Homeowners get lowball insurance offers for Ian damage: Is the system failing them?

Raw Text

“Florida stepped up in times of crisis. In September, Hurricane Ian smashed into Southwest Florida and barreled across our state. It left catastrophic damage in its wake,” said Governor Ron DeSantis at a March 2023 press conference.

Also in Ian’s wake—Florida’s property insurance reform. It’s creating a groundswell of fear among homeowners that lawmakers are protecting insurance companies over the public. And the average homeowner can’t afford to have that happen. WINK News Investigative Reporter Celine McArthur digs into the issues to help you better navigate the system and get your claims paid.

I’ve learned a lot about property insurance since Hurricane Ian. Industry experts have educated me on how the system works—and doesn’t work. They say insurance companies make money by collecting as much as they can in premiums and paying out as little as possible to you in claims. And every company has its own set of internal practices that are not spelled out in your contracts, so you won’t know exactly how they operate. That makes every one of your unresolved claims uniquely unpredictable.

I introduced you to Elaine Damiano of Cape Coral in my last report. She couldn’t get her insurance carrier, Cypress Property and Casualty Insurance Company out of Jacksonville, to take a call or answer an email for months—even with a public adjuster and lawyer working for her.

“I think the more they ignore you, maybe they think you’re going to go away,” said Damiano.

She didn’t and called me instead. I tracked down the company’s executive vice president. He admitted to me Cypress dropped the ball. Elaine’s claim fell off their radar. In response, he dispatched new adjusters to review her damage — again.

I was there when the adjusters arrived. They told me they wouldn’t do the re-inspection—in fact, they’d walk off the job—if WINK News cameras were rolling.

A week later, Elaine got a settlement letter offering her another six-figure check to fix her home. Her public adjuster Scotty Moland says it is a step forward.

“It shows that, at least in part, we were correct that they were wrong on the first go,” said Moland.

“But since then, there’s been no other movement,” said attorney David Sholl. He’s offering Elaine legal advice on her claim since she said Cypress gave her half of what’s needed to rebuild to what’s called “pre-loss condition.”

“You shouldn’t trust the person who owes you money to tell you how much they owe you,” said Sholl. “You’re paying them to pay you if disaster strikes. You’re paying them to pay to put your house back together if disaster strikes. Why would you let them shortchange you?”

In the meantime, Moland says Cypress’ “ball drop” should not go unpunished.

“There are systems that should be in place, if they’re not already at each insurer, that guarantees that a claim will not be lost or forgotten,” said Moland.

It’s an issue that they all believe needs to be resolved by lawmakers in Tallahassee. In a March 17th press conference in Fort Myers, Gov. DeSantis agreed.

“I think anyone should be held accountable who is not meeting their obligations they owe to their folks,” said DeSantis. “I am open to do whatever we need to do to continue to work on the problem.”

Filing an insurance claim and fighting for every dollar shouldn’t be a high-stakes guessing game. For Paul Pernak — a firefighter working on the day Ian hit — this was a literal gut check. He gutted his home on his own. That’s where the battle with his insurance company began.

“I’m not trying to walk away with millions of dollars, I just want to get back in my home, I want my family to back in my home, my little girls to be back in their house,” said Pernak.

To watch Paul’s story, click here.

You can reach Celine McArthur via email: celine.mcarthur@winknews.com.

*

Copyright ©2023 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.

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Single Line Text

“Florida stepped up in times of crisis. In September, Hurricane Ian smashed into Southwest Florida and barreled across our state. It left catastrophic damage in its wake,” said Governor Ron DeSantis at a March 2023 press conference. Also in Ian’s wake—Florida’s property insurance reform. It’s creating a groundswell of fear among homeowners that lawmakers are protecting insurance companies over the public. And the average homeowner can’t afford to have that happen. WINK News Investigative Reporter Celine McArthur digs into the issues to help you better navigate the system and get your claims paid. I’ve learned a lot about property insurance since Hurricane Ian. Industry experts have educated me on how the system works—and doesn’t work. They say insurance companies make money by collecting as much as they can in premiums and paying out as little as possible to you in claims. And every company has its own set of internal practices that are not spelled out in your contracts, so you won’t know exactly how they operate. That makes every one of your unresolved claims uniquely unpredictable. I introduced you to Elaine Damiano of Cape Coral in my last report. She couldn’t get her insurance carrier, Cypress Property and Casualty Insurance Company out of Jacksonville, to take a call or answer an email for months—even with a public adjuster and lawyer working for her. “I think the more they ignore you, maybe they think you’re going to go away,” said Damiano. She didn’t and called me instead. I tracked down the company’s executive vice president. He admitted to me Cypress dropped the ball. Elaine’s claim fell off their radar. In response, he dispatched new adjusters to review her damage — again. I was there when the adjusters arrived. They told me they wouldn’t do the re-inspection—in fact, they’d walk off the job—if WINK News cameras were rolling. A week later, Elaine got a settlement letter offering her another six-figure check to fix her home. Her public adjuster Scotty Moland says it is a step forward. “It shows that, at least in part, we were correct that they were wrong on the first go,” said Moland. “But since then, there’s been no other movement,” said attorney David Sholl. He’s offering Elaine legal advice on her claim since she said Cypress gave her half of what’s needed to rebuild to what’s called “pre-loss condition.” “You shouldn’t trust the person who owes you money to tell you how much they owe you,” said Sholl. “You’re paying them to pay you if disaster strikes. You’re paying them to pay to put your house back together if disaster strikes. Why would you let them shortchange you?” In the meantime, Moland says Cypress’ “ball drop” should not go unpunished. “There are systems that should be in place, if they’re not already at each insurer, that guarantees that a claim will not be lost or forgotten,” said Moland. It’s an issue that they all believe needs to be resolved by lawmakers in Tallahassee. In a March 17th press conference in Fort Myers, Gov. DeSantis agreed. “I think anyone should be held accountable who is not meeting their obligations they owe to their folks,” said DeSantis. “I am open to do whatever we need to do to continue to work on the problem.” Filing an insurance claim and fighting for every dollar shouldn’t be a high-stakes guessing game. For Paul Pernak — a firefighter working on the day Ian hit — this was a literal gut check. He gutted his home on his own. That’s where the battle with his insurance company began. “I’m not trying to walk away with millions of dollars, I just want to get back in my home, I want my family to back in my home, my little girls to be back in their house,” said Pernak. To watch Paul’s story, click here. You can reach Celine McArthur via email: celine.mcarthur@winknews.com. * Copyright ©2023 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent. Trending Now. Condos, community center meet pushback in East Naples’ Lakewood neighborhood. People in East Naples are pushing back against a golf course owner’s proposal to bring more condominiums and a community center to the Lakewood neighborhood. April 13, 2023. Two Florida lawmakers push to ban intentional release of balloons statewide. Environmentalists in Southwest Florida are very outspoken about the negative consequences of balloon releases. Although they are often ceremonial events, balloon releases are controversial. April 13, 2023. Jury sequestered in Wisner Desmaret’s death penalty trial on Thursday. While Wisner Desmaret awaits to hear if he will get the death penalty or get life in prison after being found guilty of murdering FMPD officer Adam Jobbers-Miller, the jury has been sequestered after starting deliberations shortly after 3 p.m. on Thursday. When a jury is sequestered, they must stay in a hotel to avoid […] April 13, 2023. Florida GOP passes 6-week abortion ban; DeSantis supports it. The Republican-dominated Florida Legislature on Thursday approved a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, a proposal supported by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis as he prepares for an expected presidential run. DeSantis is expected to sign the bill into law. Florida currently prohibits abortions after 15 weeks. A six-week ban would give DeSantis a key political […] April 13, 2023. Fk Your Diet continues to provide meals for free in SWFL. More than six months after Ian, FK Your Diet continues to provide meals free of charge. April 13, 2023. Stories you need to know. Insurers with high number of Ian claims and complaints get warning. Many Southwest Florida homeowners have been battling their homeowners insurance companies for months now over Hurricane Ian claims. And now, the state is cracking down. Florida Insurance Consumer Advocate Tasha Carter sent a letter to those companies with the highest number of Hurricane Ian claims or consumer complaints. She’s asking for them to be accountable […] April 5, 2023. Ian damaged Citizens Property Insurance’s surplus. Chances are, many of you have Citizens Property Insurance. It’s the largest property insurer in the state, but that wasn’t the goal when it came into existence in the 90s. The insurer was supposed to be a last resort, but that’s not the case anymore. In fact, Citizens Insurance has nearly 1.2 million policyholders, which […] March 2, 2023. Bonita Beach homeowners worried county will run out of sand before getting to them. Hurricane Ian forced the Gulf to take a big gulp out of Tom Podlesney’s yard. The water pushed through his Bonita Beachfront backyard, leaving a mess when it left. The water reached 3 to 4 feet high in the backyard. “Just my luck, I got the river running through it,” Podlesney said. “That’s the risk […] January 10, 2023. Homeowners insurance companies get downgraded, affecting thousands of homeowners. Many of Florida’s homeowners will have to search for new insurance after more insurers lost their A-rating. It means if you have a mortgage, you are required to get a policy with a company in good standing. The task of finding affordable homeowner’s insurance may prove to be complicated. The search will begin for some […] August 2, 2022. Don't Miss. View all. Title VI Investigation at Fort Myers High after text message sent with racial slur. A Fort Myers High School baseball coach was let go for using a racial slur in a text to the team. Then, in the first week of April, midway through a game against Estero High School most of the team walked off the field. After the head coach was removed from his position for a […] April 13, 2023. 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