NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATES
FOUND SOME PEOPLE ARE STILL
FIGHTING TO GET INSURANCE MONEY
FOR REPAIRS AFTER THE SECOND
LARGEST HAIL STORM WIPED THROUGH
EL PASO COUNTY BACK IN 2016.
ONE COUPLE SAYS THEY
PAID EVERY MONTH FOR HOMEOWNERS
INSURANCE---BUT THEY HAVEN'T
BEEN ABLE TO GET THEIR MONEY
EVEN AFTER THEIR CLAIM WAS
APPROVED.
CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE
REPORTER ERIC ROSS SPENT MONTHS
REVIEWING THIS CASE....
AND ERIC---
YOU UNCOVERED HOW ONE OF THE
LARGEST INSURANCE COMPANIES IN
THE NATION MADE MISTAKES....
AND U-S-A-A ISN'T DENYING
THE MISTAKES WE FOUND---BUT THEY
SAY THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO
TO HELP THIS VETERAN AND HER
FAMILY FIX THEIR HOME---EVEN
THOUGH THEY HAD A GOOD POLICY!
U-S-A-A IS THE FIFTH LARGEST
HOMEOWNERS INSURER IN THE
NATION WITH A NET WORTH TOPPING
$27 BILLION DOLLARS.
THE COMPANY SAYS IT'S PROUD
TO SERVE VETERANS, BUT KAREN
STARR AND HER HUSBAND FEEL THEY
HAVE ONLY BEEN SERVED EXCUSES.
"YOU CAN SEE OVER THERE WHERE
IT'S TORN OFF."
IN THE SUMMER OF 2016---A
HAIL STORM RIPPED THROUGH EL
PASO COUNTY---CAUSING SEVERE
DAMAGE TO THE STARR'S HOME.
"IF WE DON'T FIX THE ROOF,
SIDING, OR WINDOWS, IT'S GOING
TO HAVE FURTHER DAMAGE AND I'VE
EXPLAINED THAT TO THEM."
KAREN SAYS LARGE HOLES IN
HER SIDING ALLOW WATER TO SEEP
IN.
SHE NOW FEARS MOLD COULD BE
GROWING INSIDE.
AN INSURANCE ADJUSTER
APPROVED THEIR CLAIM AND SENT
THEM A CHECK....BUT NEITHER
KAREN OR HER HUSBAND CAN CASH
IT.
IF YOU TAKE A CLOSER
LOOK---THE CHECK IS NOT ONLY
ADDRESSED TO THE STARR'S AND THE
MORTGAGE COMPANY....BUT ALSO TO
MAN NAMED DAVID ATWOOD.
NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATES
DISCOVERED ATWOOD SOLD THE HOME
TO THE STARR'S AND IS NOWHERE TO
BE FOUND.
WITHOUT HIS
SIGNATURE....THE CHECK IS
USELESS.
BUT WHY WOULD THE SELLER
NEED TO BE LISTED ON THE
INSURANCE PAYMENT??
NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATES
LEARNED ATWOOD SOLD THE HOME TO
THE STARR'S THROUGH A "DEED OF
CONTRACT" AGREEMENT...IT'S LIKE
A "RENT TO OWN" SCENARIO.
THE HOME BUYERS TAKE OVER
THE MORTGAGE PAYMENTS...BUT THE
SELLER GETS TO KEEP THE LEGAL
TITLE TO THE HOME UNTIL THE
REMAINING BALANCE IS PAID.
THIS TYPE OF "DEAL" ALLOWS
A SELLER TO WALK AWAY FROM A
HOUSE THEY MAY NO LONGER BE ABLE
TO AFFORD AS FOR THE
BUYERS---THEY CAN MOVE INTO A
HOUSE THEY MAY NOT QUALIFY FOR
UNDER A TRADITIONAL MORTGAGE.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A
WIN-WIN SITUATION....UNLESS YOU
HAVE TO FILE AN INSURANCE CLAIM
AND CAN'T FIND THE SELLER!
ACCORDING TO A U-S-A-A
SPOKESPERSON, "MR.
ATWOOD IS REQUIRED TO BE ON THE
INSURANCE POLICY AND INCLUDED ON
THE INSURANCE PAYMENT FOR ANY
COVERED DAMAGE TO THE HOME.
THIS IS AN INDUSTRY STANDARD
PROCESS AND IT IS IN PLACE TO
PROTECT ALL PARTIES WHO HAVE A
VESTED INTEREST IN THE
PROPERTY." ANOTHER
PUBLIC RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVE
FOR U-S-A-A TOLD US IN AN EMAIL
THAT MISTER ATWOOD WAS ALWAYS
PART OF THE INSURANCE POLICY
SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED IN
2015..A YEAR PRIOR TO THE HAIL
STORM.
BUT U-S-A-A DOCUMENTS NEWS
FIVE INVESTIGATES OBTAINED
CONTRADICT THIS INFORMATION...
FOR EXAMPLE---THIS 2016
INSURANCE POLICY RENEWAL MAKES
NO MENTION OF MISTER ATWOOD AS
AN INSURED PARTY....AND NEITHER
DID THIS INITIAL INSURANCE CHECK
U-S-A-A SENT WHICH THEY LATER
CANCELLED.
REALIZING THE
MISTAKES---U-S-A-A AMENDED THE
STARR'S POLICY IN FEBRUARY 2017
BY ADDING ATWOOD'S NAME AND
RE-ISSUING THE CHECK.
THE STARR'S NOR U-S-A-A CAN
FIND REACH MISTER
ATWOOD....MAKING
THIS CHECK...USELESS!
THE STARR'S VOICED THEIR
CONCERNS ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO
REACH MISTER ATWOOD THROUGH A
CLAIM REPRESENTATIVE
ONLINE...ONLY TO BE TOLD TO PUT
A TARP ON THEIR HOUSE!
"THEY ARE NOT TREATING US WELL
AT ALL, ESPECIALLY AS VETERANS.
THEY'VE GIVEN OTHER PEOPLE THEIR
CHECKS WITH THIS STORM TO GET
THEIR HOUSES REPAIRED."
THE STARR'S ARE ON A FIXED
INCOME---AND THEY ARE
DISAPPOINTED WITH THE POSITION
U-S-A-A HAS TAKEN.
"WE'RE NOT TRYING TO GET RICH
OFF USAA.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO POCKET ANY
MONEY.
WE JUST WANT THE THINGS REPAIRED
THAT GOT DAMAGED
DURING THAT STORM."
=============
THE STARR'S CONTINUED
PAYING U-S-A-A FOR THEIR
HOMEOWNERS
INSURANCE POLICY FOR AN ENTIRE
YEAR AFTER THEIR CLAIM WAS
APPROVED---HOPING U-S-A-A WOULD
REVISIT THEIR CASE AND RE-ISSUE
A CHECK EITHER TO THEM OR A
CONTRACTOR THEY HIRE TO FIX THE
HOUSE.
U-S-A-A SAID THEY COULD NOT
DO THAT----BUT THEY DID END UP
CANCELLING THE STARR'S POLICY IN
SEPTEMBER 2017 AND WOULDN'T GIVE
US A REASON WHY....
I'LL KEEP PRESSING FOR