.
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