Kane County Woman Claims Insurer Threatened Policy Drop Over Aerial Photos

Kane County, Illinois — A local woman claims Allstate Insurance threatened to drop her coverage after reviewing aerial photos of her property taken without her knowledge. Roseanna Castillo said the company used Google Earth to capture images, leading to a shocking discovery.

In a letter from Allstate, Castillo was informed her roof showed signs of “granular loss.” The company asked her to pay $18,000 to replace the roof entirely or to submit her own photographs proving it was in good condition. She was given only a month and a half to comply.

“I thought that this was absurd,” Castillo said. “This is an unsolicited inspection on my home. I never asked for this.” The deadline for compliance loomed, with Castillo questioning the legitimacy of the inspection process.

Consumer advocate Amy Bach noted that more insurers are using drones and aerial surveillance in their underwriting processes. “It’s unregulated,” she said. “They can take pictures whenever they want, they don’t have to give notice to the homeowner.” These images are often analyzed by artificial intelligence, which can lead to errors.

Castillo filed a complaint with the state about the situation. Just days later, she received notice that Allstate dropped the roof requirement without needing any additional proof from her.

“I did email the agent and let them know I was going to be speaking with CBS, and I had filed a Department of Insurance claim,” she said. “There was no longer a stipulation for me to keep my insurance and my policy would renew like normal in November.”

If other homeowners find themselves in similar situations, they can request to see the photos used by their insurer. If the request is denied, filing a complaint with the Illinois Insurance Department is advisable.

An Allstate spokesperson issued a statement responding to the incident: “Allstate continues to support this customer with homeowners insurance coverage. To clarify, drones and AI were not used in this process. We use aerial imagery to enhance the customer experience, ensure pricing accuracy and fairness, and support safer, faster, and less intrusive property inspections compared to in-house visits.”

The Insurance Information Institute, an insurance industry association, defended the use of drones for home inspections, stating, “Insurers are using drones to make the home inspection and underwriting process more efficient and cost-effective. Conducting aerial inspections captures the type of data insurers need for prudent underwriting decisions and helps identify areas where homeowners can improve their coverage, such as addressing poor roof conditions.”