She fought the big insurance company -- and won

By the time Gail Simon discovered what looked like mold, it had spread beyond the bedroom ceiling in her largo condo. “This room has the most you can see all that yellow mold and it smells horrible,” says Simon.

She hired an indoor air quality expert. Test results confirmed her biggest concern. Simon was living in an unsafe environment.

That's when the condo owner filed a claim with Citizens Insurance. The insurer sent someone out, but weeks later, Simon says Citizens denied her claim. “I started to cry. That is ridiculous. I can read black and white.  I know I am covered,” says Simon.

Paragraph ten of her policy indicates Citizens will pay up to $10,000 for the removal of fungi.  Mold is made of fungal spores.

After reading the policy, I contacted Citizens and asked that they review her claim. Within days, they sent someone out to re-inspect the condo.

In an email, a Citizens spokesperson explained. “Our consumer correspondence department has contacted Ms. Simon to address her concerns regarding her claim. ...  It is our understanding that the insured has no pending issues regarding her claim.”

Citizens paid out about $10,000 on Simon’s claim which she used to replace the mold-infested duct work, repair the affected areas and restore her peace of mind about the space she calls home.