State insurance officials have issued a cease and desist order to an adjuster and his agency.
Investigators from the Office of Insurance Fraud and Enforcement at the Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) issued non-resident public adjuster Kade Austen Mitchell and his agency a cease-and-desist order and notice of summary suspension on July 22, 2022, for improperly withholding, misappropriating, or converting funds received in the course of doing business.
Mitchell Adjusting International, LLC is alleged to have fraudulently endorsed checks totaling $150,000 from an insurance company. Mitchell, who is listed as the designated responsible party for the firm, also allegedly failed to remit the funds to the insured. On a separate occasion, Mitchell allegedly withheld an insurance claim payment from a policyholder in the amount of $117,441.43. The checks were supposed to go to a church in New Orleans and a homeowner in Des Allemands, the order states.
The company's website says they "specialize" in Hurricane Laura, Delta, Ida and Zeta claims.
“Louisiana policyholders put great trust in the public adjusters they hire to handle their claims after a loss and deserve to have that trust honored,” said Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon. “This sort of behavior will not be tolerated in the Louisiana insurance market.”
Domiciled in Texas, Mitchell was issued a non-resident public adjuster license in Louisiana on December 10, 2020. He is listed as the designated responsible party for Mitchell Adjusting International, LLC, which was licensed in Louisiana on September 21, 2020. Mitchell has 30 days to request an administrative appeal of this action.
Individuals or businesses who believe they have witnessed or been a victim of insurance fraud are encouraged to report it to the LDI Office of Fraud and Enforcement by calling 225-342-4956 or by visiting www.ldi.la.gov/reportfraud.
A copy of the cease-and-desist order is available here.
About the Louisiana Department of Insurance: The Louisiana Department of Insurance works to improve competition in the state’s insurance market while assisting individuals and businesses with the information and resources they need to be informed consumers of insurance. As a regulator, the LDI enforces the laws that provide a fair and stable marketplace and makes certain that insurers comply with the laws in place to protect policyholders. You can contact the LDI by calling 1-800-259-5300 or visiting www.ldi.la.gov [mailstats.ldi.la.gov].
