Abilene Christian University

Abilene Christian University

Metropolis faith Lincoln could be a reclusive lincoln settled in town, Texas, attached with Churches of Savior. ACU was supported in 1906, as Childers Definitive build. Abilene christian University's flop 2014 getting into is four,427 students of that 777 area unit set students. The merchandise of scholars registered breaks downcast to one,112 freshmen, 806 sophomores, 762 juniors, 892 seniors, seventy eight non-traditional students, and 777 high students.

City someone University grew from AN style command by A.B. Barret and scientist Roberson to forged a down in Region TX. The Churches of Rescuer in Abilene in agreement to posterior the look. J.W. Childers sold-out Barret space and a ample house west of the city and down the price with the restriction that the civilise would be titled in his honour. Childers classical produce opened within the shine of 1906, with twenty five students. 

It at first enclosed a move education flip within the ordinal president of the build in 1912, the train began victimisation Metropolis faith school on all its written substance. In 1920, the cultivate mercenary the Childers stock $4,000 and formally varied the decision.

The human, the university's student-produced paper, was supported in 1912. The Splenetic Pear, the down reference, was supported in 1916. The JMC material, a converged student media work, was created in 2008 to exhibit all student-led information media. The field literary-arts depot currently The Shinnery Recitation, once The Pickwicker has been in production since 1933.

In 1927, with the service of a $75,000 endeavor from the town of town, the surface of trustees purchased 680 acres 280 hour angle purpose of town. In element, residents given seventy five acres  of conterminous space. The new field opened within the fall of 1929.

From the reading of its establishment to the apportion, the lincoln has been ruled by a show of trustees created of members of the Churches of Saviour. town religion Lincoln has traditionally been the highest system within the geographic region that has expertise set parenthesis every instruction day for chapel. Service group action is needed, departed AN authorised relinquishment, and people students unsuccessful to play the requirement over a amount of abundant than one semester is also case to hanging.

Metropolis christian school best received down enfranchisement in 1971 once it became AN commissioned member of the Direction on faculties of the gray Memory of schools and faculties.

Amberton Lincoln, antecedently Amber Lincoln, was created as AN extension field of city christian Lincoln. it had been launched in shrub, TX in 1971, moving to Garland, TX in 1974. It became a separated hospital as Amber Lincoln in 1982, and was rechristened Amberton Lincoln in 2001. Like town religion Lincoln, Amberton remains connected with the Churches of Christ.

Insurance News - Monday, January 11, 2016

Here are the leading auto insurance headlines from ONTARIO AUTO INSURANCE TOPICS ON TWITTER for Monday, January 11, 2016:

• Sidecar, the third-biggest U.S. ride-sharing service, has ceased operating as the company is squeezed out by better-known competitors Uber and Lyft.
• Plaintiff’s lawyers are encouraged at the prospects for big court awards from accidents self-driving cars. With no one behind the wheel, lawyers say they can go after almost anyone even remotely involved.
• General Motors and ride-sharing company Lyft are forming an unprecedented partnership that could help them beat their rivals to the self-driving future.
• The big data of bad driving, and how insurers plan to use technological to assess risk and set premiums.
• Aviva Insurance plans to support Uber drivers in Canada with special coverage, a move that could give comfort to users of the ride-sharing service, and one that will likely disrupt the taxi industry further.

Ontario Moves Forward with Regulating the Towing Industry

Ontario consumers and insurers have had many long-standing complaints about the practices of towing operators.  Back in 2012, the Auto Insurance Anti-FraudTask Force, created by the Minister of Finance, recommended a number of changes regarding the regulation of towing services.  Last year the Ontario Legislature passed Bill 15, a wide-ranging piece of legislation that will have a significant impact on the towing industry. 

Changes will be made to the Consumer Protection Act and its regulation, establishing tow and storage-specific consumer protection measures effective January 1, 2017. They will require tow and storage providers to:

• Get permission from a consumer or someone acting on their behalf before providing tow and storage services.
• Record the name and contact information of the consumer, along with the date and time of authorization.
• Disclose certain information to the in writing, such as the provider's business name, contact information and address where the vehicle will be towed.
• Accept credit card payments, in addition to cash, from consumers.
• Provide an itemized invoice, listing services provided, the cost for each service, and the total cost before demanding or receiving payment.
• Make available a current statement of rates at their place of business and on any existing website.
• Post other information, for example, the provider's name and telephone number on the side of a tow truck, at all business premises and on any website.
• Provide a consumer with access to the towed vehicle, at no charge, so that they may remove personal property from the vehicle.
• Prohibit tow and storage providers from recommending repair and storage facilities, legal service providers or health care service providers unless a consumer specifically asks, or the provider offers to make a recommendation and the consumer agrees.
• Disclose to a consumer whether the provider is getting a financial reward or incentive for providing a recommendation for towing a vehicle to a particular storage or repair shop.
• Establish minimum insurance coverage including general liability insurance of $2 million, customer vehicle insurance of $100,000 and $50,000 cargo insurance.
• Maintain authorization and disclosure records, invoices, copies of insurance policy, and current statement of rates for three years.                                         

There are some exemptions, such as, if services are provided under a prepaid agreement or membership in an association, such as the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) where the consumer is not being charged for the specific service being provided.  These exemptions will also apply when the tow and storage services are provided when a vehicle is purchased or leased and the consumer is not charged for the specific service being provided.

The Repair and Storage Liens Act deals with the rights of repairers and storers to claim a lien against vehicles they repaired and/or stored.  Most of the changes to the Repair and Storage Liens Act will take effect on July 1, 2016 The new regulations are designed to eliminate overcharging for vehicle storage and make it easier for vehicle lien holders to find out that the vehicle is in storage in the first place. 

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Changes to the Repair and Storage Liens Act and its regulation will:

• Reduce the notice period from 60 days to 15 days for vehicles registered in Ontario. The new rules are expected to improve storage practices and remove associated costs from the auto insurance system.
• If the notice is not provided, a lien is limited to the unpaid amount owing for the period of 15 days from the day of receiving the vehicle.
• Provide guidance to courts in determining the "fair value" of repair or storage where no amount has been agreed upon. A list of discretionary factors (e.g., fixed costs, variable costs, direct costs, indirect costs, profit and any other relevant factors) is set out for consideration.

 Finally, the government is adding regulations under the Highway Traffic Act that will bring tow trucks under the Commercial Vehicle Operator's Registration (CVOR) system. Tow trucks and other towing vehicles will require a CVOR certificate.  The CVOR system is used to track the safety of truck and bus operators in Ontario.  This new regulation will come into effect on January 1, 2017.

Under CVOR, tow operators will be responsible for all the drivers and vehicles in their operation. These responsibilities include:

• Monitoring the conduct and safety performance of drivers.
• Resolving driver safety issues when they are identified.
• Keeping vehicles in good, safe condition at all times.
• Ensuring load security. 

Tow trucks will continue to be exempt from some requirements faced by other classes of vehicle under the CVOR system, such as hours of service limits, daily inspection, detailed recordkeeping requirements and entering truck inspection stations, until the government has concluded consultations with the towing industry and other stakeholders on an effective regulatory regime for tow trucks.

Happy New Year

Thank you for visiting my site throughout the year.

Willie Handler

Insurance News - Sunday, December 27, 2015

Here are the leading auto insurance headlines from ONTARIO AUTO INSURANCE TOPICS ON TWITTER for Sunday, December 27, 2015:

• Studies suggest that insurance customers will walk away if purchasing insurance is slow, complicated and difficult.
• The $75,000 problem for self-driving cars is going away as the cost of LIDAR sensors drop.
• Self-driving cars can lure drivers into false sense of security and even lull them to sleep.
• If you want to know why Uber ignores regulators and not intimidated by law suits?  Because they are worth around $85 billion.
• Uber is testing out food delivery in Toronto.  
• Uber is also trying out commuter service to compete with the TTC.
• In Uber fight, taxi drivers on wrong side of history – and consumerism.

Government Posts Proposed Changes to DRS Regulations

The Ministry of Finance has posted proposed changes to Insurance Act regulations to provide for the transition the Automobile Insurance Dispute Resolution System from the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) to the Ministry of the Attorney General's Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), and the wind down of disputes filed at FSCO. 

Proposed amendments include:

 • The last date for submitting applications for mediation, neutral evaluation, or the appointment of an arbitrator to FSCO will be March 31, 2016. 

 • An application for an appeal to the FSCO Director of Arbitrations will only be accepted where the application for the appointment of an arbitrator was received by March 31, 2016. 

 • As well, an applications for a variation or revocation to the FSCO Director of Arbitrations will only be accepted where the application for the appointment of an arbitrator was received by March 31, 2016. 

 • The Office of the Director of Arbitrations will continue to function until all notices of appeal and all applications for variation or revocation have been finally determined. 

 • Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS) provisions that apply to the dispute resolution process at FSCO will continue to apply, as they read on March 31, 2016, to all applications that were received by FSCO before the transition date but are not finally determined before that date. The SABS will also be amended, where necessary, to apply to applications filed at the LAT on or after April 1, 2016.

Competition Bureau Supports Ride-Sharing Services

The emergence of Uber and other ride-sharing services has created increased competition for the Canadian taxi industry.  This has created a source of friction for the industry because of what they see is an "uneven playing field."  Taxi operators are required to follow regulatory rules while ride-sharing services largely operate unregulated.  The Canadian Competition Bureau recently weighed in on the subject.

The Competition Bureau recently released a study, Modernizing Regulation in The Canadian Taxi Industry, which concluded that the competition in the sector has benefited consumers.  However, there needs to be a balance between increased competition and the need for regulation.

The taxi industry has operated largely unchanged for decades.  Regulators have created rules to govern price, vehicle safety and insurance requirements.  But the regulatory rules often restrict entry into the sector by limiting the number of taxi licences.  The number of plates usually does not keep up with demand for services which creates artificial scarcity, but also higher prices, poor service and long wait times.

Ride-sharing companies have changed the landscape by offering consumers lower prices, variable pricing (higher fares when demand is high), shorter wait times, and convenience.  The software application used by ride-sharing companies provides automatic payment and the ability to track the number of vehicles available in the local area.  The software also allows consumers to rate drivers which creates an incentive to provide better service.  Low rated drivers receive fewer ride requests.

The innovations introduced by Uber and other similar service providers have benefited consumers.  There is a need for updated regulatory rules so that traditional taxi operators can respond to the competition.  But the one aspect not addressed by the Competition Bureau study is the insurance issue. 

In September 2015, Intact Financial announced plans to work with Uber to create products tailored for the ride-hailing service, after concerns emerged that person auto insurance policies may not cover drivers using their personal vehicles for commercial gain.   In the meantime, Uber claims it has adequateinsurance coverage and that every ride on the UberX platform is backed by $5 million of commercial auto insurance, which covers both bodily injuries and property damage stemming from a crash.  However, Alberta government said in July that it had determined the policies do not meet the requirements of the province’s Insurance Act.  It's all very confusing.  

Ride-sharing services are here to stay.  Consumers will benefit but only if the regulatory rules and updated and the insurance issues are addressed.