New homeowner said agent pocketed the check and left her uninsured
A Clayton County woman claims her insurance agent grabbed money that was supposed to go toward her home insurance policy, leaving her without coverage.
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. – A Clayton County woman claims her insurance agent grabbed money that was supposed to go toward her home insurance policy, leaving her without coverage.
Clayton County Police are currently investigating the incident.
“I didn’t have homeowners insurance, so I felt like I was going to lose my house,” Mary Morton told FOX 5.
For Morton, buying a new home in a new city felt like the beginning of an exciting new chapter. After relocating earlier this year, that excitement quickly faded.
“I was living in Charlotte, North Carolina, and I moved here because I wanted a business opportunity,” she recalled. “It was a great experience from April to July until I filed my insurance claim.”
She was found to be uninsured after a claim was filed over a water leak discovered by a contractor in her home.
Morton says a check for $1,400 that was supposed to be paid to her insurance company never made it into her account.
“When I was trying to find the claim, they couldn’t find my name in the system,” she said.
She told FOX 5 that’s because the insurance agent her mortgage company recommended didn’t send her a check. When she contacted her about it, her agent told her it was a “mistake.”
“She said she forgot and was rushing to do the policy for me,” Morton explained.
She said after weeks of reaching out for updates, she stopped hearing back. That leak eventually led to mold, she said, and she had to pay out of pocket to fix it.
“We have a child with respiratory issues,” she said. “It caused me great anxiety.”
She filed a report with Clayton County police in August, accusing investigators of theft by deception and identity fraud.
When she posted about it on Nextdoor, she discovered she wasn’t the only homeowner in that situation.
“I filed a complaint with the Insurance Commission about her insurance license,” she said. “A total of five victims contacted me. All of them were lost without insurance.”
Morton said he eventually got his money back after going to the police, but his total annual premiums have tripled since he took out the new policy.
He is now urging potential buyers to closely monitor who is handling their money and, if possible, negotiate directly with their insurance company.
In response to a request for comment, a representative told FOX 5 that Morton’s claims are being investigated by a professional liability insurance company, which is also countersuing Morton.
“…Other alleged victims received reimbursements from their insurance companies a year and a half ago,” the agency’s statement reads in part. “We will do everything in our power to prevent this from happening again.”
