Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Florida Blogs -> South Florida Lawyers

Florida

: South Florida Lawyers

Oh, The Horrors

Imagine the dark, depressing dystopia that would envelope our State if this proposed bill regulating arbitration provisions in consumer contracts were by some miracle to pass:

Among some of the provisions of the bill, sponsored by Sen. Ted Deutch, a Boca Raton Democrat whose district includes a portion of Broward County, are:

? Any arbitration notice must state the parties are entitled to representation.

? Corporations would have to disclose arbitration expenses, including filing fees, and the cost for arbitrators and hearing rooms.

? Any arbitration organization that administers 10 or more consumer arbitrations a year would have to disclose: the number of times a corporation has been party to an arbitration by the firm; whether the consumer was represented by a lawyer; how the case was resolved; the amount claimed and the amount awarded, and the name of the arbitrator and his fee.

? Arbitration awards can be tossed if the ``award is not supported by substantial evidence.''

''The idea is to ensure the system isn't so heavily weighted against the consumer,'' said Deutch, a lawyer. A similar bill by Jacksonville Republican Charles McBurney, a lawyer, was filed in the House on Thursday.

The legislation doesn't sit well with some businesses and arbitration firms.

Good god Frank Petosa, or should I say Fallon from that crappy film Emilio Estevez film Judgment Night, you are truly dedicated to the destruction of our way of life -- in fact, all we hold dear.

Signed,

AutoNation -- the company that cares!

Full post as published by South Florida Lawyers on March 03, 2008 (boomark / email).