Assistance for Quentin and Gary Abbott
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Please read all the updates too...this situation continues evolve.
This fundraiser is to help some Valley Brook Estates neighbors, Quentin Abbott and his brother Gary. They have been unable to live in their house since a large tree fell in their front yard which pulled out, disconnected the power connection/weatherhead on their house on July 18, 2020. Repairs have yet to be made and the Abbotts need help getting back in their home. Quentin and Gary are so nice, well-spoken, intelligent and quite with-it. Quentin is a 77-year-old veteran with some health issues, including COPD. During his service in the United States Coast Guard, he suffered hearing loss due to his work manning a big gun on a ship before hearing protection was available. His brother, Gary is 72-years-old and was injured as a child, is illiterate and can not live by himself. Quentin is his support. Gary has been in the hospital a couple of times recently. The most recent hospital stay was for COVID 19 symptoms that thankfully turned out to be a summer cold. He also broke his leg in a fall and can only hobble with a walker, but doctors told him that with therapy, he will probably walk again. The only other family they have is an 85yo cousin in another state.
I am reaching out to my neighbors and friends to see if you could offer any assistance. Below the listed needs, there is a more detailed description of the situation (click on READ MORE). Any money raised is going into an account solely for this purpose and will only be used to help the Abbotts. Here are the things I’m looking to help them pay for: Immediate needs (anticipated for 2 months) --living expenses until they can return to their house. (weekly stay at the motel is about $350) --food/meals for them at the motel (At the motel, they have a small fridge and a microwave for meals. So this would probably need to be daily since they can’t store perishables. Quentin has been going to Kroger and the dollar store himself which is terrible considering he is at high risk for COVID 19 with his health issues and age!)
Needs within the next 4 weeks
--master electrician to repair the power connection to their house so the power company can reconnect power
--after power is restored, an AC/heating company to repair the AC/heat
--roofer to replace the roof
--legal assistance to deal with the insurance company
--assistance to pay property taxes
My involvement came about because I had a dead tree cut down in my yard. When the tree company came out to do the estimate, I mentioned to the company owner the tree in Quentin’s yard and that it appeared they no longer could live in the house. At the time, I didn’t even know who lived there. He offered to remove the tree and take away the debris at no charge if I could find out who lived there and get permission to be on the property. After some research, I tracked down Quentin. (In an unfortunate turn of events, the tree company couldn't remove the downed tree in Quentin's yard due to a large yellow jacket nest found in the fallen tree trunk. The nest was too deep in the trunk to be reached with regular store-bought yellow jacket spray. So the tree is still there. But finally the yellow jacket nest has been dealt with.) Earlier, part of the same tree fell on his next-door neighbor’s cars, causing $10k damage to one and totaling the other. Quentin’s homeowner insurance has paid for the neighbor’s car repairs but has yet to pay for the totaled car (that’s in the works supposedly).
An insurance adjuster came out to the property and left his card on the door after Quentin called insurance about the remainder of the tree falling on July 18th, damaging the house. When Quentin talked to him, he was told that insurance would arrange for the house repair to restore power and tree removal, but nothing has happened. There was some communication with an electrical company, but they wanted an outrageous amount of money to make the repair. ($17k) All the insurance has done for Quentin so far is to pay for one week at a motel in early August. Quentin and his brother have been paying to stay at a motel since the tree fell.
The insurance company just sent a letter to Quentin stating they were not going to pay the claim, it has been paused. Their situation is actually much worse than I expected. Their roof needs to be replaced and their AC/heat needs to be repaired because it’s not functional. They need a contractor to make some other house repairs and modifications if they are to move back into the house.
I am researching organizations, like Habitat for Humanity and others, that might help a senior vet stay in his home and offer some home repairs.
This seems like a lot. But being older and having health issues myself, I understand from experience how difficult it is to maintain your house and property without help. I found help from friends, neighbors and family. I'm hoping to do this for them.
This fundraiser is to help some Valley Brook Estates neighbors, Quentin Abbott and his brother Gary. They have been unable to live in their house since a large tree fell in their front yard which pulled out, disconnected the power connection/weatherhead on their house on July 18, 2020. Repairs have yet to be made and the Abbotts need help getting back in their home. Quentin and Gary are so nice, well-spoken, intelligent and quite with-it. Quentin is a 77-year-old veteran with some health issues, including COPD. During his service in the United States Coast Guard, he suffered hearing loss due to his work manning a big gun on a ship before hearing protection was available. His brother, Gary is 72-years-old and was injured as a child, is illiterate and can not live by himself. Quentin is his support. Gary has been in the hospital a couple of times recently. The most recent hospital stay was for COVID 19 symptoms that thankfully turned out to be a summer cold. He also broke his leg in a fall and can only hobble with a walker, but doctors told him that with therapy, he will probably walk again. The only other family they have is an 85yo cousin in another state.
I am reaching out to my neighbors and friends to see if you could offer any assistance. Below the listed needs, there is a more detailed description of the situation (click on READ MORE). Any money raised is going into an account solely for this purpose and will only be used to help the Abbotts. Here are the things I’m looking to help them pay for: Immediate needs (anticipated for 2 months) --living expenses until they can return to their house. (weekly stay at the motel is about $350) --food/meals for them at the motel (At the motel, they have a small fridge and a microwave for meals. So this would probably need to be daily since they can’t store perishables. Quentin has been going to Kroger and the dollar store himself which is terrible considering he is at high risk for COVID 19 with his health issues and age!)
Needs within the next 4 weeks
--master electrician to repair the power connection to their house so the power company can reconnect power
--after power is restored, an AC/heating company to repair the AC/heat
--roofer to replace the roof
--legal assistance to deal with the insurance company
--assistance to pay property taxes
My involvement came about because I had a dead tree cut down in my yard. When the tree company came out to do the estimate, I mentioned to the company owner the tree in Quentin’s yard and that it appeared they no longer could live in the house. At the time, I didn’t even know who lived there. He offered to remove the tree and take away the debris at no charge if I could find out who lived there and get permission to be on the property. After some research, I tracked down Quentin. (In an unfortunate turn of events, the tree company couldn't remove the downed tree in Quentin's yard due to a large yellow jacket nest found in the fallen tree trunk. The nest was too deep in the trunk to be reached with regular store-bought yellow jacket spray. So the tree is still there. But finally the yellow jacket nest has been dealt with.) Earlier, part of the same tree fell on his next-door neighbor’s cars, causing $10k damage to one and totaling the other. Quentin’s homeowner insurance has paid for the neighbor’s car repairs but has yet to pay for the totaled car (that’s in the works supposedly).
An insurance adjuster came out to the property and left his card on the door after Quentin called insurance about the remainder of the tree falling on July 18th, damaging the house. When Quentin talked to him, he was told that insurance would arrange for the house repair to restore power and tree removal, but nothing has happened. There was some communication with an electrical company, but they wanted an outrageous amount of money to make the repair. ($17k) All the insurance has done for Quentin so far is to pay for one week at a motel in early August. Quentin and his brother have been paying to stay at a motel since the tree fell.
The insurance company just sent a letter to Quentin stating they were not going to pay the claim, it has been paused. Their situation is actually much worse than I expected. Their roof needs to be replaced and their AC/heat needs to be repaired because it’s not functional. They need a contractor to make some other house repairs and modifications if they are to move back into the house.
I am researching organizations, like Habitat for Humanity and others, that might help a senior vet stay in his home and offer some home repairs.
This seems like a lot. But being older and having health issues myself, I understand from experience how difficult it is to maintain your house and property without help. I found help from friends, neighbors and family. I'm hoping to do this for them.
Organizer
Judy Stroud
Organizer
Decatur, GA
