Blog

What should be included in a moving services contract in Florida?

Every moving company or any other company that provides a specific service must, by obligation, present a contract that endorses all the conditions, policies and terms that both the consumer and the company should comply with. More than a verbal agreement, it is highly recommended to have a written one, since it is a way to verify, validate and physically certify the clauses in which the deal was concluded.

That is why companies that provide moving services in Florida are obliged to abide by the 2005 Florida Code. There, all the policies, obligations and responsibilities that each company has to provide to its customers are expressed. It is a legal regulation that includes legal sections that must be complied with under no pretext, otherwise the moving company could be heavily sued for non-compliance.

But, what is required in a moving services contract?

As stated, the 2005 Florida Code dictates the regulatory conditions that every moving company must follow. One of the most important terms is the structural development of what a moving services contract must or must not have.

The wording of the same is a key point, since each article has to be written in a clear and concise manner to avoid legal problems in the future.

So, what are the clauses that the contract must have?

Chapter 2002-53 and Chapter 2003-132 have a section entitled as Estimates and Service Contracts where it states that: before providing any type of service, the moving company must provide a contract where the regulations and estimate are set forth in writing. Therefore, the contract must be drafted under that order:

  1. Name and address of employees who will be available for the move.

  2. Date of issuance of the contract and the date when the move will take place.

  3. All shipper data: address where the belongings are located, and where the items will be moved to, telephone number, physical address where you can be reached, identification, among others.

  4. Exact address where the belongings will be held pending.

  5. The company must have a detailed breakdown of all costs and budgets required by the client, for example transportation, insurance, accessory services, storage of items, among others.

  6. Description of the acceptable form of payment. There should be at least, cash, check, money order, traveler’s check, valid check, credit card (Visa or MasteCard).

  7. Each company must disclose the entire budget in the contract, there should be no dispute in this category.

  8. Insurance protection to the belongings is also part of the contract in case the client wants to hire one. Some companies require it to be mandatory.

  9. Some clauses of the Department of Agriculture and Commerce.

  10. All contracts must be signed and sealed by the client and the legal representative of the real estate company.