ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
So many Southwest Florida homeowners are waiting for checks from their insurance companies after Hurricane Ian. One Cape Coral homeowner said she got one in January, but when she went to put it in her bank account, it bounced. Hole in Girard’s patio ceiling. Credit: WINK News There are holes all around Christine Girard’s Cape Coral home and she had another hole in her bank account. Her insurance check from American Integrity Insurance of Florida was nowhere to be found. “You think you’re paying for somebody to help you if something catastrophic happens,” Girard said. “And they’re not there. They’ve taken your money and don’t think you should get any back when something bad happens.” Girard’s roof missing shingles Nine months later As of June, Girard’s roof is still damaged. Her public adjuster, Karen Nelson of Day Adjusting & Consulting, was an independent adjuster for insurance companies for 15 years. She said she often worked for American Integrity. Now, she’s on the other side working as a public adjuster for homeowners. She showed WINK News Consumer Reporter Andryanna Sheppard some parts along Girard’s roof that need to be fixed before another storm comes. “This here would have been missing shingles and then you can see here that the creases where it lifts up, the next big storm that comes is going to catch underneath that and you have additional damages,” Nelson showed. Credit: WINK News Girard hired Nelson shortly after Ian hit to help with all the paperwork that comes with filing a claim. A check from American Integrity came in January. “The bank sent me an insufficient funds notice and said that you owe $10 because the check bounced,” Girard recalled. You read that right. She said the check for more than $28,000 bounced. Girard looking at her claim documents. Credit: WINK News “I thought I was dealing with a legitimate business,” Girard said in shock. “And it’s not turning out that way.” So, she filed a complaint with the Florida Department of Financial Services to get answers. How could a check from an insurance company bounce? “They told me they didn’t know why the check bounced but they told the state the check was taken back because Day Adjusting’s name wasn’t on it. But they didn’t tell me that either. They only told the state that after my complaint was written,” Girard added. Girard shows WINK News Consumer Reporter Andryanna Sheppard her claim documents. Credit: WINK News Contacting American Integrity WINK News Consumer Reporter Andryanna Sheppard reached out to American Integrity and interviewed spokesperson Lisa Miller. She said the company canceled the check before Girard cashed it because the adjuster’s name wasn’t on it. “We reissued the check to make sure the public adjuster’s name was on it,” Miller confirmed. “From the time she got the check and the time for the next check, she had gone to the bank so it didn’t bounce but the check needed, by contract, to have the public adjuster’s name on it.” Miller added the company sent a second check, correctly addressed, in April. Girard shows the damage to her pool cage. Credit: WINK News “We waited months and it didn’t come,” Girard said. “It’s June. Has it come?” Andryanna Sheppard asked. “No. Nothing. Zero.” Girard answered. Miller said American Integrity thought the check was lost. It later showed up marked “return to sender.” “When it was returned, it took almost three to four weeks for it to get back to the company. I don’t know if you’ve dealt with returned mail form the post office lately but it’s very challenging. So, even though the address was correct on the check, the public adjuster knew that, the post office didn’t deliver,” Miller added. Nelson talks about roof damage. Credit: WINK News Nelson has a different experience where she called and emailed the company multiple times asking where it was. “It’s always been an excuse and a run around,” Nelson said. The check arrives Two days after Andryanna reached out to the company, a new check was printed. It was delivered to Nelson’s office a couple of days later. But still, Girard worries for her home and doesn’t have much faith in American Integrity to take care of any of her future claims. Damages shingles. Credit: WINK News “I guess I really don’t have any insurance,” Girard said dejectedly. “They didn’t pay last year. Are they going to pay this year?” It took six months for Girard to deposit a check into her account. She and Nelson said even though it’s not nearly enough money to fix the damage, they’re happy to start some repairs. If you are having trouble with your insurance company and would like to share your situation with Andryanna Sheppard, you can do so through this form.