Wednesday, December 24, 2003

Good hands? Insurance woes raise questions

My letter doesn’t concern elections or any news for the in-crowd in Peachtree City, but will be of interest to senior citizens in our county.

We have lived in the same house here in Fayette County since the 1960s. We have five acres zoned AR; we have a horse, chickens and four cute burros. Since the 1970s we have had the same insurance agent for both home and auto.

We thought we had a friend-agent relationship. We have had only one claim in all those years: Recently lightning hit a tree and we turned that in. Then came a letter from Allstate Insurance that our property would have to be inspected before our insurance would be renewed.

An inspector came on our property with no prior notice, a letter came in the mail to inform us that our pool had to be fenced in. Yes, the pool had no liner, no water. You see, Mr. Saul has prostrate cancer, is on shots and meds daily, and I am recovering from breast cancer and chemotherapy. So needless to say the last two years haven’t been easy, and the new pool liner is still in the box.

Now another inspector came on our property without our knowledge twice, another letter in the mail telling us to tear down the fence we just built, tear down the 24-foot above-ground pool, haul off Mr. Saul’s 1985 Nissan pickup and pick up junk in front of my workshop.

They gave us notice on Dec. 1, and the deadline for renewal was Dec. 15. The inspector phoned us, told us if all the work was done, he assured us he would have another inspector out here before the 15th to renew our home insurance.

Mr. Saul is now sick with bronchitis, and has been for two months, but we had to go out in the cold and rain, tear down the pool, haul it off, rent a car dolly, haul off the pickup and carry a load of junk to the dump.

I faxed Allstate on Dec. 11 to notify them all the work had been done and for another inspector to come before the 15th. I also told her I wanted a phone call from the inspector before he came, that I had talked with the Commissioner of Insurance’s office, and was told that insurance inspectors have no right to come on anyone’s property without a notice of time and day they were coming.

On the 15th I called to find out why the inspector had not called to let me know when he was coming. I was informed that he couldn’t come until Thursday, Dec. 18 and maybe not then. I told Allstate that we were promised a re-inspection before Dec. 15. She said he can’t come before then, and your insurance has lapsed and may not be reinstated even after an inspection.

We did all this work and now to be informed of this, I feel like I have been abused by the Gestapo, people trespassing on my property, giving me orders what to do, and after all that work being done by two elderly people, sick and in the rain and cold, and now we have no insurance on our home.

I remember a time when a customer was valued; without customers a business fails. Instead of being in good hands, I feel like I have been kicked with a foot.

We complied with all their requests, faxed them; everything had been done. Then on Dec. 15, no re-inspection and after calls each and every day, they canceled our insurance. Now we can’t get insurance because we were canceled by Allstate. I have faxed the Insurance Commissioner all the paperwork. No help; no one seems to care.

This is a notice to everyone that years of paying premiums doesn’t assure you of anything and at any time you can be dumped like garbage.

LeGay Saul

Fayette