HomeFirst Agency reviews and complaints

This complaint is in regards to the Homefirst Insurance Agency located in Maryville, Tennessee, and their failure to honor our homeowners insurance claim. This is also our second claim with them. They denied the first one for water damage a year ago, but reversed their decision only after we complained to the BBB of northeast Tennessee. We live in a manufactured home that we bought brand new in 2008 from Clayton Homes. We just discovered water damage to a wall and ceiling in a bedroom in our house. This room has black mold on the ceiling where it meets the interior wall, and both areas are soft to the touch indicating that water has gotten inside the wall. We have had several very heavy rains from recent storms, and it's obvious that this has contributed to the problem because the mold appears to be new, and we haven't had any mold damage on any of our other ceilings previously. Our claim was denied by Homefirst because they said the damage was caused by "wear and tear" and the age of the roof. They also mentioned that there was some algae build up inside the gutters. However, the gutters are cleaned 3 times a year with the most recent cleaning being done just two months ago...to make sure there was nothing to block them. This home is only 7 years old and the roof should normally be expected to last longer than that. Therefore we strongly disagree with the reason for denial of our claim, and expect the Homefirst Agency to honor our contract with them and provide coverage for the damage. It is urgent that whatever repairs that are needed, be made in a timely and professional manner to prevent any further damage to our home. That's why we pay extra every month for homeowner insurance, right along with our mortgage payment. But I also now realize that insurance companies are in business to make money and will often deny claims such as ours that are legitimate.