Beware Storm Chasers

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued a new consumer alert this morning urging Chicagland residents to be cautious of storm chasers working in our area. In the June 7, 2010 press release Madigan reviews with homeowners what to look for in a local contractor, and above all, warns residents to take their time and do their research when selecting a contractor to complete their home repairs from this spring’s storms. She also asks homeowners who suspect storm chasers of working in their neighborhood to call the Chicago Consumer Fraud Hotline at 800-386-5438.

Click here to go to the full press release regarding these storm chasers working in the Chicago area.

The early April 2010 hailstorm in Des Plaines did a huge amount of damage to many thousands of homes in the area, and the storm chasers have come in droves to attempt to sign contractors for as many of the repairs as possible. As of a couple weeks ago, there were over 150 DIFFERENT businesses advertising with yard signs & flyers in the hardest hit neighborhoods. Homeowners have been swarmed with contractors going door-to-door. The Daily Herald wrote yet another article on May 12th urging homeowners to please work with only local contractors, and to do their homework before choosing a contractor. Read the article about this most recent hailstorm damage and the subsequent storm chasers.

PS: Don’t forget about the warning issued by Des Plaines Alderman the storm chasers following this April storm.

Lisa Madigon, IL Attorney General, has made prosecuting storm chasers one of her missions. In the past several years, she has successfully convicted a number of storm chasers, and continues to urge Illinois residents to help her monitor these types of companies. If you suspect that you or your neighbors are being preyed upon by dishonest contractors or suspect storm chasers of taking advantage of homeowners in your area, you are urged to call the Consumer Fraud Hotline at (800) 386-5438.

Read a February 2010 Press Release about her prosecution of several known storm chasers.

Read a information sheet from her office about storm chasers.

Proper Steps for Repairs Following Storm Damage

Customers frequently ask how the storm damage insurance process should work- should you call your insurance first, or get an estimate first? Below are the proper steps for having your roof or siding inspected and replaced (if needed) following damage by a storm.

1. If the homeowner thinks they have damage, they should first call their insurance company or agent and ask to file a claim.
2. The insurance company sends an adjuster to access the damage.
3. If the adjuster determines damage has occurred, he will issue a report listing the damage and the expected cost of recovery.
4. The adjuster will then cut a check for the damage minus the depreciation of the home.
5. The homeowner can choose 2 different ways to hire a contractor. He may bid the work to one or more contractors and accept a bid. If that bid is less than the insurance company estimate, the insurance company will pay only that amount, less deductible. If the bid is more than the insurance estimate, the homeowner can submit the higher bid to the insurance company and attempt to work out the difference.  The homeowner can also opt to hire a trusted contractor of their choice. The contractor can then work out their rates with the insurance company.
6. Under NO circumstances can a homeowner avoid paying their deductible. Any contractor that suggests otherwise to a homeowner is committing insurance fraud.
7. After the project has been completed, the contractor or homeowner sends an invoice and certificate of completion to the insurance company. Insurance then cuts a check to the homeowner for the depreciated portion of the loss (providing the homeowner has replacement cost insurance, which most do.)  In some instances, a mortgage company and/or contractor may be listed on the check as co-payees.

Key Points Regarding the Insurance Claim Process

• The homeowner does not need a contractor to submit damage information to the insurance company. It is not necessary to hire a company “specializing”  in getting insurance claims settled.
• Never let a contractor you do not know and trust climb on your roof to “inspect for hail damage.” To make it appear as if caused by hail, some storm chasers intentionally damage the roof when they think no one is looking.
• You cannot hide or avoid paying the deductible. This is insurance fraud.
• You can choose to work with any contractor you like.

You have 1 year to replace your hail damaged roof or siding!

Storm chasers will often use a high-pressure tactic of informing homeowners that they have to act fast since insurance companies will only pay for your home repair if you file the claim within 2 weeks, one month, or 6 months of a storm. That is absolutely not true. According to most policies, homeowners have up until 1 year following a storm to file a claim for hail damage to their home!

Storm chasers will also tell homeowners that they need to sign the contract fast so that the homeowner doesn’t get stuck behind many other people needing a new roof. This is another tactic to get homeowners to sign quickly, since the storm chasers will be moving to the next storm area as rapidly as possible.

Think of it this way, would you sign a contract this quickly if you were replacing your roof simply because of age or normal wear and tear? No! You’d take your time, get several different estimates, and carefully choose style and color. So why rush now? Slow down and make sure you are working with someone you trust to get the type of roof you desire.

Storm chasers use a variety of tactics in order to appear to be a local roofing or siding contractor

They will often set up a local phone number and rent local office space in order to be able to use these on their yard signs and other advertisements. They rightly assume that homeowners will recognize the 630, 815, or 773 area code or familiar city name in their address and assume that they are local. Do your homework! Ask your estimator if they have ever done business in a different state and ask to see an Illinois drivers license. Also check with the Chicago Better Business Bureau.

The second tactic they will use is to actually lease a local company in order to use their name and reputation in the area. They agree to provide the local contractor with a percentage of their profits in exchange for their name usage. While this may seem like an attractive deal for the local contractor, it leaves them on the hook for all repairs after the storm chasers leave.  The local roofer that may have completed 50-100 roofs over the course of a regular year is now liable to complete warranty repairs on 10-20,000 roofs after the storm chasers leave. No regular, local contractor can do these repairs for free and stay in business. Unfortunately they generally bankrupt quickly afterward.

Chicago isn’t the only area prone to these types of tactics. Read an article from Cleveland Ohio about local contractors being offered these sorts of deals, and what happens if they accept.

Des Plaines, IL officials have issued a warning to the public in their community to beware of storm chasers working in their area. The April 5-6, 2010 hailstorm hit this community hard, and the storm chasers arrived just days afterward. Do your research homeowners!

Click here to read the article about storm chasers from the Daily Herald.