Latest news on non-payment of claim from State Farm:  In 2001 we filed a claim (among other things) for sewer backup damage.  At that time I said that I had no knowledge of anything that the town or county was doing to prevent this sort of event from happening in the future.  So in 2002 State Farm sent me a letter denying my sewer backup damage endorsement because they would not cover a situation where there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t happen again (I don’t have a copy of letter, that’s just paraphrasing what was told on the phone).

Now mind you, this was 11 years ago.  Since that time we have had two pumping stations built on the river and (I believe) they strengthened the dike down the same river.  They also dug a trench parallel to the sewer line and placed a large-diameter overflow pipe, which runs directly to the river/pumping station, bypassing the sewer system entirely.

State Farm said that I never notified them of any of these projects. I replied that they’re located (my agent’s office) ACROSS THE FRIGGIN’ STREET and thus, they get the exact same village newsletter as we do with all the information of flood and sewer control.  So even though I’m the insured and pay a premium for one of the largest (and ostensibly best-handled) insurance companies in American, it is also my responsibility to monitor everything that will impact my policies, rather than my local agent?  hmmm.  Then why do I not have the 800 companies give me insurance for a cheaper rate, since I’m now expected to do all the work.  Again, if they weren’t across the street, there might be some rationale to their position, but when did they go from a “cover you” company to a “cover our ass” one…

So far we still have no furnace or hot water (haven’t replaced the old meter), I’ll post pictures nf the streets lined on both sides with all my neighbors’ belongings.  We still have received to word as to when or even if the village will pick it up (there’s rumblings that they will require everything to be placed into bags with garbage stickers).  We have scavengers driving by at least several times an hour and a neighbor out walking her dog at night saw a car parked in a driveway with a person peering into the windows (owners  had evacuated and the house was vacant).  The police would have to be parked here 24/7 to be effective – one neighbor ran out with a broom to chase the vultures away.  I have no problem with people taking stuff so it doesn’t get dumped in a landfill, but ripping open bags and scattering the contents isn’t the way to do it.