REFUGIO – Refugio County recently brought a Hurricane Harvey lawsuit against the Texas Association of Counties seeking more than $1 million in damages.
The suit, which was filed just days before the two-year anniversary of the storm, alleges the risk management arm of TAC “improperly denied” the county’s claim.
Harvey hit Refugio County on Aug. 25, 2017, inflicting “substantial damages” to its buildings and property, according to the suit.
The county made a claim on its policy with TAC and the association assigned adjusters who allegedly “conducted a substandard investigation.”
The policy had a building value of more than $22 million and a contents value of nearly $2.9 million, court records show.
According to the Victoria Advocate, Refugio County, like Victoria County, hired the Virtus Group, on the recommendation of TAC, for Harvey repairs.
The out-of-state company, now called the Commercial Restoration Company, is currently at the center of a controversy, as questions have been raised on whether Victoria County spent its insurance money in the taxpayers’ interests, the article states.
Refugio County’s lawsuit does not mention the Virtus Group.
The suit does, however, accuse TAC of breaching its insurance contract with Refugio County by “wrongfully denying and/or underpaying the claim.”
Refugio County is represented by Kurt Arnold, Caj Boatright and Roland Christensen, attorneys for the Arnold & Itkin law firm in Houston.
Filed in Refugio County District Court, case No. 2019-08-12971