Conroe family says insurance company not paying money for storm damage repairs

CONROE, Texas (KTRK) -- Families across the Houston area are still cleaning up after recent storms. Unfortunately, as many of us know all too well, repairs aren't cheap or simple.

The Maddux family was sleeping on the morning of May 31 when a storm hit. A giant tree fell directly on top of a room shared by 8-year-old Finn and 4-year-old Atticus. Thankfully, they were not hurt, but water poured into the home.

"Water was coming through the walls because when the pipe burst, the water ran down above the ceiling," Brent Maddux explained.

He didn't panic at first because the family has insurance, State Farm. But then, an insurance adjuster came out.

"Initial estimate was $23,000 and some change. That included about ($8,000) or $9,000 for the tree removal, tree work, and the outside of the fence work. The remainder of that is the whole house," Maddux explained. "We had four days of water with absolutely no electricity. We didn't get electricity until the fifth day. We had no way of getting the water out, and we were told it was salvageable. I am at a loss for words, honestly."

Maddux said the insurance adjuster told him the home was safe for his family of six to live.

"It's not safe for my kids to be in there. There are rusty nails, there are no walls, there's exposed electrical. It's just not safe. It's not comfortable, it's not safe," he said. "We should have bought the cheapest, low quality, no name insurance out there. We've just been dropped. That's essentially what it feels like."

While Eyewitness News was at their home, a State Farm representative called and offered to cover their housing for the next week.

Meanwhile, this family is still waiting for a new insurance quote, one that they feel will adequately cover the damage.

When Eyewitness News reached out to State Farm Insurance with questions about the family's claim and their options for the future, a spokesperson said it was unable to provide any details about the claim due to the company's privacy policy.

When ABC13 told the spokesperson that the homeowner waives any privacy concerns and would like to get more information on the claim, the company did not respond.

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