North Carolina
Be wary of door-to-door contractors after storms, NC insurance commissioner warns
North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey is warning residents of scammers who come to homeowners after storms and offer on the spot to fix damage — damage that Causey says may not even exist.
Causey is urging people to be cautious of anyone coming to their door offering a free roof inspection. He said this a common trick anytime North Carolina has a significant storm.
“I’m not here to disparage any of our legitimate contractors, but we have an epidemic of fraud, especially a roofing fraud,” Causey said.
After storms — including ice storms, hailstorms, hurricanes and other events — people will go door-to-door, leaving business cards and offering free roof inspections or other services, he said.
“Most of these folks are nothing but true scam artists trying to take your money,” he said. “So we’re urging people to be on high alert for anybody that comes to your house offering a free roof inspection. The best solution is just say no. Make sure you know who you’re dealing with, with a local, reputable business.
People can lose money on hiring a contractor who then does shoddy work or uses “inferior” materials, Causey said. Then, insurance companies might choose not to insure a home with a roof in poor condition.
When looking for a roofing contractor, people should check references and check whether the contractor is licensed, bonded and has a good reputation with the Better Business Bureau, Causey said. If the prospective contractor asks them to sign a paper, the person should be aware of whether they are signing an assignment of benefits. An assignment of benefits ensures the money the insurance company is paying goes directly to the contractor, and if the person ties to break the contract, they would end up owing a percentage of the costs because of the contract.
“So don’t sign anything unless you know exactly what you’re signing,” Causey said.
Some of contractors have created damage on a roof so they can show the homeowner later that the roof is damaged, Causey said. His office has set up cameras in the past that have caught that.
“They’ll take a screwdriver or pry bar and pry up shingles or bend the shingles to make it appear like there’s damage that wasn’t there,” Causey said. “They take golf balls and put in socks and they’ll bang them down on the shingles to look like hail damage, different tricks like that. And they’ll take a picture, or they’ll take a sample and go show the homeowner and say, you you’ve got a real problem on your roof, and we can fix it right now.”
They’ll often ask for a large deposit on the spot to do the work, he said. Then, they might not show up to complete the work.
Many contractor issues turn into legal battles, Causey said.
If a person suspects fraud, they can report it anonymously at ncdoi.gov. They can report insurance issues to the Department of Insurance’s website or via the toll-free phone number, 855-408-1212.
Friends and family members gathered in Washington state on Saturday, remembering former Miss North Carolina Carrie Everett, who died on Easter Sunday. Another memorial service is planned in North Carolina next month.
Web Editor : Sydney Ross
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Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | First Quarter
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | Q1 8:19
After a faceoff win by Henry Metz, Brendan Millon finds Truitt Sunderland to give the Hoos a 3-0 lead. Timeout North Carolina.
Virginia 2, North Carolina 0 | Q1 9:00
Brendan Millon gets the scoring started for the Cavaliers with a question mark style goal. On the defensive end, Jake Marek opens the game with three early saves with his third save setting up a transition goal by Tommy Snyder.
Virginia vs North Carolina pregame notes
UVA owns a 59-33 advantage since the series began in 1938.
The 59 wins are UVA’s most against any opponent in program history (followed by 51 against Duke).
In Chapel Hill last year, the Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers 18-9, snapping UVA’s six-game series win streak.
UVA has won nine of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2018.
The Hoos have won the last two meetings with Carolina at Klöckner Stadium, 11-4 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2024.
The Tar Heels’ four goals in 2022 marked the fewest goals in a game under Joe Breschi, who was named UNC’s head coach in 2006.
The last time the Tar Heels knocked off the Cavaliers at Klöckner was a 16-13 decision during the first of three games between the two teams in 2021.
Later that year, UVA claimed back-to-back meetings against the Heels, including in the NCAA semifinals on the way to capturing the 2021 national title over Maryland.
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HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Fire crews are responding to a brush fire near Howard Gap Road in Hendersonville on Friday evening.
The fire is across the street from the Ebenezer Baptist Church and near the Highlands Square Shopping Center.
Henderson County Fire Marshal Glen Gillette said crews are fighting “blowdown from Helene.”
NEW WILDFIRES IGNITE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA FOREST AMID WORSENING DROUGHT
Around 11 p.m., the fire appears larger than it did an hour ago because crews are backburning, which refers to using fire to help control the wildfire.
Dana Fire Department Chief Jimmy Womack said that what was a 3-acre fire an hour ago will be an 8-acre fire due to back burning. He said the fire is 80% contained.
Womack said the cause of the fire is unknown, but one of the conditions contributing to the blaze is the Helene blowdown.
“There’s a lot of blowdown in these woods behind us. That’s what creates most of the problem,” said Womack.
Womack said there has been no property damage and no injuries have been reported for this fire in the woods that 24 personnel are fighting. They got the call to arrive at 6:05 p.m.
LOCAL NEWS
Dana Fire and Rescue and Henderson County Fire Department are supporting the U.S. Forest Service with this fire.
Glen said no structures are threatened at this time and Howard Gap Road is closed.
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This story will be updated as new information is discovered.
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