(Anita) The Iowa Insurance Division has entered an order against a Cass County roofing company, prohibiting it from acting as insurance adjuster and negotiating claims with insurers.
The order, which was issued in the aftermath of an undercover investigation by the division, alleges that Reeves Roofing of Anita, and its owner, Darren Reeves, were guilty of unfair trade practices, primarily by acting as an adjuster negotiating payment for insurance claims filed by the victims of storm damage.
The division claims Reeves misled roofing-repair customers of his construction business into believing he was authorized to negotiate such payments and would perform construction work for whatever their insurance company agreed to pay.
The division alleges that as part of an undercover investigation, it had an agent approach Reeves and state that he had a sister who needed repairs to her home and outbuildings. According to the division, Reeves told the division’s agent he worked for “insurance proceeds,” had once been an adjuster, and would deal directly with the insurance company on the claim.
The division also claims Reeves’ website has included testimonials from customers claiming Reeves “worked” with insurance companies on policyholders’ behalf to ensure the repair work on their homes could be completed.
Reeves said Monday that he informed the division of numerous other construction companies that for years have done exactly what he is accused of doing but have never been pursued by the division.
“They targeted me,” he said, adding that he feels the division pursued a case against him rather than larger companies that engage in the same practices simply because he’s an “easy target” and can’t afford to pay a lot of attorneys’ fees to challenge such actions.
“Everybody does this — and I turned in, like, 40 people and they did nothing about it,” Reeves said. “These are (repair) companies that write claims and do the adjusting — and the division didn’t care about any of them. All they cared about was targeting me.”
State records indicate the case against Reeves was triggered by a March 2023 complaint that Farm Bureau Financial Services filed with the division alleging Reeves had been acting as an insurance adjuster on a Farm Bureau policyholder’s behalf.
The order issued by the division bars Reeves from playing any role in the settlement of insurance claims, reviewing his customers’ insurance policies, advising a customer to demand an appraisal of the work to be performed, or choosing an appraiser or adjuster to assist with the customer’s insurance claim.
Although the division’s order includes no fines or financial penalties, Reeves said the action has been damaging to his reputation.
