I'm a widow raising an adopted Special Needs child. Husband was run over by tractor and killed in the back yard in 2001. Five years later I began to get my life back together again and refinianced my home through Option One, invested in some livestock, and life was tolerable if not wonderful once again. THEN...
My home burned on October 17... Took 8 months to come to preliminary agreement with my insurance company. They paid AHMSI/Option One the funds to rebuild my home. They issued the first check for 25% funds, and we built 25% home. Had inspection - issued 2nd check for second 25% and we built again. Then issued 3rd check for 25% and we built again... Then they refused to release the last 25%. They stated they would not release the last $75,000 until the house was completed... Even though my insurance company was also withholding 10% until the hosue was finished... So the house sat for over a year. Contractor abandoned job - house was not weather tight and the rain and weather began to pour in through the unsealed windows, doors, unsealed skylights, open chimney, unfinished metal roof... And still they refused to release the funds. Water running down the rafters turning them black with mold, underside of decking on the roof turning black with mold, floors getting wet and began to rot and still they refused to release any funds. Floors upstairs and down swelling from moisture leaking from the skylights, and still they refused to release the funds.
I told AHMSI the problem - begged them to let me finish rebuilding my home of almost 19 years. Begged them to release the funds before the house totally rotted away and had to be partially demolished. Still nothing... They refused to release MY INSURANCE FUNDS to rebuild my home of 19 years.
Finally I told them I was going to take my substantial house payment and work on the house... Had to. It was falling apart. I took 3 payments and repaired the damage. Hired a carpenter to seal up skylights, repair wet rotted flooring, pull floor complete out of master bathroom and replace it, crawl on the roof and seal up the open area around the fireplace where stone was supposed to be installed.
Did they release funds then? NO - they still refused. BUT they did threaten me with foreclosure and tack on tremendous amount of late fees, and any other fees they could attach. And since my house was unfinished and in insurance dispute, I could get no one to insure it - so AHMSI "graciously" obtained insurance at an inflated rate for a house that had no contents and was only partially built... And they added this to my mortgage payment, ballooning it up to almost double what it had been initially... And I'm struggling to pay it... Finally talked to someone in AMERICA and told them to go ahead - sue me for foreclosure - we would go before a judge and I testify that they had $75,779 of my insurance funds which they would not release so I could finish the house and we'd see what the judge thought about it.
WELL - surprise - they released approx $37,000 - 1/2 of what they were withholding - and I have made marvelous strides getting work done. BUT now I'm out of money again and again - they will not come inspect the house nor will they release my money to me.
During this time I tried to get them to modify my loan - put the 3 payments on the end of the loan, release my funds, and let me get on with my life. Forget that - thats' way too complicated for them. Or maybe it's just way too sensible. Sent them everything for modification starting last August, 09... And I was refused. So in November they started the process with their "in-house" group - I have no idea what they are doing now, but after reading through all the complaints I'm scrared to death it's just another ploy - get me to spend my money to finish the house (and I could for $58,000 - exact amount they and my insurance company (USAA - who is also withholding $93,000 for "depreciation" on contents when it's full coverate with NO depreciation) are refusing to release to me.
CLASS ACTION SUIT: Well, I've read about them too and seems to me the only people that really come out ahead very often are the lawyers - the same forked tongue lawyers that help them NOT pay the insurance funds to me. The same forked tongue lawyers who help USAA depreciate furnishings when they say "no depreciation"... The same forked tongue lawyers who represent no one but themselves and aid and abet these companies.
I'm almost 65... My mother is 85 and needs desperately to move in with me so I can take care of her... And I'm living in a small garage apartment, while my house - my home - sits incomplete because neither AHMSI or USAA will release my insurance funds to me. GOD HELP US - there is no integrity or honesty in business anymore.
I've called and talked to these people on several continents - requested AMERICAN to talk to, and it's still the same. The Right hand has no clue what the Left hand is doing. Every story is different and generally worse than before. They only give first names and I'm not sure that's even their name. ANY pro-bono lawyers out there - figure if a lady could buy hot coffee, spill it in her lap, and win a big lawsuit for no reason - SURELY - SURELY - there is someone out there who can right this wrong for at least enough to finish my home and get my insurance claim paid...
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