Allstate Insurance: Robert Longyear

I am sorry to say we have had a very frustrating and poor experience in dealing with Allstate for a homeowners claim. We have been loyal customers to Allstate for several years carrying two car policies and a homeowners policy. To be fair, they were definitely the cheapest on premiums when we originally shopped for homeowners insurance. Over the past 4 and a half years we have had 4 issues we at least looked into as far as a possible claim (broken main water line, dying large tree near the house, foundation support repair, and sump pump replacement) and were told all were not covered. While frustrating, we didn’t complain.
About a month ago we noticed water damage along a wall and wood floor of our finished basement. When my wife called and talked to Mr. Longyear she immediately felt like they were not planning on paying for anything without even knowing the details of the problem and told me as much as soon as she got off the phone. Frequently basement water issues are from ground water which typically is not covered. We assumed this to be the case and proceeded with remediation as instructed by the Longyear office. Our contractor soon discovered it was a leaking condensation drain line behind the dry wall. We immediately called Allstate and were told the soonest an adjusted could get out was two weeks. I did meet the adjuster two weeks later and he just looked for a few minutes, and I emailed pictures I had taken. He agreed the source was definitely the drain line.
The adjuster called a week later and said it would not be covered because it was a slow leak and caused mold even though it was undetectable. They stated this was common practice and coverage for all insurance agencies. A quick internet search and I found multiple accounts of these slow undetectable leaks being covered. An article on
cited «associate editor of National Underwriter and FC&S Online, which interprets insurance policies for the industry.» She stated,
«But what about a slow leak you can’t see? Say, for instance, a pipe behind a wall leaks, and you don’t notice it until water starts seeping through the wall. Are you covered?
Most likely the answer is yes, as long as you take action as soon as there is evidence of the leak, Barlow says. „Nobody expects you to tear out your drywall now and again to check the pipes,“ Barlow notes. So insurance companies understand it’s impossible to know you have a hidden leak until the damage becomes apparent.» — Christine G. Barlow (a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter)
I also have friends with a very similar issue of a AC condensation line backing up and overflowing the drain pan in their attic leading to slow but significant water damage to the ceiling and the entire floor below, causing a much larger financial repair. It was covered.
When we called and complained to the consumer department for the Georgia Department of Insurance the woman that answered the phone stated she had literally just gotten off the phone with another individual having the same problem with Allstate for the same issue.
I feel this is a failure of trust with Allstate and the Robert Longyear office. I must recommend anyone looking for insurance to seek other options.