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                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
                            WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 

                                SCHEDULE 14D-1 
                              (AMENDMENT NO. 55) 
             TENDER OFFER STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(D)(1) 
                    OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 

                    AMERICAN BANKERS INSURANCE GROUP, INC. 
                          (NAME OF SUBJECT COMPANY) 

                           SEASON ACQUISITION CORP. 
                             CENDANT CORPORATION 
                                  (Bidders) 
                   COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $1.00 PER SHARE 
          (INCLUDING THE ASSOCIATED PREFERRED STOCK PURCHASE RIGHTS) 
                        (Title of Class of Securities) 
                                 024456 10 5 
                    (CUSIP Number of Class of Securities) 

                            JAMES E. BUCKMAN, ESQ. 
             SENIOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL 
                             CENDANT CORPORATION 
                                 6 SYLVAN WAY 
                         PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY 07054 
                          TELEPHONE: (973) 428-9700 
           (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized 
         to Receive Notices and Communications on Behalf of Bidders) 

                               WITH A COPY TO: 
                               DAVID FOX, ESQ. 
                            ERIC J. FRIEDMAN, ESQ. 
                   SKADDEN, ARPS, SLATE, MEAGHER & FLOM LLP 
                               919 THIRD AVENUE 
                           NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022 
                          TELEPHONE: (212) 735-3000 

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   This Amendment No. 55 amends the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule 14D-1 
initially filed on January 27, 1998 (as amended, the "Schedule 14D-1") by 
Cendant Corporation, a Delaware corporation ("Parent"), and its wholly owned 
subsidiary, Season Acquisition Corp., a New Jersey corporation ("Purchaser"), 
relating to Purchaser's tender offer for 23,501,260 outstanding shares of 
common stock, par value $1.00 per share, of American Bankers Insurance Group, 
Inc., a Florida corporation (the "Company") upon the terms and subject to the 
conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase, dated January 27, 1998 (the 
"Offer to Purchase"), the Supplement thereto, dated March 16, 1998 (the 
"First Supplement"), the Second Supplement thereto, dated March 24, 1998 (the 
"Second Supplement"), and the revised Letters of Transmittal (which, together 
with any amendments or supplements thereto, constitute the "Offer"). Unless 
otherwise defined herein, all capitalized terms used herein shall have the 
respective meanings given such terms in the Offer to Purchase, the First 
Supplement or the Schedule 14D-1. 

ITEM 3. PAST CONTACTS, TRANSACTIONS OR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE SUBJECT COMPANY.

   The information set forth in subsection (b) of the Schedule 14D-1 is hereby
amended and supplemented by the following information:

         As previously disclosed, from time to time representatives of Parent
and representatives of the Company have discussed possible modifications to the
terms of the Merger Agreement, including a change in the mix of consideration
to increase the cash component and decrease the stock component and changing
the transaction to a taxable transaction. No agreement regarding any such
modifications has been reached and there can be no assurance that such
discussions will result in any agreement being reached. If no agreement
regarding the terms of any modifications to the terms of the Merger Agreement
is reached, the current Merger Agreement will remain in effect in accordance
with its terms.

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                                 SIGNATURE 

   After due inquiry and to the best of its knowledge and belief, the 
undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this statement is 
true, complete and correct. 

Dated: September 24, 1998               CENDANT CORPORATION 

                                        By: /s/ James E. Buckman 
                                            Name: James E. Buckman 
                                            Title: Senior Executive Vice 
                                                   President and General Counsel


                                        SEASON ACQUISITION CORP. 

                                        By: /s/ James E. Buckman 
                                            Name: James E. Buckman 
                                            Title: Executive Vice President 







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