I Caused Flood Damage

Last month I wrote a check to my landlord for $760.00.
It was for cleanup of flood/water damage.
Replace your washing machine hoses every three to five years.
It costs way less than $760.00.

Check your homeowners/rental insurance policy. If you call your insurance company and ask a question about coverage they will probably count that as a claim. They might even cancel your policy just because you inquired about the coverage.

I had driven to Raleigh to have lunch with a friend. It is a one hour drive.
I had not seen this man for forty years. We went to college together.
He married my cousin. He came to the U.S. from Chile to bury her.
May she rest in peace. We talked and ate and drank. I was gone about four hours.
It would have been longer but he had a plane to catch. It was nice to see him again.
I should have gone to Chile with him.

When I returned home I noticed water in the breezeway. Upon entering my front door
I stepped into about an inch of water. As I walked into my apartment I saw soaked
carpet in all of the rooms and a flooded kitchen. I immediately thought that my upstairs
neighbor was at fault. The maintenance guy was just outside. He approached me and
said that he had turned off my water, and that my washing machine hose had burst.
He also said that he called their “cleanup people”.

When the cleanup crew came they quickly went about assessing the work. They gave
me an estimate of $820.00. They also informed me that they had 48 hours to dry it up
before the mildew took over.

I didn’t want mildew, so I said for them to do it. They brought in 2 huge dehumidifiers
and 7 large blowers with flattened exhaust tubes. They slit my carpets, positioned the
blowers and turned on the dehumidifiers. My carpet raised up like a big blister. I turned the air conditioner to 68 degrees to help with the drying. It took two days. One of the dehumidifiers failed and was replaced on day two. They did not charge me for the dehumidifier for the one day.

They put my bed on risers. Everything else was stacked up in dry spots in the dining
room and living room. As you might imagine, the noise was quite loud. I took an extra
XANAX both nights and slept like a baby.

I bought a new set of hoses for my washing machine. They were steel reinforced hoses
with a high rated burst strength. A little pricey, but  not a problem.
My renters insurance does not cover water damage.

Replace your washing machine hoses every three to five years.
It costs way less than $760.00.

Fred