“It was supposed to be our dream house, something I would one day leave to my kids, ” Dr. Alfredo Lopez said when fondly recalling his McAllen, Texas home.
It took Dr. Alfredo Lopez and his wife Melissa over 5 years to build their family home in South Texas. “It wasn’t easy, it really wasn’t,” explains Dr. Lopez, a family doctor who serves low to middle-income patients in the Hidalgo county area.
Then, on March 29th, 2012, everything changed.
A massive storm struck Hidalgo country unexpectedly, dumping hail the size of baseballs and packing winds of 70 to 75 mph for more than a half an hour.
As the storm clouds cleared, the Lopez family discovered the worst. Their tile roof had sustained extensive damage, letting in water, ultimately compromising the entire structure. Soon the ceiling was pocked with water stains, soaked insulation hidden behind damp walls. As they assessed the damage, the family also discovered hailstones had pummeled exterior rain gutters, exterior lights, columns, siding and railings. Their home was in bad shape.
An on-time premium payer for 20 years, Dr. Lopez called his insurance company confident his claims would be covered fair and square. He was to be disappointed.
“We sustained several hundred thousand dollars of damage to the property. But when adjusters finally came out, it quickly became quite clear that they were trying to pay very little, if not nothing,” said Lopez.
First, Lopez’s insurance company tried to minimize his home’s water damage.
“This seemed dishonest, because by the time they actually showed up to assess it, most of the standing water had subsided. But, that didn’t mean the walls weren’t damaged,” Lopez recalls.
Second, their plan for repairing the damaged roof tiles was disturbing. The insurers proposed use existing tiles, many showing signs of mold, on another part of the roof.
Despondent, Dr. Lopez didn’t know what to do next and was ready to give up, willing to live with the damage. Then a friend suggested he talk to Mostyn Law, a Houston-based law firm led by founders Steve and Amber Mostyn who were actively representing homeowners affected by the devastating hailstorm.
“I wasn’t expecting much, but I figured, okay, I’ll let them look at it,” recalled Lopez.
After assessing the widespread damage still plaguing the Lopez’s once dream home, Mostyn Law agreed to help the family try to fairly settle their claim. Although the process took almost a year to complete, Steve and Amber Mostyn were ultimately able to secure the Lopez’s a settlement to fully repair the house they had worked so hard to build.
“I can’t tell you how surprised and happy we were when we found out,” explains Lopez. “I was extremely grateful for what Steve and Amber Mostyn did for me and my family.”