Insurance companies left some with no answers

Bill Rolfe tried to keep his Country Hound restaurant in Englewood open.

But, with only one of three air conditioners working and a roof that was never repaired after Hurricane Ian, he gave in and shut the doors.

Kara Wilke, of Port Charlotte, thought she had good insurance. But when a septic back-up ruined her home and Ian only escalated the problems, she found herself desperate for help while trying to raise her two daughters in a shell of a dwelling.

Edward and Joanne Ragge, of North Port, can't live in their Ian-and-mold-ravaged home. After ignoring their Ian claims for months, according to a story by Brianna Sacks in the Washington Post, United Property and Casualty underpaid them for repairs. All the while mold was overwhelming their ceilings and walls, leaving them virtually homeless.

These are just some of the stories The Daily Sun learned about when we began looking for people whose insurance companies failed to fairly compensate — or sometimes even respond — to their tragedies after Hurricane Ian.

At least nine insurance companies in Florida have gone insolvent since Hurricane Ian. Most of those left their policy holders holding the bag for repairs after no offers of help or compensation that was far under fair estimates.

OUT OF BUSINESS

In Rolfe's case, his popular restaurant was one of a handful of businesses in Palm Plaza in Englewood that suffered when the roof and air conditioners were damaged and repairs were not completed.

Almost half the businesses in the strip mall have closed their doors or moved because of roof or other damage that has not been fixed 12 months after the hurricane.

In an interview this summer, Rolfe said he had heard nothing from the landlord or insurance adjusters. He managed to make it through most of the year with one air conditioner working and a patch-work roof that kept the rain out, thanks to local businesses and money he had saved.

"Taz Tile, Grande Aire, Englewood Glass, LaBadie Construction and others they pitched in to help," he said. "We used what money we had to (fix things up) but we couldn't have reopened without them."

Rolfe and his family bought and ran the restaurant since 2005. The day after Ian, he was stunned by the damage and feared he would never be able to reopen.

"My first thought was they would condemn all the businesses," he said.

The Winn-Dixie, which is a much newer than the rest of the plaza, was able to reopen soon, and Suncoast Humane Society's Thrift shop sustained less damage than most of the businesses in the plaza.

However, Country Hound, Pet Supermarket and Dollar Tree were among those hurt the worst. Reid's Nutrition Center packed up and has moved to a new location.

Rolfe, who we were not able to contact after the business closed, said just before shutting the doors that he hoped for some miracle to be able to reopen some day.

BEFORE STORM PROBLEMS

Wilke's bad insurance story began almost two years before Ian.

A single mother of two daughters, she said "I worked my whole life to buy a home. I worked three jobs and felt it was going to be amazing to own a home.

"But this has been a nightmare," she said of her problems.

She said it began when a septic back-up forced her out while she contacted Lighthouse Insurance to fix the problem.

"Lighthouse told me I had to use their preferred contractor," she said. "The septic backup had ruined our flooring and it came into the kitchen sink.

"The remediation company took out all the lower cabinets in the kitchen and then contracted with a second company to come in. They left everything in a mess, piling up furniture and everything on the lanai while we were in a hotel for three months," Wilke said.

"When I went back to check on the home it was awful. The food was rotten. Roaches were everywhere."

Lighthouse offered her $26,000 for the repairs. She sent the check back because it was not enough to cover the problems she now had.

Then, suddenly, Lighthouse Insurance went belly-up.

Florida Insurance Guaranty Association took over her case. Wilke produced a long trail of correspondence between her and FIGA that has not resulted in any closure.

Wilke said she was able to get a new insurer, KIN, with a $7,600-a-month premium, she said. But when Ian hit and she lost her front door and windows, she said KIN only offered her $2,600.

"I had to go to Sarasota to hire an attorney," Wilke said.

"This has gone on for two years. My girls and I have only one utility sink that has water. We have to clean up, brush our teeth, wash dishes and everything in that one sink," she said. "We haven't been able to have visitors in two years."

She said because of an open claim with Lighthouse, that FIGA has taken over, she can't sell her home or do much with it.

"When I am able to sell it, I will leave Florida," she said.

Corey Neal, executive director of FIGA, said his team has "settled all but about 100 of the claims with Lighthouse," and that he was not familiar with Wilke's case.

"I do know that if she has hired an attorney then we have to go through that attorney for anything we do," Neal said. "I will look at her file and try to move it along. This is the first time I've heard about (her case)."

Neal said FIGA has been swamped dealing with United Property and Casualty company claims after they left Florida.

"Their claims (that we took over) were more than all the other claims for other companies we dealt with in 2022," he said.

LIKE LIVING IN 'HELL'

Edward Raggie and Joanne Ragge (they spell their names differently) were the subject of an in-depth Washington Post story on Florida's problems with insurance companies leaving and the impact low-ball claims had after Hurricane Ian.

The story chronicled the couple's situation as of August this year. Sacks, the Post reporter, wrote their roof still leaks after its protective tarp began disintigrating. There is a hole in their ceiling, insulation covers the inside of their home and their floors are swollen.

Ed said their situation was like living in "hell" and United Property and Casualty ignored their claims for months and then offered them a low settlement before the company declared insolvency.

"I never missed a payment. I expected (UPC) to do what they said in my contract and return my house to what it was like the day before the hurricane hit."

According to the Post story, UPC left FIGA with about 22,000 claims to settle.

"The reality of zero state assistance in immediately rectifying the insurance difficulties is unfathomable," said Teri Ashley, a Florida resident her whole life and the former director of the Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce, in an email to The Daily Sun.

"We're talking thousands of day-to-day, up-and-down-the-street folks being misled, pressured, bullied, insulted, and, lastly, ignored by their insurance carriers and/or contractors," Ashley went on. "An easy social media scouring, particularly of Nextdoor, verifies this. There are many, many posted stories, including those of people at their wit's ends comparing problems and asking each other what to do. Seriously, this is all a truly heartbreaking debacle."

The Florida Legislature passed bills in 2021 and 2022 trying to rectify the problems that had been looming for so long. While many claim the bills did more to help insurance companies and their customers, lawmakers argue it will take a year or two so see any difference in premiums.

They will also point out that some new insurance companies have begun to explore doing business in Florida — most of them prior to Hurricane Idalia.

And, at least one person who replied to The Daily Sun's invitation to discuss his insurance experience was positive.

"Just a quick comment that not all insurance companies are bad," said Gregory DeNinno. "I have Homeowners Choice simply through dumb luck, but they were awesome.

"I had an adjuster in the house a week after the hurricane and a check two weeks after the hurricane. In the end, I paid nothing for my roof replacement. I know your article is about all the bad companies but remember there are a few good ones out there."