With wind speeds of 130+ mph, Category 4 hurricanes spin fast, but not as fast as the Buzbee Law Firm spun as the two-year deadline for filing Hurricane Harvey lawsuits approached. They filed nearly 400 suits in Harris County District Court in just five days.
Firm founder and Houston mayoral candidate Tony Buzbee insists that he hoped to settle the suits before the two-year statute of limitations ran out, but his sincere and strenuous efforts came to naught.
“We attempted to settle these cases, but were unable to and due to deadlines had to file,” he laments. “We also requested an agreement to continue to try to resolve these, but couldn’t get an agreement with the defendants.”
Questions have arisen, however, as to why nearly half of the suits target the Texas FAIR Plan Association and how many of his alleged clients Buzbee really represents.
The Texas FAIR Plan Association was established to provide residential property insurance to persons unable to obtain it through the private market – perhaps, in part, because so many insurance companies have pulled out of Texas to avoid lawsuits from opportunistic wind-chasing attorneys like Houston’s would-be mayor.
Plus, several of the attorneys listed as co-counsel on Buzbee’s Harvey suits are not from Buzbee’s firm. They work for the Law Offices of Manuel Solis, which prospects for potential plaintiffs at flea markets following severe weather events.
Homeowners of America Insurance Company (HOAIC) has filed a motion to show authority in a lawsuit brought on behalf of Jose Ceballos while the company was trying to resolve the matter amicably.
“During the course of this litigation, the Buzbee Law Firm has continued to maintain that it represents Ceballos,” the motion states. “However, despite requests by HOAIC, the firm has failed to produce a copy of its representation agreement with Ceballos.”
Another alleged Buzbee client denies his representation.
In 2017, the National Weather Service issued an “Extreme Wind Warning” for Hurricane Harvey. With the Houston mayoral race heating up, someone should issue an “Extreme Wind Warning” for Tony Buzbee.