Hurricane Ike damages Clear Lake apartments, insurer sued

An insurer is being sued over claims it refused to fairly compensate a customer for the damage Hurricane Ike caused a Clear Lake apartment complex.

NBV Corp. filed a lawsuit on Sept. 19 in the Harris County District Court against Nautilus Insurance Company, citing, among other things, breach of contract and fraud.

NBV says on Sept. 13, 2008 Hurricane Ike stormed through Harris County and significantly damaged its apartment complex, Nassau Bay Villa in Clear Lake. According to the brief, the storm actually blew the entire roof off of one of its buildings, exposing electrical wiring, carpet tile and more.

The suit alleges Nautilus, the insurer of the property, grossly underestimated the value of the damage and refused to settle NBV’s claim fairly, even after agreeing to settle when NBV filed suit in 2010.

NBV is seeking actual, exemplary and treble damages, as well as attorney’s fees and court costs. It is being represented in the case by Houston attorney Tina Nicholson.

Harris County District Court Case No. 2011-55766.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Harris County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.