ComplaintsforSouthern Oak Insurance Company

• Initial Complaint

  03/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I filed a claim for my roof since June of 2023 with Southern Oaks, we settled in October 2023, by law they had to send the money to the mortgage Company; who sent me a partial amount to begin the work. Per **************** after 70% of the work is complete , they would send an inspector to inspect the roof, then send me the remaining of the funds. The roofing company started working on my roof since 2/5, its been over 3 weeks now Southern oak have been trying to get in touch with the adjuster (*****************************) he has never return the call, even after stating he would be available on 3/5 Tuesday, so the roof is on hold pending confirmation of the roof estimate from southern oak . I spoke to his supervisor said only ******* can confirm the estimate. Im very disappointed . Please help

  

  Business response

  03/22/2024

  It appears this complaint crossed paths with the estimate being sent to the mortgage company (****************).  The estimate was sent on 3/12/24. On 3/18/24, we called to confirm the mortgage company had the estimate they needed, and they did confirm.  Please let us know if anything else is needed at this time.  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  12/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  At the end of June we purchased a new home from Moronda Homes - it had all the latest hurricane feature and was brand new. *******'s insurance rep from FBC arranged for us to get insurance thru Southern Oak Insurance Company. We paid for a full year of the policy and received insurance coverage docs. We then went on vacation, when we returned home [3 months latter], we were shocked to see a cancelation notice from Southern Oak, the reason given was they were unable to confirm that it was a new home. Moronda builds and sells only new homes. They made no attempt to contact our insurance agent or myself. What they did do was send a check for partial refund of the amount that we paid. This is poor business practice and borderline fraud. I expect a full refund and an apology for their laziness and lack of professionalism. In checking their reviews I see that they have mistreated many customers. The problem with the insurance industry in ******* is poorly managed insurance companies - not the weather!

  

  Business response

  12/14/2023

  Southern Oak was unable to provide coverage for this insured due to several missing documents, including the signed application for insurance. 
  
  Notifications were sent to the agent on 7/28, 8/3, and 8/8.  Upon no response, notice of cancellation was sent to the customer and agent on 8/29/23.  The cancellation notice advised of the effective date of 9/23/23, in compliance with the required notice days to cancel. Upon no response, the policy was cancelled effective 9/23/23.  The premium was refunded in the amount of $839.80 for the unused term of the policy,9/23/23 7/27/24. 
  
  The first calls in response to the missing information were on 12/4 from the agent and on 12/14 (today) from the customer.  We have spoken with the customer today and offered to reinstate the policy, but he advised he has secured coverage elsewhere.  Per his request, we will change the cancellation to be back to the effective date of 7/27/23 so that the remainder of his premium can be refunded.  This additional amount of $185.14 will reimburse the entire policy amount of $1,024.94 as if the policy never existed,since it is now being cancelled back to inception.

• Initial Complaint

  11/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have had SOUTHERN OAK INS. Co. For 3 years. In July I paid my premium . Took care of everything because we were going out of the country for a few months . At the beginning of August I received a call from my insurance broker saying that that it had not been paid . Having almost no cell service I simply used my other bank to resend it. But while setting it up ******** was added to the end of the check, RIGHT account number, address, & AMOUNT BUT was returned. This is irrelevant. Because the first check is the one that caused the problem. The check in July was returned for being 10 cent OVER, . When I contacted SOI. I was met with “sorry nothing I can do “. They told me they never received the check. SO.. I reached out to my bank, ***. They were very helpful, by sending Copies of the ******* that had been returned. Saying that it went to their 3rd party bill processor. But when I presented the customer service agent still ,” nothing I can do , you never sent the check” I have been cancelled, and because my insurance lapse to acquire new insurance it will be 2x as much because they cancelled us. When. After much back and forth it is 5 months later, we have no insurance, and the last 2 service agent Were beyond RUDE and DISRESPECTFUL. Telling me I was confused and never sent a check, for the 6 time I sent them copies from the bank. Even s letter from *** stating that the check was sent and returned for being over 10 cent. I was talked to like I was nothing. ***** even chewed me out for using my checking account thst I have had for over 50 years. She said I should have used a credit card. WHY WOULD I DO THAT? She basically told me I was confused, I ask her did she see the email. She said yes. But the check was paid in 2022,not 2023. I ask her to look at what the bank sent her, she said she didn’t need to.. I was not telling the truth. I said , DID U LOOK SEE EMAIL.. SHE said ,no. . I believe price was to low. Canceled us was their way out.

  Customer response

  12/04/2023

  Thank you so much. Not sure how it went down, but I have been fighting this since July 12.  I was notified Friday that SOI will.   reinstate  our policy.  My broker said he had never seen a company reverse their cancellation. 
  So thank you so very much, certainly glad you are here.
  Sincerely, ***** ****
  Sent from my iPhone
  

  
  

  

  Business response

  12/06/2023

  Based on the customer’s documented intention to pay the renewal premium, we have allowed for this policy to be reinstated back to the July date of lapse.  The customer has now paid the premium via credit card to avoid any further bank issues.  The policy is back in force with no lapse in coverage.  Thank you for the opportunity to address this issue and we apologize for any unacceptable customer service as we try to maintain a positive relationship with all of our customers.    

  Customer response

  12/07/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 

  Regards,

  ***** ****

   

• Initial Complaint

  11/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Coverage changes were made without my knowledge or consent resulting in a change to the annual premium I prepaid for the year. I was given no notice of this change by phone or **** mail and now Im told the policy has expired. This is completely unacceptable. The policy needs to be reinstated based on the original coverages I agreed to. Further policy changes need to be communicated by **** mail. I no longer provide consent for electronic communications.

  

  Business response

  11/09/2023

  This policy was still in-force at the time of this complaint, with the cancel to be effective 11/16/23 for nonpayment of the increased premium amount.  The premium increase was due to a lower coverage value on the policy compared to our inspection of the property value.  We notified your agent of the discrepancy and requested a revised replacement cost estimate should they want to dispute our findings but,unfortunately, we did not receive a response. At this time, we see you have paid the additional premium amount, but you are welcome to work with your agent related to the replacement cost value of your home for setting of the proper insurance coverage.  Having a home insured at an amount lower than appropriate can lead to problems at the time of a claim, if a claim were to occur. 
  
  At this time, you have paid the additional premium, with the increased coverage amount which we feel is appropriate, so there is nothing further required unless you want to reach out to your agent regarding the coverage amount.
  
  Regarding the electronic delivery of documents, we have amended your policy, based on this request, from electronic to paper delivery.  Please be advised any Cancellation Notices,such as the Cancellation Intent letter sent on 11/2/23, are sent via **** with Proof of Mail. 

  Customer response

  11/13/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 

  Regards,

  *******************

   

• Initial Complaint

  09/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Submitted a claim for a leak with my roof. Visible sings of water damage. I am in a catch 22 situation as I will void my warranty with my insurance carrier if I utilized a 3rd party to fix ( which I cant afford) but they wont pay out the claim despite having an accessor come out to the property and see the damage. Where is the redress/remedy for the client I have been with them since 2019!! . So whats the purpose of having paid the insurance on a property to ensure Im covered but alas they wont uphold their end of the contractual obligation. I need you assistance URGENTLY!! Its a leak and we are in hurricane season.

  

  Business response

  09/12/2023

  During our inspection, we found no damage to the roof caused by wind, hail, or a peril insured against under this policy.  A letter was sent to the policyholder on June 9 and we spoke with the policyholder on June 13 explaining the letter further.  On that call, June 13, the policyholder indicated she was having another roofer inspect the damage.

  In this complaint, the policyholder mentions a warranty.  We do not show any notes of a warranty in our claim file or underwriting file, but since the home was built in 2019, the policyholder may have been offered a warranty for the roof.  And yes, that warranty may be void if she has the roof fixed by an unauthorized party.  We recommend she reach out to the original builder and/or original roofer, and have them complete an inspection. There are no gutters on the home, so this may be a flashing issue at the valley or a lack of drainage from the roof system.  They may realize there was a problem with the installation. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They are canceling my home insurance policy because my 10 year old dog, who has never bitten anyone. Came up as 6% dobberman pincer. They were deliberately looking for a reason to cut my policy because they're unhappy with the premium. Seems like fraud to me. A mixed breed dog who has 10 years with no bites and they cut my policy. Seems extremely suspicious. I would not trust this company, they will find a way to not cover you or maybe even worse find a way not to cover damages... be careful.

  

  Business response

  03/20/2023

  A cancellation notice was issued for a lack of response to our request for information regarding animals that were not declared on the policy application.  The information that was provided after the cancellation was issued indicated an ineligible breed mix.  Your agent is aware of the information and should be able to assist you in finding other coverage.  If the new insurance carrier requests animal information on the application, be sure to give this information up-front so that a coverage determination can be made with all information at the start of the process. 

  Customer response

  03/21/2023

   

   Complaint: ********

  I am rejecting this response because: 1: I did respond to them. 2: They were given all information up front and knew I had dogs. 3: They had me use an app which scans your dog. The banned breed they are talking about is Dobberman pincer at around 6% of the dog. They're simply manipulating that system to cancel people's policies who have low premiums. When I adopted the dog 10 years ago they had him listed as lab mix. However they said that was unacceptable. The fact that 6% of my dogs DNA is a valid reason to cancel a policy is insane.

  Regards,

  **** ******

  

  Business response

  03/28/2023

  We have spoken with the agent regarding the animals not disclosed on the policy application, as well as the timeframes of our letter dated 1/19/23 requesting response by 2/18/23.  With the information received on 3/10/23 and 3/16/23, we were unable to make an exception to the cancellation set for 3/19/23.  The information received at that time indicated an ineligible breed mix.  The agent has advised coverage has been placed with another carrier at this time.

• Initial Complaint

  02/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Theses damages was considered a cause of a hurricane in Nov 2022, to which I had to pay to inspect all damages with a result of malfunction not Part of hurricane I reported it and explain the results they have refused to help or cover my damages to my home and property knowing it's becoming a hazard issue to my self and my children. I continue to contact and provide any information they request with no response or resolution and its frustrating as I can't afford repairs while I just bought home in April 2022 and I continue to pay insurance coverage for our home with no help why should I continue to pay an insurance that can't coverage emergency damages not cause but choice and have to still pay out of pocket to all my damages as failure. All damages are supposed to be covered my garage roof collapse due to failure from building unproperly installment ,drain field malfunction unproperly structure, help is needed as 3 months have passed and going on 4 months with no assistance in this matter frustrated as a new home owner

  

  Business response

  02/27/2023

  The claim handled under this policy was based on a report of wind damage occurring on 9/28/22, during Hurricane Ian.  The visible damage was related to the ceiling of the garage, as our claim photos confirm.  Our adjuster’s estimate included damage to the garage ceiling and garage door.  These damages to the garage ceiling and garage door were below the insured’s hurricane deductible.    
  
  The document attached to this BBB complaint is related to a septic drain field.  The document specifically states this is not related to the hurricane.  Therefore, it would be separate from the garage ceiling damage reported in the Hurricane Ian claim.
  Our recommendation is for the insured to report a separate claim, based on when the issues began with the septic tank.  The claim can be reported to Southern Oak, but may be referred to the realtor, the installer, or the contracting company for failure of the system.  If the claim is reported to Southern Oak, we can review to assist in where the insured could pursue a claim for coverage of this septic tank failure.

• Initial Complaint

  11/23/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I filed a claim about 8 weeks ago from today due to hurricane Ian that damaged my porperty (my house). Southern Oaks Insurance Company is my home insurance company. They notify me that my claim number is ***** and being worked on by my adjuster. The FIELD adjuster came to my house that week and finished inspecting the house about 6-7 weeks ago from today. I tried contacting my DESK adjuster (ext. 2222) and left a voice message so many times, and I even contacted his manager (ext. 2218) as well and left a voicemail. It's been about 6 weeks weeks since I last heard from my DESK adjuster. I call southern oaks and they emailed the person who handled my claim and his manager a few times to give me update or call. Until now I have not received any call from them regading my claims or when will they release the money for fixing the damage to my house. It is frustrating that I even left a message to their voicemail. I begged i they can call me even at the middle of the night just give me an update. The status of my claims is in "PENDING MANAGERS REVIEW" for more than a month now and no movement on my claim. I want to fix the damage on my house asap to prevent further damage. This is unacceptable, I pay my dues on time and in return a bad customer service is what I'm getting. This company really don't care about the customers, they just collect money from clients on time.

  

  Business response

  11/23/2022

  We sincerely apologize for the delay in finalizing this Hurricane Ian claim.  We have spoken with the insured today to review the final estimate of damages, procedures, and payment information.  The payment of this claim has been issued today and sent via UPS mail to expedite.  Thank you for this opportunity to address the concerns.

  Customer response

  01/09/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

   Complaint: ********

  USF (Engineering firm) Inspect my house 12/10/2022 for the supplemental claim. USF told me that they will submit final findings to Southern oaks after 10 days.  Southern Oaks contacted me 12/28/2022 and informed me that they contacted USF and that they received the finalized report.  Apparently the report was not completed or needs revision from USF.  I emailed Southern Oaks again today 1/9/2023 to get and update. They told me that they wil reach out again to USF to get the finalized report. 

  Please keep this complaint open until final resolution has been made and to keep to my claim from Southern Oaks moving. 

  Regards,

  **** *******

  

  Business response

  01/20/2023

  The insured is in agreement with our supplemental estimate to date.  Upon final discussion with the adjuster, the insured questioned another area of the home, the master bath. The adjuster will be able to include any additional damages for this portion and will look to conclude all with the insured's agreement.

• Initial Complaint

  08/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My husband and I purchased our first home on September 24, 2021. After getting multiple quotes, we decided to use Southern Oak as my home insurance provider as they offered the most competitive pricing at the time. Two weeks after we moved into our new home, it was hit by an intoxicated driver on October 16, 2021 around 3am. We had a police report filed and the person was found and charged by police. Their insurance sent us notification that their policy would not be able to cover the damages, so we had to file the claim under our homeowner's insurance. Southern Oak sent an adjuster out to assess the damages and he did not even remove the tarp on the house to look at the damage--he only looked at pictures we had taken. Based on his quote, Southern Oak sent us a total of around $7,000 to repair the damages. Then we had a couple of contractors come to give us estimates and their quotes were between $20,000-$30,000. To help us settle these differences, we recruited the help of a law firm. We have since been going back and forth between us and Southern Oak to agree on an amount. They are refusing to pay above $10,000, which is clearly not enough to fix the damage. On top of this, Southern Oak has sent notice that our policy will not be renewed after September 24. So we will have to find a new provider willing to give us a policy with this existing damage! Absolutely none of this is our fault and we have not been able to fully enjoy our new home for almost a year due to someone else's carelessness. We now have a newborn in the home, and have not been able to make her a nursery due to the foundation damage in her room.

  

  Business response

  08/25/2022

  Southern Oak has reviewed the Underwriting decision regarding the policy renewal, and the policy renewal has been offered, to allow time to repair the damaged home.
  

  On the claim portion, we are unable to discuss with the insured directly, as she is represented by an Attorney.  However, the insured should realize when the initial payment of the claim was made on 10/28/21, the insured received a letter which stated, "In the event you have additional expenses associated with any portion of your claim, please contact me (the adjuster)."  The payment letter also recommended the insured send in a copy of the contractor's estimate if the insured was unable to find a contractor to handle the repairs for the Southern Oak estimate.  At this point, the insured is represented, so we can refer the insured to her Attorney for a discussion of several offers we have made to settle this claim.  Please note the amounts offered are in addition to the amount already paid to the insured directly before the Attorney involvement, so the insured should total the amounts together to realize the amount being offered in full settlement.

  We are hopeful for a quick resolution to finalize this claim, as both Southern Oak and the insured are anxious for an agreed settlement and for the repair of the home.

• Initial Complaint

  07/11/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I contacted Southern Oak Insurance for a homeowners quote in May 2022. I requested the quote have a start date of 7/1/2022. I never received a comprehensive policy from the underwriters until late June 2022. Once seeing the coverage, I informed ******* ********* (the agent) that we were not interested due to the insufficient coverage. I told him thank you for the quote, but once seeing the coverage difference, we would stay with our current provider. I never signed or approved the policy with Southern Oak Insurance. I was informed by ******* that I must sign a cancellation form with Southern Oak Insurance, which I did. I went on vacation in late June and just returned to find out that Southern Oak Insurance is listed on my mortgage account as my new insurance company. They are requesting payment from my escrow account along with my current insurance company. I believe this is fraud and would like the money put back in my account and for them to be taken off of my mortgage. The yearly payment is $1767.12 that they are requesting form ********. I believe anything over $1000.00 is grand larceny. I'm not sure they can be charged, but if you feel legal action is due, please let me know. ******** acc# *** *** **** Southern Oak Insurance acc# ******************* Once again, I asked for a quote to start 7/1/2022, never authorized or signed for approval. Please feel free to contact me for more information at: ************************* Thank you for your time. *** ********

  

  Business response

  07/20/2022

  Southern Oak has reviewed this inquiry and we see that a payment was made on 6/22/22, prior to the 7/1/22 effective date of the policy.  Payment was made through a check from the lienholder, ********.  On 7/5/22, Southern Oak received our first notice of a request to cancel the policy, which was through a signed cancellation letter from ******* ********.  The cancellation was processed on 7/5/22, and letters confirming this cancellation were sent to the Insured ******* ********, ****** ******** ***** ********* ******, and ********** ******** **** ******** on 7/6/22.  A return of the premium is usually held for 10 days to confirm the cancellation is not being reversed.  This return premium for the full policy premium was expedited on 7/13/22.  The check was made payable to the insured ******* ********.  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this complaint with the details and dates.

  Customer response

  07/20/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 

  Regards,

  ******* ********

   

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩