Columns

Her dance over flood insurance still going

By MICHELE MILLER
Published July 12, 2007

Since March 10 I've been doing the dance.

That would be the date I received the first letter from our mortgage company's insurance center.

Seems their records showed that we didn't have the required flood insurance for our area and that was a no-no.

The thing is, we do have flood insurance, just like we're supposed to. Have a copy of the policy in the "important document" file box that's kept handy so it can be tossed in the trunk with other essential and nostalgic valuables come hurricane season.

As it turns out, this particular insurance center has an IRS kind of attitude.

Guilty till proved innocent.

So, as they requested, I faxed a copy of the flood insurance policy so they could get their records straightened out.

End of story?

Nah.

April 7, I got a second letter from the insurance center, this time threatening to purchase flood insurance for me at a cost of up to $2,425.

"This can't be," I thought. "And that's way more than I pay."

So I called the insurance center. Even kept my cool during the whole computerized telephone operator prompting experience that takes a couple of hours off your total life span, till I got a real live voice on the other end.

"We have no record of your insurance," said the real live voice on the other end.

"But I faxed you a copy of the policy," I said.

"Fax it again."

So I did - along with a copy of the first fax and the "Communication Result Report" proving that the insurance center did, in fact, get my proof of flood insurance the first time around on March 28.

Then, for good measure, I sent another copy in the mail with a rather terse letter voicing my frustration with the insurance center's ineptitude.

And to cover all the bases I went ahead and called my insurance agent and asked them to fax a copy on over to the mortgage company's insurance center too.

Then came the third letter, dated May 25, informing me that the insurance center had gone ahead and purchased flood insurance for me and would soon send a bill for $1,734.59.

But there was some good news. ... I guess.

"You may be able to retain a refund of all or a portion of the insurance premium if you furnish us with satisfactory evidence that you have purchased flood insurance at any time while our insurance is in effect. Please send all correspondence and documents to....

Huh?

But I did that ... a few times.

So I called again. Went through the whole computerized operator prompt thing again, until I got a hold of Tasha. Yup, this time I made sure to get a name.

They did have all my information on file, Tasha told me. And she'd have the flood insurance debacle all straightened out in seven business days.

Then last week - more than 30 days since I spoke with Tasha - the bill came.

The mortgage company wanted the $1,734.59 for the flood insurance it had purchased for me even though I didn't need it because I ALREADY HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE.

So I called again.

Spoke to Kevin Davis this time. Yup, this time I made sure to get a last name too.

Kevin, who works for the insurance center, couldn't understand why the accounting department didn't have it right yet.

He'd straighten it all out right away, he said, and someone from the accounting department would call me back within 48 hours to verify that and maybe even apologize.

Seventy-two hours plus and still waiting.

Michele Miller can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6251 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext 6251. Her e-mail is miller@sptimes.com

[Last modified July 12, 2007, 07:30:24]