by Structured Settlement Watchdog®
In certain circles, the structured settlement factoring scene in Sumter County, tucked inside the Bushnell, Florida courthouse, is the stuff of legend—a kind of graveyard for structured settlements, not felled in a single stroke, but worn down by countless small, repeat transactions. For years, Judge Michelle Morley’s courtroom was the main stage on Easy Street for this drawn-out procedural drama. Judge Michelle T. Morley retired in 2024.
The spotlight had finally landed on the Sumter County, Florida Courthouse in Bushnell, long famed as the go-to hangout for structured settlement “cash now” pushers indulging in their favorite sport—forum shopping.
Read about the James MacMillan Structured Settlement Massacre covered in Lujerio Cordero v Transamerica | Not Good for Primary or Secondary Market
Glad to see that Sumter County is getting a little “Archie Bell and The Drells” as Judge Morley does the “Tighten Up”, according to a settlement purchasing industry insider.
Florida Structured Settlement Factoring Reforms of 2016
Alot of the abusive transactions occurred prior to the 2016 Florida Reforms to its Structured Settlement Protection Act.
In the lead-up to the reforms, The Structured Settlement Watchdog was pleased to see progress toward curbing abusive practices by settlement purchasing companies and annuitants coached to commit fraud by piecing together basic documents to fake Florida residency. This was often due to the belief that doing business in Florida, or in certain counties like Sumter County, was easier than in their actual home states.
The Honorable Michelle T. Morley Retires / All Court News – – Court News Florida