{"id":43830,"date":"2025-11-10T22:18:38","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T22:18:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/43830\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T22:18:38","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T22:18:38","slug":"san-patricio-city-leaders-warn-of-potential-scams-in-aftermath-of-hail-storm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/43830\/","title":{"rendered":"San Patricio city leaders warn of potential scams in aftermath of hail storm"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN PATRICIO COUNTY, Tx \u2014 After a hailstorm last week<\/a> caused roof, window and fence damage across Portland, Taft and other parts of San Patricio County, Portland city officials are warning residents to be cautious when hiring contractors and to watch for possible scams during the recovery process.<\/p>\n

Assistant City Manager Sarah Munoz said the storm led to \u201csevere roof and window damage\u201d for many residents, though she was among those who did not personally experience any damage.<\/p>\n

Munoz said the city\u2019s top priority is resident safety, and much of that effort is focused on Portland\u2019s contractor registration program.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt ensures that our contractors are registered with insurance and second, it ensures that the contractors are aware of the permitting requirements,\u201d she said. She added that many contractors arriving in the aftermath of the storm are from out of town and may not be familiar with local windstorm standards, which can affect insurance claims.<\/p>\n

San Patricio city leaders warn of potential scams in aftermath of hail storm<\/p>\n

Munoz said the city has seen an unusually high number of new contractors registering in the days since the storm. \u201cIn this last week alone, we\u2019ve seen an uptick to nearly about 100 new companies come into our area and register as contractors<\/a>,\u201d she said. Most are seeking work related to roof and window replacements.<\/p>\n

Only registered contractors are listed through the city. However, Munoz said some companies are still soliciting work without signing in with Portland. To address unpermitted soliciting, Munoz said the city\u2019s code enforcement and police department are monitoring heavily damaged neighborhoods, and residents should report suspicious activity. \u201cWe do have code enforcement and the police department actively policing some of these areas,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

She encouraged residents to check contractor registration, ask whether proper permits and windstorm certifications have been obtained, and remain wary of companies offering \u201cfree\u201d inspections that may carry hidden charges.<\/p>\n

\"Weather<\/p>\n

KRIS 6 Weather<\/p>\n

Weather Watcher Photo of hail 11-1-2025<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve put out several resources that will allow our residents to be educated about the contractors that are coming into this area,\u201d Munoz said. She added that the city\u2019s contractor registration page remains the most important tool for verifying whether someone is authorized to work in Portland.<\/p>\n

\u201cResidents can always ask the solicitor or vendor to provide that information,\u201d Munoz said. \u201cIf they do not have one, they are able to call our police department to report that solicitor.\u201d<\/p>\n

State officials offer additional tips to avoid contractor scams<\/p>\n

The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI)<\/a> recommends several steps homeowners can take to avoid fraud when repairing storm damage:<\/p>\n

Get multiple bids. TDI advises getting at least three estimates and comparing them with your insurance adjuster\u2019s assessment. Bids should be written on company letterhead with a phone number and physical address.Read documents carefully. Officials warn that scammers may present contracts as \u201cestimates\u201d or \u201creleases\u201d just to get on a roof. Homeowners should never sign a document with blank spaces.Watch for misleading contract language. TDI says to avoid any contract stating that repairs will cost \u201cthe value of insurance proceeds,\u201d which gives the contractor the entire insurance payout.Don\u2019t pay up front. After a disaster, Texas law prohibits out-of-town contractors from requesting down payments before work begins.Avoid offers to waive deductibles. TDI says it\u2019s illegal for contractors to waive or absorb an insurance deductible. Homeowners can report violations to the Texas Attorney General at 800-621-0508.<\/p>\n

The Texas Attorney General\u2019s Office<\/a> also warns that door-to-door contractors often target neighborhoods after natural disasters. The office recommends:<\/p>\n

Getting more than one estimate and avoiding pressure to sign immediately.Checking contractors online and requesting references.Getting all agreements in writing, including cost, timeline, payment terms and a notice of cancellation if the contract is signed at home.Not signing contracts with blank spaces.Asking for proof of insurance, including disability and workers\u2019 compensation coverage.Clarifying in writing whether a contractor will place a lien or security interest on the property.Not making final payments or signing completion papers until the work is finished to your satisfaction.<\/p>\n

For the latest local news updates, click here<\/a>, or download the KRIS 6 News App.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN PATRICIO COUNTY, Tx \u2014 After a hailstorm last week caused roof, window and fence damage across Portland,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":43831,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[25843,25844,25845,155,157,156,25846,25847,6658,4126,11730,25848,10836],"class_list":["post-43830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-corpus-christi","tag-contractor-scams","tag-contractors","tag-contractors-near-me","tag-corpus-christi","tag-corpus-christi-headlines","tag-corpus-christi-news","tag-hail-damage","tag-hail-storm","tag-kris-6","tag-kris-6-news","tag-portland","tag-portland-hail","tag-san-patricio-county"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43830"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43830\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}