Apparently, a squirrel fell into an Atlanta house through its chfiimney, and during its desperation to escape caused more than $20,000 worth of damage.
To make matters worse, the cost of the damage resulting from this intruding squirrel will not be covered. All this according to the couple’s insurance company. The company says it cannot be held responsible for the damage.
The first-time homeowners left for vacation in late December, and when they arrived back home in January, saw the atrocity the squirrel had left. A squirrel will gnaw on whatever it can get its ever-growing teeth on to escape. In doing so, the squirrel left woodchips all over the entire house trying to find a way out. These little vermin can destroy ten times their weight in wood, wires, drywall, and just about anything else that comprises your home.
When the family returned home their house was completely in shambles. Since the squirrel came in through the chimney, the hearth, mantle, and carpet around the fireplace had little black footprints. Wood chips were scattered around any place that had exposed wood. Squirrell urine and feces were prevalent all over the main level of the home. The floors were scratched, the baseboards destroyed, and any semblance of window frame hardly remained.
The residents thought the home had been broken into at first, but soon learned it was a squirrel. Once they saw all appliances and valuables were still present, the pieces started falling together. That’s when they got on the phone and called Attic Kings to come to inspect, assess, remove, and exclude any animals from the premises.
At Attic Kings, we know that the rodent entered through the chimney, then panicked trying to find a way out. Eventually, the squirrel was trapped and removed from the couple’s home. Unfortunately, the family had to come out of their own pocket because the insurance company still will not cover this loss, as it wasn’t part of the standard homeowners’ insurance premium. The insurance company wouldn’t cover restoration or decontamination but did pay to put the family in a hotel for two weeks.
When insuring your home be sure to see what your homeowner’s contract says, clearly:
- The difference in “rodents” and “vermin”
- Whether or not squirrels coming through your chimney would be covered
- How much a deductible might be for these repairs and restorations
- Does the plan cover decontamination of your attic/crawlspace
- Anything related to small critters doing damage to your property
All your coverages are very important, don’t let your agent or broker sell you short!
If your attic, crawlspace, or garage has unwanted visitors, give Attic Kings a call or fill out the contact form below!