DAVENPORT, Iowa — When Linnea Hoover, a resident of the apartment building in Davenport that partially collapsed, filed a rental insurance claim, she thought she would be reimbursed for the personal belongings she left behind.
She was instead met with a claim denial by GEICO because GEICO says the collapse was the fault of the building owner.
News 8 reported in June that Hoover, a former WQAD photojournalist, had escalated her claim to the Iowa Insurance Division to reevaluate GEICO's decision. She said GEICO began communicating with her again after that story came out.
A month later, her claim has been denied for a second time. GEICO said part of the reason was because her apartment wasn't part of the initial collapse.
Hoover also said GEICO refused the claim because the building was later demolished.
"[They said] they also don't have to help with anything, because I should have gone in there to get my stuff," Hoover said. "How could I go in there to get my stuff when they wouldn't let us back in?"
Hoover said she's had to spend more than $10,000 replacing important documents, clothes and anything else she left in her apartment. Her rental insurance would only have covered up to $5,000.
Hoover said she's exhausted from continually fighting for the coverage she paid for.
"It's just so incredibly frustrating," Hoover said. "I'm so incredibly tired and overwhelmed."
Even so, she says she'll keep at it for the sake of others in her situation.
"If I don't use my time to fight for this, what about other people later on?"
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