Topic Tuesday #45 2013/05/28 - "Family Matters"
"...And then the roof collapsed..."
Things you don't want to hear, or say, usually start with issues involving parts of your home caving in around you. Of course our friends out in Oklahoma and the rest of the midwest have this trumped, and rightly so, but when a family member calls you up to tell you of a disaster that has befallen them, you do what you can. At least, that is what we have done. Currently my happy home has swelled with my displaced in-laws, their 2 pugs, and a cat. So far so good. The worst is just their stress over their living situation. This post is about family, and keeping your family ties strong and being able to rely on the safety net that is afforded by them. I am proud that I am in a position that I can return the favor, and take care of our elders for once. So often, in our interesting times, children are being forced to return to base, failing to launch. The safety net is critical for all of us.
I am writing this on Memorial Day here in the US. It is fitting to be focused on our families and the freedoms that we do enjoy that, despite whatever politics you follow, are paid for in the blood of our families and friends. Frankly, anyone that is willing to go out on the job and get shot at, they have my heartfelt appreciation.
That said, those that are not concerned with matters of that roof collapsing, can move on.
Still with me?
OK, the roof.
The in-laws live in a 4 unit townhome condo arrangement, that was built popularly in the 1980's. They have had some difficulty with leaks and had recently put a new roof on their unit. Here is where it gets complicated. That is only 1/4 of the area that keeps the building secure. One of the units next to them had what can only be called a series of unfortunate events befall its inhabitant and in turn the structure.
The veteran that lived there, had fallen on hard times. The economy had seen fit to remove him from gainful employment, and this in turn caused a relapse of some mental baggage he carried home with him from his service. He went a little nuts. He did what he could, but it seems more than 3 years ago, his own roof collapsed, and he did not have any money to repair the damage. He had been living in squaller by the time the bank decided that they were going to foreclose on him and kick him out, in spite of his trying to get payments arranged to be put on the end of the mortgage and get current. The bank in an effort to unload the property, had the audacity to request of a roofer to "tarp it and seal it over", which is illegal and unethical by any measure. So as they are repairing that unit, the long term damage that has been seeping through the shared beams and insulation, caused the ceiling above their stairwell, to collapse. This has revealed the nature and only pointed to the extent of the damage. Mold. Lots of mold. Enough mold that, myself as an asthmatic, I could not spend more than 15 minutes in the building BEFORE it was out of the walls. It is bad. So now, I have house guests while the insurance companies duke it out (which is days late due to the holiday weekend).
Family to the rescue! It's always good to know you have options in a situation like this. I hope all of you do.
