Ga. Commissioner Parks Agency Reportedly Selling Bogus Taxi and Limo Coverage

Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine announced Tuesday that he has issued a cease and desist order against Phoenix Brokerage Inc. and Main Street Brokerage Inc., both located in Barnesville, and arrested one of the owners for allegedly selling bogus commercial auto coverage.

Oxendine said the Waterhouses are believed to have collected nearly $3 million in premiums over the past two and a half years.

“The fraudulent activities of these brokerages have placed numerous businessmen in financial peril across the state,” Oxendine said. “Georgia citizens have also been put at risk whenever they rode in a vehicle that was supposedly covered by these firms.”

Arrested was Robert Waterhouse, co-owner of the brokerages that sold commercial auto coverage to taxi and limousine services statewide. Warrants have been issued on his father and co-owner Godfrey “Jeff” Waterhouse. Both father and son are natives of New Zealand.

The policies sold by their brokerages were allegedly from Mark Solofa Insurance Company – a legitimate insurer located in American Samoa. However, the premiums were reportedly never passed on to the insurer, and neither agent had a contract to represent Mark Solofa Insurance.

“I want any company who thinks they might have purchased an auto insurance policy from the Waterhouse agencies to contact my office,” Oxendine said. Consumers can reach the Commissioner’s Consumer Services Division at (404) 656-2070, or toll-free at 1-800-656-2298.
Phone lines are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Cities with taxi or limo companies that have policies with the Waterhouses include: Acworth, Albany, Alpharetta, Americus, Atlanta, Blakely, Brunswick, Cataula, Clarkston, College Park, Columbus, Cumming, Cussetta, Dahlonega, Dawsonville, Decatur, Doraville, Douglasville, Duluth, Dunwoody, East Point, Eden, Ellenwood, Fairburn, Fayetteville, Fitzgerald, Forest Park, Gainesville, Grayson, Hampton, Newnan, Jesup, Alpharetta, Jonesboro, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Lithia Springs, Lithonia, Loganville, Mableton, Macon, Marietta, McDonough, Oakwood, Peachtree City, Pine Lake, Portal, Powder Springs, Redan, Rex, Riverdale, Riverdale, Riverdale, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Snellville, St. Marys, St. Simons Island, Stone Mountain, Toccoa, Union City, and Woodstock.

Topics Agencies Georgia