CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids landlord told the civil jury in U.S. District Court on Wednesday that he was only seeking money owed him when he filed false insurance claims.

Robert Miell admitted filing 145 false claims for hail damage after a May 10, 2001, storm. He received an initial payment of $250,000. A second payment totaling $500,000 was to be paid when the roof repairs were completed. Miell submitted false documents to claim the second payment before the repairs were made.

American Family Mutual Insurance is suing Miell for return of all $750,000. In a criminal trial later this year Miell faces fines and up to 10 years in prison.

Miell said he filed the false claims because he had been given a one-year deadline to repair the damage. "It was impossible," Miell said. "It was impossible to find a roofer and shingles were difficult to find."

"I did what I did (filed false claims), because I was owed the money," he said, under cross examination by his attorney Peter Riley.

Miell said he eventually fixed the roofs at a cost of nearly $1.2 million, $450,000 above the amount he received from American Family.

In a third-party suit Miell claims his American Family agent Bret Thorlson of Cedar Rapids didn't provide Miell the insurance coverage for his vehicles that he had requested.

When Miell's then-girlfriend ran a stop sign in October 2001 and had an accident in one of Miell's personal vehicles, American Family refused to pay the victim more than the $100,000 allowed by the policy. Miell paid the injured woman $400,000 from his personal funds even though he had another umbrella policy with another insurance agency.

Miell also claims that Thorlson participated in discussions about the one-year hail damage deadline and an extension of six months. The policy did not set a one-year deadline for repairs but Miell said Thorlson and the adjuster told him he had only a year to complete them. Thorlson, Miell said, gave him a six-month extension to the deadline.

The trial will continue today before Judge Jon Scoles.

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