Help Us Save The Home. A Tree Crashing Through Destroyed It

Imagine, you’re sitting in your living room conversing with your spouse on a quiet Monday evening. It had rained recently, but everything was calm that day in your neighborhood. Your spouse is standing facing you and you're relaxing on the couch with your back to the room. You hear a sudden boom. You wonder, 'Why did lightning strike the house when there is no storm?!' And your world is turned inside out in a matter of seconds.

On the evening of January 6, 2025, just 3 days before the first snow hit the greater Atlanta area, our neighbor's tree crashed through our house. Dennis described it as the silent train you don’t hear coming. We were in the living room where the tree came through. The roofing and drywall that fell pushed me down into the couch. Dennis saw the tree crash through the ceiling, and when the noise stopped, he looked but couldn’t see me. I was covered in drywall and boards. When I was able to look around, I noticed two large, shingle roofing flats covered in nails on each side of where he had been standing.

We both noticed I was bleeding from a head injury and agreed I should go to the hospital. Dennis sustained scratches as well, but we agreed he would stay and start the debris cleanup. Thankfully, all the hospital tests came back clear, and I was released the next morning. This could have been so much worse for both of us. To be honest, I was thanking God we not only didn't die but survived it relatively unscathed.

With the pending snowstorm, we then had to scramble to get the tree removed and the house tarped. As some of you know, this was Dennis’ childhood home he inherited when his mother passed. We had been self-insuring to save money and hopefully do future renovations. But as General Contractors only deal in cash or checks, the unexpected $10,000 invoice wiped out our savings. Being the neighbor’s tree, their insurance denied the claim stating it was an act of God, and as a result, we had to apply for a traditional, Fannie Mae type renovation loan. As you’re aware, it means there are a lot of hoops, upfront fees, and restrictions. An inspector is involved from start to finish, so there is no way around the approvals.

In addition to the obvious damage to the roof, walls, and inside contents, we have extensive structural damage to the bedroom. The roof separated from the house on one corner, and you can see the cracks on the bedroom wall in the pictures. The wall opposite this one is sinking because the tree broke the attic rafters that held this wall; it’s now sinking and must be repaired first - even before a roof can be replaced. The last four months have been mentally taxing with time-consuming assessments, and emotionally and financially draining as well. We still await the final appraisal for the loan to be submitted, and no repairs can start until the loan closes.

Every little bit that you can spare will be returned to you in prayers and gratitude from a humble couple. Thank you for your generosity and kind thoughtfulness.