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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / February 2005OT Please Spare a Purr For My Dad and Stepmother
Hi all, This is not a life-threatening situation, as in neither one of them have a terrible illness. They have however been rather hit over the head by life. Upon their return from Mexico, Dad and Glenna came home at two a.m to find their water heater had quit and flooded a large area of their house while they were gone. Bad enough that it had to break, but really awful that it did it when they were away, at least a week before they came back. Fortunately, they have homeowner's insurance, but while the insurance will cover water damage, but not mold damage. Had they been home when it happened, the damage could have been contained, but now the line between what is water damage and what is mold damage appears to be rather arbitrary in the eyes of their insurance agent. Dad says she's the kind of person you really don't want to deal with anyway, and certainly not when your house is temporarily unlivable. Right now, they're living at my mom's house, as she has an extra room, heat, hot water, and a kitchen they can use. They'll be moving into a rental unit for the next three months. A lot of the flooring in the kitchen, dining room, living room and hallway is going to have to be replaced, hence their need to move out. It's really a shame, as this is a beautiful little Spanish style house of 1920's vintage with lovely hardwood floors. In the last two years they did a lot of work on it, adding a study for my dad at one end of the living room. (Yes, I do quietly covet their house, or at least I did before this latest disaster.) They need purrs that the damage is mostly water damage, which the insurance WILL pay for. In the worst case, if the insurance company says it's all mold damage, they WON'T pay for repairs, and they might be forced to sell the house which would break their hearts. They have a huge lot where my stepmother has a nice garden she's been working on for thirty years. It's their single greatest financial assett bought in the early 70's when ordinary people could still buy a nice house, and the chance they could get anything remotely comparable at today's prices is nil. Especially since they're both well past retirement age. So calling all cats, please start your purring engines..... Melissa > Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > Melissa That really sucks. Purrs that the insurance company sees the light and that any mold damage began as water damage. Insurance is such a wierd thing anyway. You pay and pay but it seems like you never get the benefit. > Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > Melissa House healing purrs on the way! I hope everything works out for them. As an aside - how nice of your mom to put them up, wow, you were actually raised by grown-ups!!! Hugs, CatNipped SNIP> > House healing purrs on the way! I hope everything works out for them. > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > CatNipped Heh, yes, most of the time, they are. =o) I can't imagine why my mom and dad got married as they just weren't well suited. But they stuck to the marriage for fifteen years before they decided it was time to cut their losses and go their separate ways. My step-mother is a much better match for my dad. But they went about breaking up their marriage in as mature a way as one could hope for, and neither of them bad-mouthed the other to the four of us, and Mom gave Dad plenty of access to us, even though she got custody. She and Glenna get on well, and Dad and Glenna come to family occasions like Christmas and Thanksgiving. It's been nearly forty years now, so they've worked out whatever bitterness may have lingered long ago. Also, my mom has a pretty big house, but spends a lot of time in Santa Cruz with her gentleman friend Mark. So she figured Dad and Glenna might as well use her house since they were in a rather desperate situation. Melissa Purring and purr-aying are in progress. If they're unsatisfied with what the insurance agent has to say, can they get a second opinion? Or file an appeal somehow? But here's hoping that won't be necessary. In article <9bbcd132bb7fafdb0be07490c4065292@localhost.talkaboutpets.com>, "Gabey8" <gabey8-@-aol-dot-com (formerly dgabriel-at-netaxs-dot-com)> wrote: > Purring and purr-aying are in progress. > > If they're unsatisfied with what the insurance agent has to say, can they > get a second opinion? Or file an appeal somehow? > > But here's hoping that won't be necessary. Purrs. These things vary by state, but check the yellow pages, etc., for "independent adjusters", who are much like mediators for such things and can give independent opinions. It's also worth calling the state commissioner of insurance, or whoever regulates insurance, and check on mediation and appeal mechanisms. This is also the sort of thing where TV consumer reporters might find interest. > In article > <9bbcd132bb7fafdb0be07490c4065292@localhost.talkaboutpets.com>, [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > thing where > TV consumer reporters might find interest. Agreed. Most states have an appeals process in place. Well, I know they do for medical decisions but not sure about homeowners insurance. Purrs on the way for Melissa's Dad and Stepmother and for the insurance adjuster to recognize there's no way they could have prevented a bit of mold since they weren't in the country! Jill Lots of purrs on the way.  SignatureVictor M. Martinez Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM) Send your spam here: uce@ftc.gov Email me here: pistorLITTER@BOXaustin.rr.com Purring and praying that everything comes out well in the end. Jazz & his mama SignatureIrulan from the stars we come to the stars we return from now until the end of time > Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > > Melissa > So calling all cats, please start your purring engines..... Certainly, Melissa. Frank&Nikki purrs on the way for your Dad and stepmother. What a terrible thing to happen. SignatureMarina, Frank and Nikki marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki <snip> > So calling all cats, please start your purring engines..... > > Melissa Purrs for your Dad and Glenna. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy & Bagheera) A house is not a home, without a cat. Purrs and purrayers for your Dad and Glenna from us -- what a sad situation. It seems to me that the mold damage couldn't have occurred without the water damage first so how can the insurance company not pay? In any case, many purrs for patience while this mess gets sorted out. And purrs for your worries about them, too. Christine > Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > Melissa Purrs on the way. Ann Signatureread Sam's blog at http://kittens-3.blogspot.com/ see pictures of Sam at http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ann791/my_photos > Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > > Melissa > They need purrs that the damage is mostly water damage, which > the insurance WILL pay for. In the worst case, if the [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > prices is nil. Especially since they're both well past > retirement age. What bad luck. Kitties are sending purrs! SignatureCheryl >Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > >Melissa Oh, your folks have my sympathies. Purrs that the insurance company will be reasonable and cover this, and that they can get everything take care of and be back home soon. Ginger-lyn > Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > > Melissa Purrs that the insurance rules that it's all water damage, no mold damage. Sam, closely supervised by Mistletoe who's adding her best purrs to the effort > So calling all cats, please start your purring engines..... > > Melissa Harri Roadcat is sending her best right now, and the Highland kitties that remain in Highland will join in this evening. Dan > Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > they were gone. Bad enough that it had to break, but really awful that it > did it when they were away, at least a week before they came back. Oh, my! BTDT purrs on the way for your Dad and Stepmother. We went away (fortunately for one day) one Easter and returned to find an empty water heater and soaking wet carpet from one end of the house to almost the other. We shall send purrs and meatloaf meditations x 5 that the insurance company realizes that even if there is mold it is only there because of the water damage....ummm, duh. Julie,Hobbes, Selena, Lacey, Sam and Barnabus >> Hi all, >> [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >insurance company realizes that even if there is mold it is only there >because of the water damage....ummm, duh. When you are going to be gone a long while you can turn off the electricity or gas to the heater so the water heater won't burn up and then turn off the water at the valve on the water heater connection. There's no need to heat water noone is there to use. It is also good to have a trusted neighbor with a key who can check on things while you are away. When you have a leak you need to take steps right away instead of letting things fester while you dicker with the insurance adjuster. Fix the leak and call the cleanup man. Mold is easier to prevent than it is to remove. When you discover a loss you're supposed to do what you can to prevent it from getting worse. Insurance policies vary quite a bit. Many policies do not cover water damage from plumbing leaks. William Hamblen <wrhamblen@comcast.net> wrote in message SNIP:> > When you are going to be gone a long while you can turn off the > electricity or gas to the heater so the water heater won't burn up and [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Insurance policies vary quite a bit. Many policies do not cover water > damage from plumbing leaks. Very sage advice, and alas, a hard lesson learned, here. And sadly, hindsight is always perfect. They've been away for extended periods of time with no mishaps of this kind, so they may have forgotten to take all the precautions they might have done. They have been working at getting things dried out, and they did call the repair people in as soon as possible. Thanks for all the purrs and good wishes, all. Melissa > Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > their water heater had quit and flooded a large area of their house while > they were gone. (snippety) We're sending out purrs! ------ Krista Lots of purrs and best wishes, SignaturePolonca & Soncek > Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > what is water damage and what is mold damage appears to be rather arbitrary > in the eyes of their insurance agent. <snip> Oh, my. This is a really serious matter; it may be impossible to sell a house with extensive mold damage. Many purrs on their way. It may not be an illness, but it is certainly a stressful situation. I hope they didn't lose too many expensive or irreplacable items. > Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > Melissa Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca Purrs are on their way that this is resolved quickly. Helen M Melissa wrote: --------<snip of home catastrophe>-------- >So calling all cats, please start your purring engines..... I'll get mine working on it right away. I can't imagine the stress they must be under -- hugs to the whole family. Regards and Purrs, O J |
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