Tyler Perry pays $18K lien for 81-year-old woman after Allstate denied her home insurance claim

On Valentine’s day, Illinois resident Brenda Daurham was thankful she had home insurance when a pipe under her sink burst, causing serious water damage throughout her property.

Over six months later, Daurham is still displaced from her home after Allstate refused to pay for the repairs.

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“I have nothing — nothing at all,” Daurham told Fox 32 Chicago. “I just want somebody to step in and help me.”

Luckily for her, someone has. Filmmaker and billionaire Tyler Perry has offered to pay the nearly $18,000 lien a repair company put on her home after Allstate refused her claim.

“Hey ALLSTATE!! Step to the front real quick,” Perry posted on his Facebook page. “This woman is 81 years old. You call this being in good hands?”

Here’s how Daurham ended up in this position — and what you can do if you find yourself in a similar bind.

Allstate said they would cover the repairs, then denied the claim

Daurham had lived in her home — and paid for homeowner’s insurance — for over 40 years. As far as she knew, she was doing everything right.

“I have the highest of everything — the highest insurance policy,” Daurham told FOX 32 Chicago. “Everything is covered; I always cover everything. And then when something happens, they don’t cover anything.”

To make things worse, Allstate originally said they would pay for the repairs to her home. It was only after she hired a restoration company to repair her home that Allstate denied her claim.

The restoration company filed a request for denial, saying that the home damage was caused by “sudden and accidental escape of water” — something that’s covered by Allstate’s policy. But Allstate allegedly didn’t budge.

The restoration company ended up putting a mechanic’s lien on her home for almost $18,000, not including potential interest and attorney’s fees. That’s what Perry has offered to pay.

Unfortunately, her home is still not fit for her to live in. But it sounds like Perry might be able to help with that, too.

“The specifics of all of what he’s going to do for her — it’s a little unclear,” said FOX Chicago’s Tia Ewing. “We know he’s going to pay off the lien. It sounds like he’s going to have the work done to remodel her home, as well, because as you can imagine… it’s in complete disrepair from the flooding.”

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What to do if your home insurance claim was denied

Unfortunately, Daurham isn’t the only person dealing with denied homeowners claims. A 2024 report by Weiss Ratings showed that 42% of home insurance claims are closed with no payment — 48% if you only include the 14 largest insurers.

Even for large insurers, Allstate was the worst offender. More than half of the claims the company closed in 2024 were closed without payment.

“Adding insult to injury for homeowners already suffering from spreading climate disasters and economic headwinds, many insurers appear to be using denials as a strategy to cut back on claims payments,” said Martin D. Weiss in the report.

If these numbers worry you, switching to a smaller insurance company or one of the better-rated large insurance companies could help. But if it’s too late, there’s still things you can do to better your odds of an approved claim.

Make sure you understand exactly what your homeowner’s insurance covers — not only to know what you’re protected against, but also so you can point to specific aspects of your insurance if your company denies your claim.

If something does happen, make sure to document the event thoroughly before going through the formal claims process. Taking comprehensive pictures of the damage can help you make your case if your insurance company denies the damage later.

And if your claim is denied, you can always appeal. If the appeal doesn’t work, you might want to consider hiring a legal expert to help or even making a complaint with your state’s insurance department.

Allstate did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: Tyler Perry pays $18K lien for 81-year-old woman after Allstate denied her home insurance claim

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