The homeowner claims her insurance policy was canceled after the agent held her check

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. – A Clayton County woman claims her insurance agent withheld money that was supposed to go toward her home insurance policy, leaving her without coverage.

Now the Clayton County Police Department is investigating the incident.

“I felt like I was going to lose my house because I didn’t have homeowners insurance,” Mary Morton told FOX 5.

For Morton, buying a new home in a new city felt like the beginning of an exciting new chapter. That excitement was quickly overshadowed after the move earlier this year.

“I was living in Charlotte, North Carolina and we moved here because I wanted an opportunity for my business,” she recalls. “April to July was a great experience until I had to file a claim.”

That claim, filed due to a water leak that contractors found in her home, led her to discover she was uninsured.

Morton says the $1,400 check that was supposed to be made payable to her insurance company never made it to their account.

“When I tried to find a claim, they couldn’t find my name in the system,” she stated.

She told FOX 5 this is because the insurance agent recommended by her mortgage company never sent the check. When she contacted it, the officer told her it was a “mistake.”

“She said she forgot, and that she would hurry up and get me a policy,” Morton explained.

She says that after weeks of asking for updates, she received no responses. That water leak eventually caused mold, which she said she had to pay out of pocket to get fixed.

“I have a child who has breathing problems,” she said. “That has caused me a lot of unrest.”

She filed a report with Clayton County police in August, accusing the officer of theft by deception and identity fraud.

When she posted about it on Nextdoor, she discovered she wasn’t the only homeowner in that situation.

“I filed a complaint with the insurance board regarding her insurance license,” she stated. “There are a total of five victims who have contacted me. Everyone has been lost without insurance.”

Morton says she eventually got her money back after going to the police, but the total annual cost of her insurance tripled after she got a new policy.

She is now urging others looking to buy to keep a closer eye on who handles their money and, if possible, deal directly with their insurance company.

In response to a request for comment, the officer told FOX 5 that Morton’s claim is being investigated by her professional liability insurer, and they are also pursuing a counterclaim against Morton.

“…Other alleged victims received refunds from the insurance companies as early as a year and a half ago,” the officer’s statement reads in part. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that situations like this do not occur again.”