U.S. NEWS A squirrel trashed home of family on vacation, and insurance won't pay

[jpak]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/squirrel-trashed-home-family-vacation-insurance-won-t-pay-n1112391

A squirrel that apparently fell into an Atlanta house through a chimney and was desperate to get out caused at least $15,000 in destruction over the Christmas holidays, the homeowners said.

To make it worse, the couple's insurance company said it is not responsible to cover the cost of the damage.

First-time homeowners Kari and Dustin Drees and their 9-month-old daughter moved last month into their house in the upscale Buckhead district of Atlanta, and soon after went on vacation to California.

When the Dreeses returned home on Jan. 1, they found their house in total shambles: Wood chippings, chimney soot and waste from a small animal all over; scratched floors; chewed-up baseboards, window and door frames; and a damaged couch.

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[GaYellowDawg]

1. I'm surprised their last name

Wasn’t Griswold.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. He ha heh...good answer! nt

[Shrike47]

3. Poor squirrel. Trapped.

[Codeine]

4. Fifteen grand?

That seems an excessive claim for some squirrel damage.

[jcgoldie]

8. I'll come pick up the "waste from a small animal" for $15 K

Gotta cat with bad aim usually gotta do it for free. Oh she scratches the couch and baseboards sometimes too...never occurred to me to turn it in to the insurance...

[Codeine]

9. I'll happily charge State Farm $15K for

new slipcovers for my IKEA couches and some quarter round baseboard from my idiot cat clawing everything to splinters. I’m sure they won’t mind.

[PufPuf23]

10. $15 thousand of damage is not that exorbitant for wild animal damage.

I live very rural within a National Forest and city folks have vacation residences that are unoccupied most of the time. Places egt totally trashed; the worst is a bear takes up residence but even pack rats can be very bad.

Back in 1970s as a Cal student, I lived two years as a caretaker on a Piedmont estate. There was an infestation of raccoons. They would poop and cause other damage to the roofs (for some reason they would gnaw asphalt stuff). Some times one could hear them carousing or probably mating. They were trapped and removed but came back and never were completely controlled during my time there. Bet $15,000 was spent even back then.

[Codeine]

11. A bear, or an infestation of vermin

would be totally believable. One squirrel over a finite period? Nah.

[Quixote1818]

16. Did you watch the video? it chewed up furniture, doors, windows etc.

It fell down the chimney and was trapped and trying to get out by chewing through doors and walls.

[NewJeffCT]

21. if the squirrel damaged electrical, HVAC and/or plumbing

$15,000 is definitely not far-fetched. Add some squirrel sized holes in the walls and scratched up tile and/or hardwood flooring and damaged furniture and it can add up pretty quickly.

Back in the 90s, my ex-wife left the dog home alone for a few hours and the dog tore up my sofa & loveseat combination and also all the wall-to-wall carpet in the basement and basement bathroom. While the dog (a 45-50 pound samoyed) is a lot bigger than a squirrel, it was also only a few hours while the squirrel had a week.

[redqueen]

5. Why didn't they close the flue?

Also agree with poster above - poor squirrel

Also agree with another poster above - $15k? Really?

[Raine]

6. I hope after capturing the squirrel 🐺

it was set free, poor little thing.

[Blue_true]

17. I wouldn't try to capture a trapped squirrel as a non professional.

Their teeth and claws are very sharp. The squirrel was also likely panicked out of it's skull. I would have just propped open a door and let it find it's way out, while I stayed away from it.

I have seen those animals crawl up masonry. There is no way that I mess with them.

[Jersey Devil]

19. Easy to catch and safe

I used a Hav-a-Heart trap baited with peanut butter to catch a whole family of squirrels in my attic. A metal cage that closes when they set off the trap by going to the bait. Just put it in the trunk (over a rubber sheet so they don't pee all over your car), take it to a park at least a few miles away and release it.

[TheBlackAdder]

7. The photos show an older dated interior with poor trimming work and worn floors.

[MissB]

12. Good time for those first time homebuyers

to hone some diy skills. That trim by the door is a particularly crappy installation- can’t quite figure out why it looks the way it does.

[UniteFightBack]

13. Just moved into an upscale district then off to Cali to vacation. My sympathy is with the squirrel.

[Xolodno]

14. Probably not a Farmers Insurance customer....

....they would be all over that and shooting the commercial ASAP.

[question everything]

15. Shortly after we purchased our home I was next to the chimney and

heard some sobbing noise. Figured it was a squirrel.

So I called a sweeper who managed to chase him out - right behind a bookcase. They got him out, then realized there was one more and got him on. But, he installed a screen over the chimney. And more screens over the oven and other vent.

Where is that insurance about “have seen a things or two?”

[pecosbob]

18. Humans do dumb things, sometimes unintentionally...animals will be animals

File this one under life mistakes you won't make again. Of course the insurance company is going to try to weasel out...that's what insurance companies do.

[ProfessorGAC]

20. Perhaps A Chimney Cage Would Have Been Wise

We had one installed the first month we moved into this house.
Keeps birds and squirrels out very efficiently!
And they don't look bad on the house.