Home Inspection Insurance

Insurer's rule for roofs raises fraud fears

Roofer Mark Gelling was saddened when he heard about a Pasco family on the verge of losing their home because of a worn out roof.

But empathy turned into anger when he saw detailed photos of the roof, which seemed to be in fine shape. So he decided to do something about it.

"I knew something was wrong," he said. "I went to church on Sunday, and I came home and told the wife, 'I'm going to run by there.' And I drove by and looked and said, 'He definitely doesn't need a roof.' "

After inspecting it himself, he said Jeff Zilinski's roof will last about five more years.

This is after four other contractors Zilinski hired to inspect his roof and sign off on a required insurance form all said his roof needed to be replaced immediately.

They wouldn't sign the form, and that nearly forced Zilinski, who has never missed a mortgage payment, into foreclosure.

"At this point I just don't have the assets to get a new roof," Zilinski said.

Without the form, Citizens Insurance said it would drop Zilinski's coverage October 28. He didn't have the $5,000 needed to replace the roof. And because he has a mortgage, the lender would have assigned him a policy — likely at triple the cost.

That would have pushed his mortgage payment beyond what he could afford, and Zilinski said he likely would have lost the home to foreclosure. He asked Citizens for more time to save money for a new roof, but that request was denied.

The Tampa Tribune and News Channel 8 ran stories on Zilinski's dilemma in September.

Gelling happened to see both. He routinely inspects roofs for insurance companies.

Zilinski is one of thousands across Florida whose homes must pass a roof inspection before they can get a policy renewed with Citizens, the state's insurer of last resort. Any home 25 or more years old is subject to the inspection, which verifies the roof is expected to last at least three years.

Many have gotten inspection reports signed with no problems. But Zilinski's case raises the question: Are consumers at a disadvantage by relying on roofers who have something to gain by recommending a new roof?

Inspection Insurance | New Fire Truck Arrives In Clinton

CLINTON ” The Clinton Fire Department took smoothness Wednesday ofa new, $981,000 ladder-platform-equipped glow truck.

A organisation led by Chief Shawn Milton gathering thetruck home fromPierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wis., and was greeted by a groupof town officials and relatives.

The truck, directed towards Clinton Fire Tower 3, took 8 months tobuild and features a 2,000-gallon-per-minute siphon and a mid-mount,95-foot ladder and platform.

“I admire it. In my viewpoint it its a of the wisest choices we’vemade in a long time regarding glow apparatus,” Milton said.

The stage will enable firefighters to attain top stories moresecurely for both firefighting and rescues, he said.

“It moreover helps with firefighter safety and working at extremeheights and angles,” he said. “There’s reduction of a luck of fallingthen when working from a established ladder.”

The truckreplaces an American LaFrance 70-foot aerial laddertruck that was built in 1984. That truck, that had been shop-worn ina practice accident, unsuccessful its sovereign annual ladder safetyinspection.

Insurance from that collision paid for half of the new truck. Thecity took out a loan is to rest.

The stage lorry joins 5 pieces of glow equipment owned bythe 31-member department.

Firefighters will sight for a few days with Piercerepresentatives before the lorry goes in to service as thedepartment’s usually ladder truck.

Home, A Memoir of My Early Years

At Home, A Short History of Private Life

Insurance for Dummies

The new life insurance investment advisor

Home