Tyler Perry steps in to pay nearly $18K lien for 81-year-old Markham woman after FOX Chicago report

CHICAGO - Tyler Perry is stepping in to help an 81-year-old Markham woman who has been displaced from her longtime home for more than six months after her insurance company denied her water damage claim.

The actor, filmmaker and media mogul says he will pay the nearly $18,000 mechanic’s lien placed on Brenda Daurham’s home by the restoration company that performed cleanup work following a February flood.

And Perry says his help will not stop there.

"Ms. Daurham, help is on the way," Perry said in a video posted to Instagram after seeing Daurham’s story.

Brenda Daurham's fight to get home

What we know:

FOX Chicago first introduced viewers to Daurham as she fought to return to the Markham home she has lived in for more than 30 years.

"I have nothing, nothing at all, so I just want somebody to help me," Daurham said.

Daurham says she has paid Allstate for homeowners insurance for decades, believing the policy would protect her if something went wrong.

On Valentine’s Day, she says a pipe under her kitchen sink burst, sending water through portions of her home.

The damage forced her out, and more than six months later, she still has not returned.

"It’s horrible. It’s devastating," Daurham said. "I can’t even stand it any longer. That’s why I had to go to the hospital, because I felt like I was having a breakdown."

Insurance claim denied, lien placed on home

Allstate later denied Daurham’s claim, citing wear and tear, deterioration and seepage.

The restoration company that performed the cleanup has disputed that determination, saying the damage was consistent with a sudden and accidental plumbing failure.

After the company was not paid for its work, it placed a mechanic’s lien on Daurham’s property seeking $17,827.96, plus potential interest, attorney’s fees and other costs.

Daurham previously told FOX Chicago she did not have the money to pay it.

Now, she won't have to face that bill alone.

Tyler Perry sees FOX Chicago story and steps in

After FOX Chicago shared Daurham’s story on Instagram, viewers began tagging Perry and asking him to take a look.

One person wrote, "Tyler Perry, I know you can't save everyone, but just in case you might decide to... I wanted to tag you on this, at least for awareness."

Perry got the message.

He then posted about Daurham’s case on his own Instagram account, directly calling out Allstate.

"Hey Allstate, step to the front real quick," Perry said. "This woman is 81 years old. You call this being in good hands?"

Perry then delivered the message Daurham had been waiting months to hear:

"Ms. Daurham, help is on the way."

Perry has committed to paying the nearly $18,000 lien on Daurham’s home, removing one major financial obstacle in her effort to return home. He is also offering additional assistance to help Daurham move forward.

Allstate says it is looking into the case

FOX Chicago has repeatedly reached out to Allstate seeking answers about Daurham’s denied claim.

So far, the company has acknowledged FOX Chicago’s request and said a representative is "currently looking into this."

For Daurham, Perry's intervention marks a dramatic turn in a fight that has stretched on for more than six months.

She went from telling FOX Chicago she had "nothing" and simply wanted someone to help her, to having one of Hollywood’s most recognizable names step forward to do exactly that.

Perry's movie "A Madea Homecoming" includes the words, "Come here anytime you like."

For Daurham, those words may soon take on a whole new meaning.

After six months away from the house she has called home for more than three decades, Tyler Perry is helping bring her one step closer to a homecoming of her own.