What Is a Civil Remedy Notice (CRN)?
Under Florida law (Section 624.155, Florida Statutes), property owners who believe their insurance company is acting unreasonably—such as unjustly denying a hurricane damage claim, failing to investigate a title defect, or severely underpaying a legitimate property claim—have the right to sue the insurer for a bad faith insurance claim.
However, you cannot simply walk into a courthouse and file a bad faith lawsuit immediately. Florida law requires the policyholder to first file a Civil Remedy Notice of Insurer Violation (CRN) with the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) and provide a copy to the insurance company.
The 60-Day Cure Period
The primary purpose of the CRN is to give the insurance company one final, strict warning. Once the CRN is accepted by the DFS, a 60-day statutory "cure period" begins. During these 60 days, the insurance company has the opportunity to review the file, realize their mistake, and "cure" the bad faith violation by paying the disputed claim or correcting their wrongful behavior.
If the insurance company pays the damages within the 60-day window, no bad faith lawsuit can be filed against them. If day 61 arrives and the insurer has still not cured the violation, the policyholder is legally cleared to file a civil lawsuit seeking massive bad faith damages (which can include the claim amount, attorney's fees, and sometimes punitive damages).
Why CRNs Must Be Drafted Carefully
A CRN is not a simple complaint form. It is a highly technical legal prerequisite. If the CRN fails to explicitly state which specific statutory provisions or policy language the insurer violated, a judge will dismiss the subsequent bad faith lawsuit. Because of this, CRNs should always be drafted by an experienced insurance litigation attorney, not by the property owner or a public adjuster.
Related Terms
- Bad Faith Insurance Claim — The lawsuit that the CRN precedes
- Civil Complaint — The document filed after the 60-day cure period expires
- Title Insurance — Insurers subject to CRN requirements
Barnes Walker Insurance Litigation
Barnes Walker's litigation attorneys draft legally ironclad Civil Remedy Notices for Florida homeowners, commercial property investors, and HOAs, aggressively holding insurance companies accountable for bad faith practices. Request a legal inquiry for assistance.
Reviewed by the attorneys at Barnes Walker, Goethe, Shea & Robinson, PLLC