WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A West Palm Beach fitness studio owner says he's now on the brink after a construction accident sent water pouring through his ceiling, and his insurance company refused to cover the damage.
WATCH BELOW: 'The longer we're closed, the more the bills pile up,' Justin Pomasl tells WPTV's Kate Hussey
Justin Pomasl owns 4You Cycling, a cycling studio off Dixie Highway.
Insurance documents show that on May 1st, a contractor working in the unit above accidentally damaged a sprinkler line, unleashing a flood inside his studio.
“It was just raining, pouring in here," said lead instructor Melissa Fortnash, who first discovered the damage. "I just stood there… my heart broke."
The damage was immediate. Videos staff took showed floors flooded that are now peeling. Bikes are saturated, technical equipment is fried, and soaked ceiling tiles are falling.
“I cried," said Pomasl. "I put a lot of time and sweat and tears and life savings into this place, and to see it like this, it sucks. It’s really hard."
Estimates Pomasl obtained show the flood caused more than $360,000 in losses — including over $151,000 in structural damage, $129,000 in equipment and personal property, at least $16,000 in audio-visual repairs, $56,565 for 27 ruined bikes, and nearly $8,000 in member refunds during the closure.
"We just... we tried to come up with a plan, what do we do from here, where do we go," said Pomasl. "I called the insurance agent the day it happened, maybe less than a week later, the adjuster was out here to get pictures and everything."
Yet after Pomasl filed a claim with his insurer, United States Liability Insurance (USLI), he was denied.
According to a letter from USLI dated May 15, the damage was caused by “sprinkler leakage," something the company says is “not a covered cause of loss.”
"It was terrible," said Pomasl. "I remember kind of like…feeling defeated all over again."
Pomasl then filed a separate claim with the contractor’s insurer, Atlantic Casualty. But more than two months later, he says he’s still waiting for any kind of financial help.
“And that's been a lot of me reaching out and not hearing back,” Pomasl said. “I’m sick of waiting for all this stuff and for someone to do something.”
While the insurance battle drags on, the damage has upended his entire business. A letter from his landlord recently terminated his lease, calling the studio space “untenable” and “unfit for occupancy," giving him just 20 days to move out.
“I don’t know what my first thought was. I was just sad. To know everything I put into it gone—on pause,” he said. “I immediately began thinking of the community, the impact that we have.”
That impact was evident, thanks to founding member Lauren Brown, who posted a video on Instagram tagging WPTV and asking for help.
“Honestly, my goal was to get your attention and to get you guys here to do a story,” Brown said. “I cried. I cried. I was like... I'm gonna cry now, I was devastated. This place has changed my life."
WPTV Investigative Reporter Kate Hussey immediately started calling everyone involved.
USLI declined to comment on the specifics of the claim, citing privacy reasons.
Atlantic Casualty, the contractor's insurer, said it also could not discuss ongoing claims but offered to pass along Pomasl’s concerns about the delay and lack of communication.
As for the contractor who caused the damage, he told WPTV he admits his crew struck the pipe but said “there’s nothing I can do while insurance handles the claim.”
An attorney for Pomasl's landlord said the lease was terminated because the space "wouldn't be safe or practical to occupy" but said he's "actively looking" for a new space for him.
Meanwhile, Pomasl is paying $2,600 a month to operate out of a temporary space in Lake Worth, just trying to stay afloat, while insurance companies and attorneys try to sort out what happens next.
“Is there a possibility you might not reopen?” Hussey asked.
“It’s a real possibility, yeah,” Pomasl said, choking up. “One that I don't want to happen, but it's possible.”
Pomasl built a space to help others find their strength, and when it came time to fight for his own, his community showed up, but the companies he hoped would step in still haven't.
"And the longer we're closed, the more the bills pile up," said Pomasl. "The longer we're closed, the less revenue we have coming in, the more of a chance we have of losing our members.”
Pomasl says he just wants his story heard and hopes it raises awareness about a growing gap in many insurance policies.
Insurance attorneys tell WPTV it's a common loophole that’s becoming increasingly difficult to avoid.
WPTV Investigates is digging deeper into that very issue in our next report. In the meantime, experts urge policyholders to read the fine print — and understand exactly what isn’t covered.
