Exposing Delays in Insurance Claim Payments

Action 9 exposed an insurance nightmare facing hundreds of customers who paid one of Florida’s biggest insurers to protect their homes. The kitchen’s gutted walls are cut open, and the floors have been stripped. That’s the condition of Adrienne Herrell’s home one year after a water leak triggered a destructive flood. “I’m 75 years old and I’ve been homeless for a year,” said Herrell. “Because of the insurance company?” asked Acion 9’s Todd Ulrich. “Because of the insurance company,” Herrell reiterated. She said Universal Property and Casualty offered $10,000 to cover losses, and then a public adjuster estimated repair costs at $110,000, so Herrell requested state mediation. “Did both sides agree to a settlement?” asked Ulrich. “We did. We signed,” said Herrell. She can’t disclose the amount, but more than 60 days later, she called Action 9 because Universal Property still had not paid.

“I’m praying a lot. I’ve turned to the lord because I can’t deal with it," she said.

After Hurricane Matthew ripped the solar panels off Gary and Annette Moskop’s Oviedo home, they too had a run-in with Universal Property and Casualty.