An investigation has determined that some people in Florida are making damage to a roof appear to be worse than it is in an effort to scam money out of homeowners. According to reports, these individuals will come to a home and tell the owner that they may be entitled to a free roof replacement from an insurance company if there is damage.
In cases where roofers are dishonest, they have made sure that damage is there. This can take the form of the roofer having ripped up the shingles, removed adhesive or used dimes to create damage on a shingle that imitates hail damage. Once the homeowner has had an insurance company approve the replacement, the check often ends up being sent directly to the roofer.
Once a dishonest roofer receives the check, they frequently subcontract the repairs out to a company for a lower cost and keep the difference. Since the roof is being repaired for less money, materials and work may be below par. As a result of these actions, roof damage claims in Central Florida have tripled since 2011 despite no increase in instances of hail storms.
While there are some dishonest individuals that may attempt to make it look like the damage to a roof is greater than it is, insurance companies sometimes come from the opposite direction. It is not unheard of for an insurance company to either state that a roof is in better shape than it is or to attempt to underestimate the amount of money it will take to replace or repair one. A lawyer may be able to help homeowners ensure that their insurance company reimburses them appropriately.
Source: Click Orlando, “Roof investigation finds questionable wind damage claims”, Eryka Washington, June 1, 2015