The Midwest and the Central Plains have the highest risk for hail in the nation, according to FEMA, and the property damage those storms cause can be costly. NBC Chicago viewer Darryl Armistead from suburban Cary knows that all too well.
An August hailstorm severely damaged his roof.
“The gutters and downspouts were dented, as well as the skylight that we’ve got in the loft area upstairs,” said Armistead.
His insurance company, Allstate, approved a roof replacement as well as repairs to torn window screens and a dented garage door.
Allstate mailed him a check to cover the cost of repairs. Armistead said he received a check for $20,062.15.
He deposited the check and hired contractors who got straight to work.
“Repairs had already started when I noticed… that the funds had been reversed. They were no longer in my checking account,” he told NBC 5 Responds.
Armistead contacted all of the companies involved in the claims process, including Allstate, Bank of America, Chase Bank and “insuranceclaimcheck.com,” a third-party company Chase Bank uses to process home insurance claim checks.
“First thing I did was to call claims, Chase claims, and they said that that the insurance company had asked for the money to be returned,” said Armistead.
He didn’t get a clear answer as to why it had happened.
“The adjuster says, ‘Don’t expect to get your money anytime soon. This is going to be a long and thorough investigation,’” Armistead said.
Armistead was in a bind. He needed to pay his contractors for the work that was already underway, so he reached out to NBC 5 Responds.
NBC 5 Responds contacted all of the companies involved in Armistead’s insurance claim.
Allstate declined an interview but said it was working with Armistead to resolve the issue, and five days later, the money was back in his account.
Bank of America told NBC 5 Responds it couldn’t comment due to client privacy.
Chase Bank said in part, the issue “…occurred when an original check from his insurance company’s bank — which had been canceled and reissued – was re-deposited.”
Assurant, the parent company of insuranceclaimcheck.com, said by the time it reached out to Armistead, no further assistance was needed.
“NBC was a lifesaver. Sincerely,” said Armistead.
Consumers who run into problems with homeowners insurance can contact the company’s “complaint resolution team.”
If further assistance is needed, they can also file a complaint with the state of Illinois or Indiana’s “Department of Insurance.”
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