SpicyBugz World

I first want to thank everyone for their prayers and kind words.  It really did mean a lot to me.  I don’t have the time to answer all comments so I will try to fill you all in with this post.

My son lived in my home in PA.  We let him live there because we didn’t want to leave the home vacant for many reasons.

As you all know we remodeled that home for years and years.  We put our hearts and souls into it.  We built the kitchen from the ground up, everything brand new, cabinets, counter top,  The kitchen was 24×24.  It was huge, with 5 windows. We also remodeled the middle part of the home, and raised the roof 2 feet.  All new flooring that cost thousands of dollars.  The master bedroom and master bath was also built from the ground up.  It was also 24×24 and had a 12 foot high ceiling.  Beautiful ceiling fans were installed,  Very expensive wooden window blinds with satin curtains in the windows.  EVERYTHING brand new.  There were 4 windows in the master bedrooms, 2 windows in the master bath.  A throne toilet with very expensive flooring to look like pebbles.  New tub and shower.  Hell, the paint alone for that house was 32 dollars a gallon.   Oh and french doors that lead into the master bedroom.

We built that home the way we wanted it.  We didn’t go cheap, and it didn’t happen fast.  I loved that home.  I also did so very much landscaping.  Thousands of dollars in shrubs and plants.  Not to mention the beautiful front deck and the deck off the kitchen.

When I was first called about the fire, my son was hysterical.  I could tell he was more than upset.  It took 2 calls to the fire dept for them to finally get there.  By the time they did get there the whole house was in flames.  They asked my son what happened. He said he didn’t know.  He was in the kitchen working on something, and then smelt smoke, went into the living room and the couch was totally on fire.  He tried to put it out but it was getting even more out of control.  He ran outside to scream for help, and the neighbor brought out a fire extinguisher, but by that time he couldn’t re enter the home.

So, the fire chief asked him…were you smoking, he replied, “not at that time”.   This apparently is what caused the investigation.  4 different investigators, investigated my home.  The finding.  An over full ashtray next to the couch with a smoldering cig in it caused the fire.   I am livid.  I never smoked in my home, never, not once.  When it was -20 outside I would bundle up and smoke outside.  He knew NO smoking in the house.

Now comes the pain.  Our insurance company called yesterday.  We are getting screwed with a huge screw.  I also want to take this time to tell all you home owners to check your policy.  We thought we were fine, and covered.  We paid a hefty premium every year for what we thought was excellent coverage.  Yeah right, what they tell you when they sell you insurance, and what they actually deliver is completely different.

We had enough to cover our home, or so we thought.  We also paid the extra money for replacement cost.  When they sold us this extra insurance, they told us, that this coverage would pay for the actual replacement cost of anything lost.  If we didn’t buy it, it would only pay the depreciated value of the items.  We bought it hook line and sinker.  This is how it really works.   Our home is a total loss.  TOTAL.  To rebuild from the ground up will cost more than the insurance coverage we have.  They will ONLY pay the full amount of our insurance policy IF we rebuild, which I just told you, isn’t enough to rebuild.  We are not getting the full amount of our coverage for the home.  we lost 50,000 dollars.  That’s right 50,000 dollars.  The amount they are giving us will barely cover the mortgage we have on the house.

Now let’s get into personal property loss.  Remember I said, we bought full replacement cost coverage because it was pushed on us to do so.  That it would cover total cost of the items.  WRONG.  This is how it actually works.  You have to have a receipt for every item that you claim.  Do you have receipt for every single personal item that you have?  Now, if approved, they will give you the depreciated value…that’s right, the depreciated value, UNTIL you replace the item.  Once you replace it,  and sent them a receipt, they will reimburse you for the difference.  What if you are not replacing the item? Your screwed.

We are in the process now of trying to make an itemized list of personal property.  Do you have any idea how hard that is to do.  I know I can’t remember everything that was in that house.  I had 3 closets full of clothing.  Mostly winter clothes that weren’t needed down here in FL.  I have no idea the cost of all those clothes.  I have no idea how much i paid for pots and pans and dishes and all the things that fill a kitchen.  I have no idea how much I paid for the pictures on the walls etc.  I don’t have receipts.  The receipts I did have would have been in one of the closets THAT BURNED DOWN. I have no idea what my furniture cost exactly.  I do know that we had Sears install a brand new furnace and central air right before we left that cost almost 10,000.  Guess what, that isn’t personal property, it’s included with the cost of the house, which we are not getting paid for.

So, in a nut shell…we are screwed.  With a Capital “S”.  It doesn’t feel good.   Lord help us when it comes time for the demolition.  That is also supposed to be covered by my insurance.  HA.