Last year, when the hurricane hit, I had minor damage to the roof of my back porch. I reported it to my insurance company. Apparently this was a big mistake.

They sent out an inspector who determined that I had extensive roofing damage that I couldn't see (my main roof looks fine to me). The total amount of the claim, to be filed in December, was about $800 more than my $10K-something deductible. They then demanded that I use their preferred contractor and pay up that five-figure deductible so they could begin work.

I called to decline coverage, because I didn't want to pay $10K for damage that I wasn't convinced was even there. So their lawyer called me up and offered to settle the claim by sending me a check for the $800 over my deductible so I could use that to get the minor damage fixed myself and they could close the claim. I accepted that offer.

However, today, many months later, I get another letter informing me that if I don't submit proof to them that I fixed the damage to my roof that I still don't think exists, then they may stop covering my entire roof. Worse, it has to be performed by a licensed contractor, but the licensing system in Florida is fucked, so there are only a few licensed contractors in my entire city and they charge 10x what non-licensed contractors do (it's a racket).

So now, because I reported minor damage to one tiny section of my roof from a storm, I have the choice of either spending at least ten thousand dollars to replace my entire roof out of my own pocket, or lose my insurance, and potentially, my mortgage.

And this is on top of my insurance rates increasing by over a thousand dollars every year since I got it.

I would be right now, in every way, better off if I wasn't required to have insurance at all. And my story is far from the worst that you can read in Florida.