This Battle Hits Home

On January 1, 2005, Mark, Joe, and I moved into our home. Both Mark and I were over 30 years old and had only rented homes previously. We were on top of the world and so proud of our beautiful house!

On November 1, 2020, Mark quietly passed away in our home.

For the previous five years, he was silently battling some very serious health issues (including two amazingly horrific bouts of Shingles and a serious case of COPD).

When Hurricane Florence hit, our entire community was in shambles. Schools were closed for 38 days straight, many families we know lost their homes and savings, and here our house stood proud. OR so we thought...

About six weeks after Florence exited our area, we noticed watermarks on the carpet (by the windows) and our beautiful wood floor began to buckle by the front door.  When we checked underneath our crawl space, the day after coming back (we left for six days to Durham, NC to escape the brunt of the storm and to make sure Mark had open medical care nearby), the plastic cover was completely dry.  Strangely, we began to notice the nails and seams coming through only exterior walls.  So, we got in touch with our home insurance company.

The first Nationwide Adjustor came out, spent about one hour looking everything over, and quickly told use we fared well, but wanted to have an engineer come out and take a look to be sure.  This person showed up two months later, quickly looked our house over, and told us all of the now growing damage was from a pre-existing condition and candle smoke (no joke!).   He did say that the moisture level reading in our flooring was between 26% to 34%.  I remember thinking that this was odd and could bring more problems down the road.  At this point, I did not have the energy to fight his ridiculous report and a billion dollar Insurance Company, trying to work three jobs and take care of my sick husband (and children). Nationwide then dropped the claim with no word...

After Mark's passing, and as we began the process of letting his items go, I began to notice larger nail holes in my exterior walls. The wood floor was in much worse condition underneath bookshelves, the piano, the master bed, and the couch in the living room.  I saw large cracks in the walls in almost every room, running both vertically and horizontally, and I knew something really serious was afoot.

So I got in touch with a local insurance adjustor in January. My adjustor came in my home and immediately saw the damage. He brought in his team to take pictures and video, going into every electrical outlet. The damage was extensive. He has been patiently providing solid evidence of a home that did not appear to have catastrophic damage at the onset , but one that hid a mess of a hurricane wind driven rain onslaught.  

Nationwide has denied, denied, and denied.

Oh, and there is growth in the insulation all over the house. Did this contribute to Mark's sudden passing?  

I am now at the point of litigation. I have never sued anyone nor do I relish doing so. I need my house beloved house back... I am not looking for top of the line upgrades, just a livable house that is free from health issues and rusted nails popping through walls.

In order for this case to proceed properly, I need a professional engineer to come out and thoroughly notate the damage. This is a large expense. And I need the money upfront to pay for this very soon.

Joe, Max, and I would appreciate any assistance with this matter. Joe deserves to come home from college next year to a solid, safe, and cared for home. Max and I deserve to put up our feet without a sickening worry about how everything will come together.

I am blessed. I have my children. And, I want my home back.